583748

research-article2015
JMDXXX10.1177/0273475315583748Journal of Marketing EducationNeier and Zayer

Article

Journal of Marketing Education

Students’ Perceptions and Experiences of

2015, Vol. 37(3) 133­–143
© The Author(s) 2015
Reprints and permissions:
Social Media in Higher Education sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/0273475315583748
jmed.sagepub.com

Stacy Neier1 and Linda Tuncay Zayer1

Abstract
Recent research has discussed the opportunities associated with the use of social media tools in the classroom, but has
not examined the perceptions students themselves hold about its usefulness in enhancing their educational experience.
This research explores students’ perceptions of social media as an effective pedagogical tool. Undergraduate students in a
midsized, private university taking a marketing course were surveyed about their social media usage and preferences as well
as their perceptions regarding the use of social media in higher education. Additional qualitative data collection with students
probed into motivations for social media use in education as well as instructor and university perceptions. Findings reveal
openness to using social media in education, uncover interactive and information motives for its use, and offer theoretical
and pedagogical implications. Importantly, we offer insights into how educators can strategically incorporate social media
tools into the classroom as well as how the use of social media can potentially affect students’ views of the instructor and
the university.

Keywords
innovative teaching methods, learning approaches and issues, surveys, methodology, technology in classroom, principles of
marketing, course content, undergraduate education, level/type of education

Higher education institutions in the 21st century face signifi-
cant social, economic, and technological changes that will
substantially change the educational experience of students.
Researchers should continue to monitor new and emergent
technologies in order to see what tools have potential in the
classroom and how receptive students are to using such tools.
This research unpacks one element of the critical technologi-
cal shift at universities by exploring the use of social media
in higher education. Recent research has discussed the
opportunities associated with the use of Web 2.0 and social
media tools in the classroom (Cronin, 2009; Granitz &
Koernig 2011; Huang & Behara, 2007; M. D. Kaplan, Piskin,
& Bol, 2010; Lowe & Laffey 2011; Rinaldo, Laverie, Tapp,
& Humphrey 2013; Sendall, Ceccucci, & Peslak, 2008), but
has not examined the perceptions students themselves hold
about its usefulness in enhancing their educational experi-
ence (see, however, Aviles & Eastman’s, 2012, exploration
on the use of technology in education). This research exam-
ines several areas of importance to marketing education.
First, we determine students’ experiences with social media
tools and the extent to which students view social media as
an effective pedagogical tool. Next, we uncover students’
motives for social media use in education. Third, we reveal
students’ perceptions of instructors and universities who use
social media for educational purposes.
This research is important for several reasons. First, it falls
in line with an area of importance that has been identified by
the marketing education community. For example, there is
widespread publication of research on topics related to the
utilization of technology in the classroom in the Journal of
Marketing Education (see Gray, Peltier, & Schibrowsky,
2012, for historical overview of articles in this journal over
the past 35 years). That is, this study provides practical
insights for educators and universities who seek to use social
media. Next, this research contributes to the scholarly body
of work in the area of technology and social media by reveal-
ing students’ perceptions and motives regarding the use of
such tools in higher education. A broad understanding of stu-
dents’ perceptions on the use of social media in education
may also be a first step in understanding the relationship
between the use of social media and important educational
outcomes such as assessment and student engagement.
Specifically, this research determines the extent to which
students are experienced with a range of social media tools,
not just the most common tools discussed in popular press,
such as Facebook and Twitter. For example, if an instructor
wants to use social bookmarking tools in a course but stu-
dents are largely unfamiliar with such tools, the instructor
1
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
Corresponding Author:
Stacy Neier, Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University Chicago,
1 East Pearson, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
Email: sneier@luc.edu

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
134
will have to set aside additional time and resources to train
his or her students. Furthermore, we examine the valence of
students’ perceptions of social media tools, as well as their
motives for use, in order to determine if there will be initial
resistance to or excitement about incorporating such tools in
the classroom. Last, we reveal students’ perceptions of the
university and the faculty who use social media in the class-
room and offer implications from a branding perspective.
Thus, this research aids in appropriately framing the use of
social media tools in the classroom and offers insight into
how such efforts are received by students within the context
of their broader education.
For example, while past scholarly work has determined
the benefits of using certain social media tools (e.g., blog-
ging leads to more effective use of student time; M. D.
Kaplan et al., 2010), Granitz and Koerning (2011, p. 62)
point to research which indicates some of the challenges of
using technology, including perceptions among students of
having to do “extra work.” If perceptions like these apply to
the use of social media and cannot be overcome by the fac-
ulty member, any use of these tools are likely doomed to fail
no matter the skill of or planning by the instructor. Last, the
findings of this research contribute to the broader body of
theoretical research on the use of technology and social
media in the classroom by highlighting students’ voices on
an important pedagogical issue. Capturing student percep-
tions follows the tradition of past research in marketing edu-
cation as a way to enhance assessment (e.g., Duke, 2002) and
uncover potential links to student engagement (e.g., Junco,
Heiberger, & Loken 2011).
In sum, the findings enable educators to determine several
important success factors if they opt to use social media
tools. Naturally, each instructor has unique considerations
for course design and would need to assess the compatibility
and the relative advantage that social media tools offer
(Granitz & Koerning, 2011). However, a greater understand-
ing of students’ perceptions, familiarity, and motives with
regard to using social media in higher education is an impor-
tant step in creating learning environments that are both pro-
gressive and effective in an educational landscape that is
ever changing.
Literature Review
Social media is defined as “a variety of new sources of online
information that are created, circulated, and used by consum-
ers intent on educating each other about products, brands, ser-
vices, personalities, and issues” (Mangold & Faulds, 2009,
p. 357). More recently, A. M. Kaplan and Haenlein (2010)
define it as “a group of Internet based applications that build
on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0
and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated
Content” (p. 61). With regard to social media in education,
some researchers have framed the discussion more broadly in
Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
Journal of Marketing Education 37(3)
terms of Web 2.0 or the use of “social software tools,” or “a
range of software tools which allow users to interact and
share data with other users, primarily via the web” (Minocha,
2009, p. 353). These scholars point to tools such as blogs,
social networks, social bookmarking sites, and virtual
worlds.
Whether these tools are labeled as social media or defined
as social software tools, popular press and scholarly research
alike have discussed Millennials as “digital natives”
(Tapscott, 2009) whereby social media plays a key role in
students’ lives (Greenhow & Burton, 2011). However,
authors have also debated the impact that social media, and
the Internet in general, have on the well-being of students,
with some detailing its negative impact on society as a whole
(Putnam, 2000). With regard to students in particular,
research by Eszter Hargittai and colleagues (e.g., Hargittai &
Hsieh, 2010; Hargittai & Litt, 2011) on the breadth and depth
of social media knowledge by university students has con-
tested the homogeneity of social media usage across differ-
ent groups of students and their familiarity with the broad
range of social media tools. Furthermore, Greenhow and
Burton (2011) document how low-income students’ use of
social networks is positively associated with some forms of
social capital—a factor that has been linked to educational
attainment and achievement in past literature. Hung and
Yuen (2010) examined Taiwanese students in particular and
found that they experience feelings of connectedness and
favorability when social networks are used as an educational
tool. In sum, research is mixed with regard to the role of
social media in people’s lives and the extent to which social
media tools lead to positive outcomes and in a manner that is
consistent across different groups of students.
Moreover, while some scholars have advocated the use of
social media in education (Trinder, Guiler, Margaryan,
Littlejohn, & Nicol, 2008) or defined best practices (Dunlap
& Lowenthal, 2009), others have warned of risks (Franklin
& van Harmelen, 2007) such as privacy, copyright, data
ownership, and literacy issues and have pointed to a lack of
“e-skills” among educators (Trinder et al., 2008). Some
research has explored the extent to which students use par-
ticular social media tools. For instance, Poelhuber and
Anderson (2011) examined the use of social media and other
collaboration tools in the context of distance learning and
found that males and younger students have more positive
attitudes toward technology as well as greater experience
with social media. Zula, Yarrish, and Pawelzik (2011)
explored the use of social networking tools in business edu-
cation and found that younger students (18-20 years old)
spent less time on career exploration research than older stu-
dents (21-24 years old) but found no significant difference
with regard to time spent on social networks in general.
Other researchers have documented the success and/or
challenges related to the use of particular social media tools
in the classroom (e.g., M. D. Kaplan et al., 2010; Junco et al.,
Neier and Zayer 135

2011; Payne, Campbell, Bal, & Piercy, 2011; Rinaldo, Tapp, Table 1. Major.
& Laverie, 2011; Taylor, Mulligan, & Ishida, 2012; Zahay,
Percent
Eddy, & Kaufman, 2013). For example, M. D. Kaplan et al. N Percent of cases
(2010) demonstrate through qualitative and quantitative
measures that a blogging project can lead to a range of posi- Communications Studies 4 1.2 1.6
tive outcomes in the classroom for students, including facili- Operations Management 4 1.2 1.6
tating their effective application of marketing theory to Sports Management 10 3.0 4.0
practice, enhancing an interdisciplinary focus, and increas- Information Systems 15 4.4 6.0
ing familiarity with technologies, among other outcomes. International Business 19 5.6 7.7
Management 26 7.7 10.5
Payne et al. (2011) also use a project-based approach,
Economics 27 8.0 10.9
whereby students create a spoof video for a semester-long
Marketing 35 10.4 14.1
project on viral marketing. The authors conclude that the
Finance 45 13.3 18.1
inclusion of a YouTube project enhances motivation, engage-
Advertising/Public Relations 47 13.9 19.0
ment, team management, and communication, as well as Accounting 49 14.5 19.8
knowledge of viral marketing. Rinaldo et al. (2011) explore Other 57 16.9 23.0
the use of a microblogging tool, Twitter, in a business class- Total responses 338 100.0 136.3
room and advocate its benefits for student engagement in
experiential learning. The authors found that the tool aids in Note. Participants were asked to check all that apply to report double and
reaching educational goals with particular benefits in cases triple majors; Undecided was not a category.
where the students interact with the professor on Twitter.
Similarly, Junco et al. (2011) examined the use of Twitter in Survey
the classroom with preprofessional health students for a
semester-long experiential project. The authors found that Sample and Measures. Students in a private, midsized uni-
students not only have a significantly greater increase in versity taking an introductory marketing course were sur-
engagement but also higher semester grade point averages. veyed about their social media usage as well as their
On the other hand, Taylor et al. (2012) found that Facebook perceptions on the use of social media tools in the education.
may not be an ideal tool to use in the classroom due to stu- An initial round of data collection included 138 surveys
dents’ desires to compartmentalize professional and personal completed during Spring 2012. A second round of 135 sur-
identities, the fear of negative consequences, and a perceived veys was collected during Spring 2013. (Refer to Tables 1-5
lack of need; however, the authors do advocate the use of for sample demographics.) Our descriptive survey included
other social networks. variables such as sex, major, year in university, income, and
While recent research has explored the use of social ethnicity/race as well as questions exploring the frequency
media tools in classroom and documented its success and and extent of social media and technology usage, the use of
failure, little research has examined students’ perceptions social media in education, among other questions. In particu-
of social media as a pedagogical tool to enhance their edu- lar, the survey incorporated questions regarding many of the
cational experience. Students make judgments on the qual- tools detailed by Granitz and Koernig (2011) in their discus-
ity of their education (Duke, 2002), thus suggesting sion of the utilization of Web 2.0 activities in marketing edu-
students’ perceptions are a reasonable area for inquiry for cation, such as bookmarking, RSS feeds, blogging,
faculty when adjusting pedagogy to use updated online video-sharing software, among many others. These tools
tools. also appear into past research in education (see, e.g., Saeed,
Our study focuses on three primary research questions: Yang, & Sinnappan’s, 2009, study on learning styles and
(a) What are students’ experiences with the use of social technology preferences). For data collection in Spring 2013,
media? (b) What are their perceptions on the use of social we also included items measuring the motives behind the use
media in education? and (c) What are students’ motives for of social media in education. We referred to the measures of
its use in higher education? Kilian, Hennings, and Langner (2012) in their research
examining the motives behind Millennials’ media usage. We
also referenced Hargittai and Hsieh (2012) to measure famil-
Method iarity with social media tools. The surveys were pilot tested
Overview with students prior to the final administration across each
introductory class section.
This research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods
to offer a holistic picture of how students perceive the use of Analysis of Surveys. SPSS was used to tabulate frequencies
social media in education. Two rounds of survey data collec- and descriptive statistics. When the same question was asked
tion as well as 13 in-depth interviews were conducted. of both 2012 respondents and 2013 respondents, the data

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
136 Journal of Marketing Education 37(3)

Table 2. Class Standing. In-depth Interviews

Frequency Percent The authors also use a qualitative approach through the use
Freshman 9 3.3 of in-depth interviews to gain more depth into students’
Sophomore 178 64.5 views and the motives that drive students’ use of social media
Junior 58 21.0 in education. Researchers asked “grand-tour” questions
Senior 7 2.5 regarding the use of social media in education during inter-
Subtotal 252 91.3 views with 13 undergraduate students, following the inter-
Did not respond 24 8.7 view protocol proposed by McCracken (1988). All the
Total 276 100.0 students were enrolled in an advanced undergraduate mar-
keting course in a midsized, private university and repre-
Note. The introductory marketing course sampled is typically completed
sented a mix of males and females. Students were probed as
during students’ sophomore or junior year.
to their use of specific tools, their openness to using social
media in education, their motivations for use, as well as per-
Table 3. Sex. ceptions of instructors and universities who use social media
in the educational environment. Interviews lasted approxi-
Frequency Percent mately 1 hour and yielded more than 105 pages of text. The
Male 96 34.8
two authors independently engaged in thematic coding of the
Female 159 57.6 data and converged on salient themes while referring back to
Subtotal 255 92.4 the literature, including past research on motivations for
Did not respond 21 7.6 media use (Kilian et al., 2012) and brand personality (Aaker,
Total sample 276 100.0 1997). We supplemented our analysis with Dedoose, a tex-
tual analysis software.
We present our findings as follows. First, we discuss stu-
dents’ experiences and openness to the use of social media in
Table 4. Race/Ethnicity.
education. Next, we highlight motives for social media use in
Frequency Percent education. More specifically, to provide depth in this area,
we supplement our quantitative data with qualitative inter-
African American 4 1.4
view data and present a nuanced discussion of students’ nar-
Asian American 31 11.2
ratives regarding their motivations for social media use in
Caucasian 169 61.2
Hispanic/Latino 28 10.1
education. Finally, we reveal students’ views on how social
Other 22 8.0 media use affects perceptions of instructors and universities.
Subtotal 254 92.0
Did not respond 22 8.0 Findings
Total sample 276 100.0
Students’ Experiences With Social Media Tools:
Understanding and Usage
Table 5. Total Annual Household Income. Students’ experiences with social media were examined by
asking respondents to report their familiarity with social net-
Frequency Percent
working, microblogging, pinning sites, blogging, and video
<$25,000 35 12.7 content and sharing. Each category of social media tools was
$25,000-$50,000 22 8.0 measured using a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = no
$50,000-$75,000 37 13.4 understanding and 5 = full understanding. As expected,
$75,000-$100,000 49 17.8 respondents were the most familiar with social networking
>100,000 87 31.5 ( x = 4.33, standard deviation [SD] = 0.704) and video con-
Subtotal 230 83.3 tent and sharing sites ( x = 4.08, SD = 0.704). Respondents
Did not respond 46 16.7 report “some understanding” of blogging sites ( x = 3.70,
Total sample 276 100.0 SD = 1.019) and pinning sites ( x = 3.05, SD = 1.325).
Students report the least amount of understanding with
regard to microblogging ( x = 1.95, SD = 0.704). Students’
were combined. Chi-square test of independence is also lack of understanding of categories like blogging ( x = 3.70,
reported to address students’ experiences with social media SD = 1.019), pinning ( x = 3.05, SD = 1.325), and microb-
tools and their views of social media as an effective peda- logging ( x = 1.95, SD = 1.106) suggests that students’ expe-
gogical tool. rience is more limited than what the widespread notion of the

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
Neier and Zayer 137

“digital native” might suggest. Interestingly, microblogging as Table 6. Familiarity With Social Media Tools.
a social media tool preceded the development of, for example,
n x SD
pinning sites, but students indicate a lower level of under-
standing of the microblogs versus pinning sites despite the Social networking 132 4.33 0.704
extended time on the market. One possible explanation could Video content and 133 4.08 0.901
be that students do not necessarily understand the term micro- sharing sites
blogging but rather associate the medium exclusively with the Blogging 134 3.70 1.019
most prominent platform, Twitter. Pinning sites 133 3.05 1.325
Findings also suggest that although students may not con- Microblogging 134 1.95 1.106
sistently report full understanding of social media tools, the Note. Based on Hargittai and Hsieh (2012) 5-point scale where 1 = no
data suggest that there is willingness to use various catego- understanding, 2 = little understanding, 3 = some understanding, 4 = good
ries of social media. With regard to familiarity of social net- understanding, and 5 = full understanding. Data represent the second round
of data collection completed in 2013.
working, nearly 86% (n = 116) of students report good or full
understanding of the tool. Furthermore, their social network-
ing usage is maintained weekly (95%, n = 261) and daily Table 7. Use of Social Media Tools: Weekly.
(88%, n = 244). Nearly 80% of respondents (n = 105) report
Percent
good or full understanding of video sharing. Only 43% of n Percent of cases
respondents (n = 158) use video content and sharing weekly
while 16% (n = 92) use it daily. With regard to blogs, nearly Virtual worlds 9 0.9 3.3
56% of respondents (n = 75) indicate a good or full under- Social bookmarking 22 2.3 8.2
standing. While 27% of respondents (n = 75) use blogs RSS feeds 26 2.7 9.7
weekly, 15% (n = 41) use blogs daily. Thirty-eight percent Microblogging 30 3.1 11.2
(n = 49) of respondents report good or full understanding of Geo-location services 38 3.9 14.1
pinning. Weekly use of pinning sites is reported by 27% (n = Social gaming 38 3.9 14.1
Question and answer sites 44 4.6 16.4
75) of participants while 7% (n = 42) use it daily. Lack of
Pinning sites 75 7.8 27.9
microblogging familiarity is indicated with only 12% (n =
Blogs 75 7.8 27.9
16) reporting good or full understanding of the tool.
Professional focused social 80 8.3 29.7
Microblogging also shows less weekly (11%, n = 30) and networks
daily (4%, n = 23) usage. In sum, students have the most Photo sharing sites 107 11.1 39.8
understanding of social networking and video content and Video content and sharing 158 16.4 58.7
sharing and report the most usage. See Tables 6 through 8 for Social networking 261 27.1 97.0
more details. Total responses 963 100.0 358.0

Social Media as an Effective Pedagogical Tool
Using a 5-point Likert-type scale, where 1 = strongly dis-
agree and 5 = strongly agree, students were asked to rate
their agreement about openness to using social media tools in
the classroom to enhance their learning experience. In addi-
tion, respondents were asked to rate their agreement about
preference for instructors’ use of social media tools for teach-
ing purposes. With regard to the item measuring openness to
using social media tools, students report a mean of 3.86 (SD
= 1.132). The mean for agreement with a preference for their
instructor to use social media is only slightly lower ( x =
3.42, SD = 1.064). Strong agreement about openness to use
social media was reported by 33% of the students (n = 90),
and 19% (n = 51) strongly agreed about preference for
instructor use of social media. Only 6% of the respondents
strongly disagree with both items (n = 8). Taken as a whole,
it is evident that despite the perception of Millennials as
“digital natives,” some students remain cautious about the
use of social media for educational purposes.
Note. Data represent surveys completed in Spring 2012 and Spring 2013.
Students were also asked to rate the potential of specific
social media tools to enhance learning. A 5-point Likert-type
scale was used where 1 = no potential and 5 = strong poten-
tial (see Table 9). The strongest potential is reported for pro-
fessional focused social networks ( x = 4.23, SD = 0.897),
and for video content and sharing sites ( x = 4.09, SD =
0.830). Respondents report weaker potential for geo-location
services ( x = 2.98, SD = 1.000), pinning sites ( x = 2.79,
SD = 1.182), virtual worlds ( x = 2.27, SD = 1.261), and
social gaming ( x = 2.18, SD = 1.178). We find higher means
for question and answer sites ( x = 3.80, SD = 1.049), blogs
( x = 3.74, SD = 0.961), social networking ( x = 3.44, SD =
1.117), microblogging ( x = 3.32, SD = 0.916), RSS feeds
( x = 3.30, SD = 0.901), social bookmarking ( x = 3.20,
SD = 0.904), and photo sharing sites ( x = 3.19, SD = 1.146). A
high mean reported for professional focused social networks
demonstrates that students view learning to also incorporate
development of their professional selves. Relatively low means

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
138 Journal of Marketing Education 37(3)

Table 8. Use of Social Media Tools: Daily. whole. Respondents indicate that blogging facilitates an
expression of ideas and self ( x = 4.14, SD = 0.874) and
N Percent Percent of cases
provides a potential platform for generating discussion ( x =
Virtual worlds 4 0.7 1.6 3.90, SD = 0.924). Students also report blogging aids in
Social bookmarking 7 1.2 2.7 receiving feedback from classmates ( x = 3.46, SD = 0.866)
RSS feeds 13 2.2 5.0 and their instructor ( x = 3.37, SD = 0.854). Respondents
Geolocation services 13 2.2 5.0 also report the potential of blogging to develop writing skills
Question and answer sites 13 2.2 5.0 ( x = 3.60, SD = 0.950).
Social gaming 19 3.2 7.4 Furthermore, there is a statistically significant association
Microblogging 23 3.9 8.9 between agreement about instructor provided feedback on
Professional focused social 29 4.9 11.2 blogs and the development of writing skills (χ2 = 104.617,
networks
p < .001). There is also a statistically significant association
Blogs 41 6.9 15.9
between classmate provided feedback and the development
Pinning sites 42 7.1 16.3
Photo sharing sites 53 8.9 20.5
of writing skills (χ2 = 70.262, p < .001). Thus, not only have
Video content and sharing 92 15.5 35.7 past studies shown the positive outcomes of using blogs in
Social networking 244 41.1 94.6 the classroom (M. D. Kaplan et al., 2010), but the quantita-
Total responses 593 100.0 229.8 tive data indicate that blogging may be seen as offering a key
benefit to students by developing their writing skills—a fun-
Note. Data represent surveys completed in Spring 2012 and Spring 2013. damental academic outcome in many courses. Moreover, in
some cases, instructors might encourage feedback among
classmates to validate writing instead of solely using instruc-
Table 9. Social Media’s Potential to Enhance Learning. tor feedback.
N x SD
Professional focused social networks 129 4.23 0.90 Facebook, a Social Networking Site
Video content and sharing 126 4.09 0.83 While it is no surprise that most students are familiar with
Question and answer sites 127 3.80 1.05 Facebook ( x NotFamiliar = 1.26, SD = 0.734), students are cau-
Blogs 127 3.74 0.96 tious about its potential to facilitate learning. They recognize
Social networking 129 3.44 1.12
value in using Facebook for class announcements ( x = 4.07,
Microblogging 127 3.32 0.92
SD = 0.795) and for the formation of teams for group proj-
RSS feeds 124 3.30 0.90
ects ( x = 3.65, SD = 1.077). Yet students’ perception of
Social bookmarking 126 3.20 0.90
Facebook to enhance learning is related more to exposure to
Photo sharing sites 127 3.19 1.15
Geo-location services 124 2.98 1.00
others’ ideas and opinions ( x = 4.20, SD = 0.848) and the
Pinning sites 128 2.79 1.18 facilitation of expression of the students’ own ideas ( x =
Other 94 2.72 1.16 4.03, SD = 1.039). That is, Facebook provides a medium
Virtual worlds 126 2.27 1.26 through which students can gain exposure to ideas and opin-
Social gaming 125 2.18 1.18 ions outside a traditional classroom setting. What we do not
know is if those “others” are other classmates in the course in
Note. Based on a 5-point scale where 1 = no potential, 2 = weak potential, which Facebook is used. Furthermore, Facebook is not seen
3 = neutral, 4 = some potential, and 5 = strong potential.
as an educational tool for building connections with instruc-
tors ( x = 2.57, SD = 1.084), professionals ( x = 2.65, SD =
for gaming, virtual worlds, and pinning suggests that stu- 1.168), companies ( x = 2.97, SD = 1.248), or brands ( x =
dents do not link these tools to educational outcomes. 3.73, SD = 1.092). This is consistent with prior research by
In the next section of the survey, items pertaining to spe- Taylor et al. (2012), which finds that students are hesitant
cific brands of social media tools (e.g., Twitter instead of about the use of Facebook for educational purposes due in
microblogging) were embedded to understand the extent to part to their desire to keep their professional and personal
which students agreed that such tools could enhance learning, lives separate.
as well as the particular strengths of each tool. Respondents
reported their agreement on a 5-point Likert-type scale where Twitter, a Microblogging Tool
1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree.
Like Facebook, respondents indicate that Twitter facilitates
expression of one’s self and ideas ( x = 4.00, SD = 1.068).
Blogging
Respondents also report agreement with Twitter’s capacity to
Because of the fact that there was no clear brand leader in the expose others’ ideas and opinions ( x = 3.94, SD = 1.111).
blogging domain, we examined the blogging category as a However, Twitter, according to students, is not an educational

Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
Neier and Zayer
platform to gain access to class materials ( x = 2.51, SD =
1.055), build connections with the instructor ( x = 2.67,
SD = 1.084), or build classroom community ( x = 2.65, SD =
0.946). Twitter’s potential as a pedagogical tool, therefore,
might be most effective when used in courses which engage
students in personal reflection or courses which integrate
others’ ideas and opinions (either in a formal or informal
manner). Twitter is potentially ineffective when it is used as
a course management tool or to build an educational relation-
ship with an instructor—at least in so far as the students’
responses on the survey data that were collected.
LinkedIn, a Professional Social Networking Site
Unlike Facebook, respondents show strong agreement that
LinkedIn is a tool for building connections with industry pro-
fessionals ( x = 4.18, SD = 0.876) and with companies ( x =
4.17, SD = 0.916). Moreover, in comparison with Twitter, stu-
dents show stronger agreement about building connections
with instructors ( x = 3.62, SD = 1.002). This is likely because
of the professional context of LinkedIn which fits the forma-
tion of “professional” relationships with instructors—a com-
partmentalization of identities that past scholars examining
education and Web 2.0 articulate (Taylor et al., 2012).
When asked to rate agreement about LinkedIn’s capabil-
ity to build classroom community, students showed disagree-
ment ( x = 2.92, SD = 0.972). Students also did not perceive
LinkedIn as a medium to gain exposure to others’ ideas and
opinions ( x = 2.88, SD = 0.984) or to facilitate expression of
one’s self and own ideas ( x = 2.82, SD = 1.021). While stu-
dents are interested in connecting to professionals, they are
not interested in community or an exchange of ideas.
However, a statistically significant association is found
between agreement with building connections via LinkedIn
and using LinkedIn to gain exposure to others’ ideas and
opinions (χ2 = 53.504, p < .001). Educators might encourage
students to connect to industry professionals and further seek
exposure to various groups and forums to which industry
professionals contribute thought leadership. On the other
hand, educators might be challenged to integrate LinkedIn
for classroom management activities. Students reported rela-
tively low means for using LinkedIn as a vehicle for class-
room discussion ( x = 2.64, SD = 0.887), for collaborative
project management ( x = 2.79, SD = 1.003), and for the
dissemination of announcements ( x = 3.07, SD = 1.002). In
sum, the quantitative data indicate that students do not see
much potential for using LinkedIn for educational purposes
beyond its fundamental positioning in the marketplace as a
professional focused social network.
Pinterest, a Visual-Based Social Bookmarking Site
Respondents indicate that Pinterest aids in the discovery of
new content ( x = 3.91, SD = 0.910) and facilitates expression
Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
139
of one’s self ( x = 3.92, SD = 0.956). In fact, respondents
feel that the discovery functionality is a strength of this tool,
more so than the other social media tools in the survey (e.g.,
using Facebook to access articles mentioned in posts, x =
3.41, SD = 1.161; content in LinkedIn, x = 3.00, SD = 1.100;
and content in Twitter, x = 3.23, SD = 1.197). Thus, as dis-
cussed previously, while students do not perceive this plat-
form to have much potential in enhancing learning, there
may be some potential in using Pinterest as an educational
tool, given the right context. In fact, current research explores
how Pinterest may be used in a marketing course, including
for organization of visual content and for idea collaboration
(Drenten, 2013). If positioned as a tool for discovery and one
that is congruent with educational goals, Pinterest may be an
effective resource in the classroom.
YouTube, a Video-Sharing Site
Among the specific social media brands included in the
questionnaire, respondents indicate that YouTube has the
most potential to enhance learning in the classroom. Students
agree that YouTube facilitates sharing content with peers ( x
= 4.44, SD = 0.666), enables discussion ( x = 4.06, SD =
0.965), and aids in the discovery of new content ( x = 4.43,
SD = 0.723). Given YouTube’s functionality, it might be pri-
oritized in the classroom as a social media tool that students
are both familiar with and a tool that they perceive as poten-
tially useful in the classroom (more so than blogging,
Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest).
Possible Motives for Social Media Use in the
Education
Kilian et al. (2012) developed a typology of media usage
among Millennials (based in part on the work of McQuail,
1983) that details four primary motivations: information,
integration and social interaction, personal identity, and
entertainment. We incorporated items measuring these
motives into our study in order to explore what might drive
students to use social media in an educational environment.
Respondents were asked to rate how social media might
enhance learning—by keeping them informed, entertained,
interactive, or by reinforcing their personal identity. In addi-
tion, because career advancement emerged as an important
topic in the first round of data collection, we also asked
respondents to indicate social media’s educational potential
to help their professional careers. Each item was measured
on a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = not at all descriptive
and 5 = extremely descriptive.
Overall, respondents did not report high means regarding
the motivational drivers of using social media to enhance
learning. The highest means are attributed to the interaction
motive, that is, respondents feel learning through
social media can be enhanced by keeping them interactive
140
( x = 3.52, SD = 1.192), followed by being entertained ( x =
3.33, SD = 1.217), keeping informed ( x = 3.26, SD = 1.315),
for career development ( x = 3.11, SD = 1.324), and rein-
forcement of identity ( x = 2.71, SD = 1.296).
Our qualitative data corroborate the importance of social
interaction in the motivations that drive students to engage
with social media in an educational setting. On coding the
data for motives such as integration and social interaction,
entertainment, information, identity (Kilian et al., 2012) and
career development, social interaction is the most salient
theme in the students’ narratives. Kilian et al. (2012) describe
the motive of integration and social interaction as gaining
insight into others’ circumstances, sense of belonging, com-
panionship, conversation, and connection. In addition, we
also observe in our data that students’ are driven by an infor-
mation motive, and in a manner that is often intertwined with
interactivity motives. Kilian et al. (2012) outline the infor-
mation motive as seeking advice, curiosity, and finding out
about surroundings, the society, and the world. The motives
of reinforcement of identity and entertainment detailed by
Kilian et al. (2012) and career development motives did not
emerge as salient themes within students’ narratives. Select
students did mention some elements such as fun, for exam-
ple; however, they did not emerge as primary motivations.
The most salient theme for students’ motivation to engage
in social media use for education is social interaction and
feelings of integration. For example, Darren, a male under-
graduate student, discusses the connection he feels with oth-
ers, “. . . these different social media platforms in the
classroom [are] a way to keep students engaged. . . . I think
it’s a way to connect with people and teach each other . . .”
Similarly, Andrew, a male undergraduate student reveals
how social media provides an outlet for mediated interaction
with instructors,
. . . more kids today are going to be able to express their opinions
and views through social media easier. . . . I know some kids that
are going to be shy in class but they can use these social media
outlets to tell the teacher what they are thinking and what their
thoughts are . . .
Thus, during the in-depth interviews, students expressed that
social media in education is a way to connect with class-
mates, instructors, and others in their social circles (some-
times extending the conversation outside the classroom).
Students also express an information motive with regard
to using social media in education. For example, Jake, a male
undergraduate student, states he sees a role for social media
in education by, “Staying current, showing what people are
talking about, how they interpret things, how different com-
panies or groups are affected by different things . . .” In a
similar vein, Steve, a male undergraduate student explains,
“This knowledge that we are picking up in class isn’t just
limited to the class—it’s everywhere, it’s outside, it’s in
everyday life, being able to pull it into the course discussion
Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
Journal of Marketing Education 37(3)
instantly. I think that’s amazing.” He further exemplifies how
students often link information and social interaction, going
on to discuss, “. . . just connecting with classmates, adding to
the discussion that’s going on in class.” Indeed, often times,
students discuss how the social interaction motive goes hand
in hand with the information motive. Susan, a female under-
graduate student advocates for the use of social media in
education because it allows, “leveraging the information so
that we become more globally aware of issues” and so “stu-
dents can help each other and expose each other to different
types of thinking.” Thus, while Susan is driven largely by an
information motive, it is clear that part of her experience
with social media in education is the interaction with her
classmates and gaining exposure to unique perspectives.
Perceptions of Instructors and Universities Who
Use Social Media
In order to extend the research implications further for edu-
cators and universities, exploratory qualitative research
regarding perceptions of instructors and universities that use
social media in education was also conducted. Students
expressed during in-depth interviews that instructors who
use social media in the classroom are considered innovative
and at times, more sensitive to students’ needs. For example,
Kate, a female undergraduate student, explains,
. . . for a professor to use it in the classroom setting, especially
as important of a job that professors have, for them to use it in
the classroom setting, I applaud it and also I think it’s very
forward thinking like we’re not still doing pen and paper
anymore . . .
Andrew, a male undergraduate student agrees that educa-
tors who use social media are in tune with the current land-
scape. He describes them as, “. . . just someone who knows
what’s popular today . . . being able to keep up with those
current trends. I would describe them as a current professor
who knows what the needs of current students are.” Similarly,
Dawn, a female undergraduate student, also explains that
using social media allows the instructor to pull information
from the “real world,” enhancing a perceived sense of rele-
vancy for class. She explains,
I guess I could see them as more connected ‘cause a lot of
professors that I have had are just dead set on academia and
some of the ideas that they talk about aren’t relevant but when
you use social media and you can pull articles from the real
world. . . . It’s more interesting it makes me want to learn the
topic more at least for me.
While students generally expressed positive views on the use of
social media by educators, some students did express that the
use should be “informative” and “productive.” Moreover, some
set boundaries on the use of social media in terms or privacy
Neier and Zayer
or that it should supplement class content versus serving as a
primary vehicle to receive class materials. Interestingly,
while our quantitative data revealed more caution about the
use of social media by an instructor, students’ narratives
point to a more favorable perspective.
Students were also probed as to what the use of social
media in education means to their perceptions of the univer-
sity as a whole. In particular, we refer to the brand personal-
ity literature (Aaker, 1997) to uncover and make sense of
students’ narratives with regard to how they view universi-
ties who use social media for educational purposes. Students’
comments emphasized brand personality traits such as
“trendy,” “up to date,” and “modern”—all exemplifying the
exciting brand personality detailed by Aaker (1997).
For example, Karen, a female undergraduate student
explains,
I would describe [the university] as trendy and fun. I mean there
are a lot of universities that are not up to date with the technology
and aren’t utilizing the resources that are out there . . . it is really
going to help expand the horizons of students and further their
knowledge within education . . .
In a similar vein, Mark, a male undergraduate student, dis-
cusses his views of a university using social media,
I would say trendy . . . I want to kind of say transformative
because it has taken that educational process and changing it to
meet the standards of the students are coming up from today’s
younger generation . . . so I think it’s just transforming how they
know how to learn.
David, a male undergraduate student, expresses his excite-
ment with regard to a university using social media,
I would view them as way more modern and like really keeping
with the times even being ahead of the curve. Because I don’t
feel like I’m seeing that being used a lot in other universities. . . .
I would be like “oh that’s super cool.”
In sum, students expressed mostly positive views of instruc-
tors and universities using social media in education, per-
ceiving them as up-to-date educators and describing a
university as exuding an exciting brand personality.
Discussion
Our quantitative analysis reveals that our sample of students
sees some potential in using social media as a learning tool.
However, students are cautious as to which tools hold the
most potential and for what purpose the tool can be used.
Overall, respondents indicated that they would be motivated
to use social media in the classroom because it aligns with
their desire to be interactive (Kilian et al., 2012). Looking
across the different measures investigating the use of social
Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
141
media tools such as blogs and specific platforms such as
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube, we find that the
interactivity theme emerges again, but specifically related to
seeking out conversations.
For example, the highest means for blogging and for
using Facebook and Twitter are related to an expression of
ideas. In addition, the means for enabling and generating dis-
cussion are among the highest for YouTube and blogging,
respectively. Taken as a whole, it is clear that students see the
most value of social media in the classroom as a facilitator of
conversations—conversations that they can learn from and
engage in. The analysis of the qualitative data reveals that
students also value a sense of connection with classmates
and the instructor, again displaying a social integration and
interaction motive (Kilian et al., 2012). Moreover, this
motive is often intertwined with connecting on the basis of
sharing information, exemplifying an information motive
(Kilian et al., 2012). When used to enhance lectures, peda-
gogy rich in opportunities for discussion permits students to
actively participate in their own learning process (Griffin &
Cashin, 1989) and holds the potential to stimulate capacity
for higher order thinking (Krathwohl, 2002). Furthermore,
recent research suggests that technology-mediated discus-
sion is preferred versus face-to-face discussion in a conven-
tional lecture setting (Owens & Price, 2010).
Moreover, the data suggest that certain tools in particular,
such as YouTube, are perceived as valuable in enhancing
learning in the classroom by enabling the sharing and discov-
ering of new content. Educators can incorporate YouTube
into their courses in ways that spark conversations and debate
about classroom topics. On the other hand, other tools such
as pinning sites are not perceived as aiding in the enhance-
ment of learning. However, we do not suggest that educators
abandon this tool altogether. In fact, the visual nature of the
tool may be effective in a range of teaching outcomes.
Similarly, students indicated a lack of understanding about
blogging and did not deem it to have a high potential with
regard to learning. However, past research by M. D. Kaplan
et al. (2010) illustrates a range of positive learning outcomes
related to blogging. Students may be missing out on useful
and practical tools that may improve their educational expe-
rience. Thus, educators should be aware of students’ percep-
tions moving forward and work toward educating students
on why using tools such as pinning sites and blogs are valu-
able and providing tangible ways that they enable learning.
In sum, we find that students are cautious about the use of
social media tools in the education. Educators who wish to
engage students in an open discussion and expression of
ideas in and out of the classroom should look to social media
as a potential educational tool. However, they should recog-
nize that the so-called “digital natives” may not uniformly
accept all social media tools in the classroom, and may do so
for primarily interactive and informational purposes. Faculty
should strategically incorporate social media tools in the
142
classroom and in a manner that aligns with course goals of
increased integration and interactivity as well as informative
discussion. Moreover, in the in-depth interviews, students
expressed mostly positive views on educators and universi-
ties alike if social media was used in the educational environ-
ment, perceiving instructors as current and the university as
displaying an exciting brand personality. Although the ques-
tion remains as to whether universities necessarily want to be
perceived as exciting by their target audiences versus, for
example, another brand personality such as competent
(Aaker, 1997), the largely favorable views of students indi-
cates that the use of social media in education could be seen
as a positive force in their overall educational experiences.
Future Research and Limitations
We examined students’ perceptions on the potential useful-
ness of social media tools in education—how open they are
to using such tools, what their motivations are, and what
their perceptions are of instructors and universities that use
social media for educational purposes. We did not aim to use
direct measures to assess the effectiveness of using social
media in education (e.g., see Bacon, 2011). Moreover, stu-
dents’ perceptions are one of many considerations for an
instructor to contemplate when deciding whether or not to
incorporate such tools in the classroom. Further research is
needed using direct measures of effectiveness and fit for dif-
ferent types of courses and teaching methods in order to fur-
ther aid educators in their decision to use social media for
educational purposes.
Another potential limitation of the study is that all the stu-
dents in this research attended the same university, with
some overlap as to the same set of instructors. Students’ per-
ceptions of social media use in education could not only have
been affected by the social media efforts their current institu-
tions are using but also by what their existing brand percep-
tions are about their universities. That is, for example, instead
of referencing the university generically, they could have
referenced their own institutions when articulating their
thoughts with regard to brand perceptions and social media.
Future research is needed to confirm and extend the explor-
atory research on the link between social media use and how
students perceive universities.
Next, our data collection did not seek to categorize stu-
dents according to individual traits or learning styles. Rather,
the purpose of this study was to provide a broad understand-
ing of students’ perceptions on the use of social media in
education. Past research details how different learning styles
are linked to web-enabled teaching methods (e.g., Saeed et
al., 2009). Future research should extend the work of Saeed
et al. (2009) and others to explore in more depth how specific
learning styles match up to preferences for the use of social
media tools in education.
Last, we did not directly measure student engagement as
it relates to social media. Engagement is generally defined as
Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
Journal of Marketing Education 37(3)
“the time and effort students devote to activities that are
linked to desired outcomes of college and what institutions
do to induce students to participate in these activities” (Kuh,
2009, p. 693). Junco, Elavsky, and Heiberger (2013) high-
light that few studies in higher education literature attempt to
associate social media usage with engagement but that
engagement can be an important component in learning.
Indeed, past research has shown a positive relationship
between the use of social media and engagement; however,
this is demonstrated in the context of specific tools (see
Junco et al., 2011, study on Twitter and engagement). Other
studies find no significant correlation between Twitter and
engagement (Welch & Bonnan-White, 2012). While this
early research is worthwhile, future research should move
beyond measuring engagement as it is related to a specific
branded social media tool and explore a more holistic picture
of the relationship between social media use and student
engagement. Our research provides a foundation on which to
further explore these issues as we detail students’ general
perceptions regarding social media in education.
Acknowledgments
We wish to thank Raymond Benton for his helpful feedback on this
article.
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect
to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author(s) received no financial support for the research, author-
ship, and/or publication of this article.
References
Aaker, J. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of
Marketing Research, 34, 347-356.
Aviles, M., & Eastman, J. (2012). Utilizing technology effec-
tively to improve Millennials’ educational performance: An
exploratory look at business students’ perceptions. Journal of
International Education in Business, 5, 96-113.
Bacon, D. (2011). Comparing direct versus indirect measures of
the pedagogical effectiveness of team testing. Journal of
Marketing Education, 33, 348-358.
Cronin, J. (2009). Upgrading to Web 2.0: An experiential project to
build a marketing wiki. Journal of Marketing Education, 31,
66-75.
Drenten, J. (2013, September). “Pinteresting” pedagogy: Exploring
the value of pinterest as an educational tool in the marketing class-
room. Paper presented at the Marketing Management Association
Fall Educators’ Conference, New Orleans, LA, 2013.
Duke, C. (2002). Learning outcomes: Comparing student per-
ceptions of skill level and importance. Journal of Marketing
Education, 24, 203-217.
Dunlap, J., & Lowenthal, P. (2009). Tweeting the night away: Using
Twitter to enhance social presence. Journal of Information
Systems Education, 20, 129-135.
Neier and Zayer
Franklin, T., & van Harmelen, M. (2007). Web 2.0 for learning
and teaching higher education: The Observatory of Borderless
Higher Education. Retrieved from http://www.obhe.ac.uk/
documents/view_details?id=24
Granitz, N., & Koernig, S. K. (2011). Web 2.0 and marketing edu-
cation: Explanations and experiential applications. Journal of
Marketing Education, 33, 57-72.
Gray, D., Peltier, J., & Schibrowsky, J. (2012). The Journal of
Marketing Education: Past, present, and future. Journal of
Marketing Education, 34, 217-237.
Greenhow, C., & Burton, L. (2011). Help from my “friends”: Social
capital in the social network sites of low-income students.
Journal of Educational Computing Research, 45, 223-245.
Griffin, R. W., & Cashin, W. E. (1989). The lecture and discussion
method for management education: Pros and cons. Journal of
Management Development, 8(2), 25-32.
Hargittai, E., & Hsieh, Y. P. (2010). From dabblers to omnivores: A
typology of social network site usage. In Z. Papacharissi (Ed.),
A networked self (pp. 146-168). London, England: Routledge.
Hargittai, E., & Hsieh, Y. P. (2012). Succinct survey measures of
web-use skills. Social Science Computer Review, 30, 95-107.
Hargittai, E., & Litt, E. (2011). The tweet smell of celebrity suc-
cess: Explaining variation in Twitter adoption among a diverse
group of young adults. New Media & Society, 13, 824-842.
Huang, C. D., & Behara, R. S. (2007). Outcome driven experien-
tial learning with Web 2.0. Journal of Information Systems
Education, 18, 329-336.
Hung, H.-T., & Yuen, S. C.-Y. (2010). Educational use of social
networking technology in high education. Teaching in Higher
Education, 15, 703-714.
Junco, R., Elavksy, C. M., & Heiberger, G. (2013). Putting twit-
ter to the test: Assessing outcomes for student collaboration,
engagement, and success. British Journal of Educational
Technology, 44, 273-287.
Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of
Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of
Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 119-132.
Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite!
The challenge and opportunities of social media. Business
Horizons, 53, 59-68.
Kaplan, M. D., Piskin, B., & Bol, B. (2010). Educational blogging:
Integrating technology into marketing experience. Journal of
Marketing Education, 32, 50-63.
Kilian, T., Hennings, N., & Langner, S. (2012). Do Millennials read
books or blogs? A media usage typology. Journal of Consumer
Marketing, 29, 114-124.
Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An
overview. Theory Into Practice, 41, 212-218.
Kuh, G. D. (2009). What student affairs professionals need to
know about student engagement. Journal of College Student
Development, 50, 683-706.
Lowe, B., & Laffey, D. (2011). Is twitter for the birds? Using twit-
ter to enhance student learning in a marketing course. Journal
of Marketing Education, 33, 183-192.
Downloaded from jmd.sagepub.com at Middle East Technical Univ on February 24, 2016
143
Mangold, W. G., & Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social media: The new
hybrid element of the promotion mix. Business Horizons, 52,
357-365.
McCracken, G. (1988). The long interview. New York, NY: Sage.
McQuail, D. (1983), Mass communication theory: An introduction.
London, England: Sage.
Minocha, S. (2009). Role of social software tools in education: A
literature review. Education + Training, 51, 353-369.
Owens, J. D., & Price, L. (2010). Is e-learning replacing the tradi-
tional lecture? Education + Training, 52, 128-139.
Payne, N. J., Campbell, C., Bal, A. S., & Piercy, N. (2011). Placing
a hand in the fire: Assessing the impact of a YouTube experi-
ential learning project on viral marketing knowledge. Journal
of Marketing Education, 33, 204-216.
Poelhuber, B., & Anderson, T. (2011). Distance students’ readiness
for social media and collaboration. International Review of
Research in Open & Distance Learning, 12(6), 102-125.
Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of
American community. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Rinaldo, S., Laverie, D. A., Tapp, S., & Humphrey, W. (2013). The
benefits of social media in marketing education: Evaluating
Twitter as a form of cognitive flexiblity hypertext. Journal for
Advancement of Marketing Education, 21, 16-26.
Rinaldo, S., Tapp, S., & Laverie, D. A. (2011). Learning by tweet-
ing: Using Twitter as a pedagogical tool. Journal of Marketing
Education, 33, 193-203.
Saeed, N., Yang, Y., & Sinnappan, S. (2009). Emerging Web tech-
nologies in higher education: A case of incorporating blogs,
podcasts and social bookmarks in a web programming course
based on students’ learning styles and technology preferences.
Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 98-109.
Sendall, P., Ceccucci, W., & Peslak, A. R. (2008). Web 2.0 mat-
ters: An analysis of implementing Web 2.0 in the classroom.
Information Systems Education Journal, 6, 1-17.
Tapscott, D. (2009). Grown up digital: How the net generation is
changing your world. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Taylor, S. A., Mulligan, J. R., & Ishida, C. (2012). Facebook, social
networking, and business education. American Journal of
Business Education, 5, 437-448.
Trinder, K., Guiler, J., Margaryan, A., Littlejohn, A., & Nicol, D.
(2008). Learning from digital natives: Bridging formal and
informal learning (Final Report 12 May 2008, pp. 1-71). York,
England: Higher Education Academy.
Welch, B., & Bonnan-White, J. (2012). Twittering to increase stu-
dent engagement in the university classroom. Knowledge
Management E-Learning: An International Journal, 4, 325-345.
Zahay, D., Eddy, A., & Kaufman, I. (2013). The fifty percent rule: The
challenge of engaging students in social media in the classroom.
Developments in marketing science: Proceedings of the Annual
Conference of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36, 335.
Zula, K., Yarrish, K. K., & Pawelzik, W. (2011, September). An
analysis of the differences between student age and social
networking utilization within a school of business. American
Journal of Business Education, 9, pp. 37-42.