The importance of social position in e-learning

Abstract

The growth and popularity of online social networks has created new ways of collaboration and communication. College/university students worldwide are particularly enthusiastic users--- the vast majority are engaging on a daily basis with online social networks via a computer or mobile device. Likewise, eLearning has been utilized by academic communities to transcend learning across space and time to offer students an alternative to physical classrooms. Today, there is interest from educational institutions and organizations in the potential of social networks and social media to complement or leverage formal educational activities and enhance learning outcomes. Although many studies boast about the benefits of eLearning, users have traditionally complained about usability. This study aims to analyze the frequency of online social networking practices across a broad spectrum of diverse users based on survey responses. The goal of this research is to investigate the frequency of usage of social networking features for consideration in the design of new eLearning solutions.