CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION

INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The widespread usage of social media has transformed how people engage and communicate

online. Social media has become a potent tool for communication on a global scale. Social

networking websites, blogs, vlogs, instant messaging, and virtual communities are examples of social

media channels. Social media is transforming how organizations interact with their audiences and

communicate with the people outside of the confines of personal communication (Hendrick & Schill,

2015).

Higher education institutions prioritize social media to communicate with a big audience

because it has become an essential component of the plans of practically all industrial sectors. This

can also be attributed to the fact that social media has replaced traditional communication channels

for the younger generation, who also make up the majority of higher education institutions' target

demographic (Kumar & Nanda, 2019).

Additionally, the growth of university electronic learning management systems (eLMS) resulted

in more embedded social media functions. E-learning systems now offer a significant portion of the

social media capabilities as a medium for communication (message, forums), co-creation of content

(wiki, blogs), etc. E-learning systems are no longer only utilized as a platform for access to

educational information. While students typically initiate the use of social media sites like Facebook,

Twitter, Google+, and others in higher education, instructors, staff, and institutions as a whole bear
 the primary responsibility for using electronic learning management systems (eLMS) ( Aleksandrova

& Parusheva, 2019).

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Social media can be utilized to enhance learning and teaching activities that were previously

restricted to classrooms as pedagogy continues to change. Although there are many difficulties

associated with social media use in higher education, its significance cannot be understated. According

to research, the majority of academics believe that social media may be successfully used to support the

delivery of student-centered learning approaches. Students that use social media become co-producers

and contributors rather than only passive consumers of knowledge. Learning is now more of a social

activity in the contemporary educational setting, and using social media helps that process (Chugh &

Ruhi, 2018).

Li and Wong (2020) demonstrated that ssocial media was primarily used for two purposes: as a

learning management system and to increase student involvement. Students' positive experiences with

collaborative learning, participation in educational activities, real-time communication, knowledge

sharing, and communities of practice were all cited as advantages of using social media in the classroom.

It has also been demonstrated that these advantages are related to better learning outcomes. Concerns

about blurring lines between public and private life as well as between professors and students were

included among the constraints, along with questions about how well knowledge is constructed, a lack

of pedagogical and technical abilities, and compatibility with instructional design. The studies also

highlight how instructors' roles are evolving and how they must adapt their methods of instruction to

make successful use of social media tools.

Moreover, Manca and Ranieri (2016) looked into the benefits and challenges associated with

academic personnel using social media. The findings demonstrate that the employees are not
particularly eager to incorporate social media into their activities due to a variety of factors, including

institutional limits, pedagogical challenges, and cultural opposition. The way that academic staff utilize

or view social media, however, varies, primarily based on the scientific field in which they are employed.

Overall, the findings highlight conflicted attitudes toward the advantages and difficulties of social media

in the setting of higher education, with disadvantages outweighing positives.

CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA UTILIZATION

To succeed on social media platforms, like with any digital marketing approach, there are specific

challenges that must be surmounted. The most important components of higher education facilities are

the several faculties, which provide a distinctive environment and culture for both students and

academics. According to Hootsuite, providing each faculty member with the means to manage their own

social media efforts while upholding some sort of "brand" or regulation as to the content that can be

shared is one of the major challenges faced by Higher Education Institutions (HEI) when developing a

social media platform presence. (Saleem & Siddik, 2019)

The potential hazards are also too big when it comes to the volume of complaints regarding

inappropriate contact on social media. When a student engages privately outside of the classroom, it

poses the risk to start engaging in inappropriate behavior. There is a chance that users won't be kind and

considerate toward one another, which could lead to the spread of language that is improper for a

school setting, such as profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, or language that is harassing or insulting (Boateng

& Amankwaa, 2016).