Assessing the link between learning modes and social media use for learning in first-year undergraduate students
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Abstract
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between learning modes and the use of social media for learning in undergraduate college students. Social media use among students has continued to grow for the past 10 years, yet, not many have been exposed to using it in an academic setting. The study was guided by Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Model, which categorizes learning mode preferences into a cycle of concrete experience (CE), reflective observation (RO), abstract conceptualization (AC), and active experimentation (AE). The non-probability sample included 143 undergraduate students enrolled at a federally-designated Hispanic-serving institution of higher education in South Texas. The study was correlational and retrospective in nature. A paper-based survey instrument was used to collect the data. The results showed that participants aligned most frequently with the concrete experience mode as a predictor of using social media to support learning. Google and YouTube were the most frequently used social media platforms that were utilized passively to search for information to support learning. Participants were least likely to use social media to collaborate with others or create their own content. While passive use of social media can be helpful in gaining academic information, its social aspect should be further explored. Integrating social media use in the classroom may provide the skills students need to fully realize its use as a collaborative and creative tool.