Abstracts Communications and the Arts

Using social media sites in online teaching and learning activities to facilitate students’ learning autonomy: A case study

by Dan Dao

Online teaching and learning environments have been booming worldwide. However, many universities in developing countries cannot afford learning management systems, such as Blackboard or WebCT. Therefore, this qualitative case study explores the possibility of using social media sites for online instruction due to the fact that their prominent utilities are similar to those of Blackboard and other learning management systems. Through purposeful sampling, four university professors who had used social media for online instruction were selected as participants, in order to gain insights from their perspectives regarding its usage as an alternative instructional medium. Using the constant comparison method and open coding, data was gathered and triangulated from participant interviews, observations of participants’ online courses on social media sites; documents collected from their online courses; and the researcher’s reflexive journal. Thematic findings revealed that social media sites increased interaction, communication, and collaboration; provided satisfaction for professors and students in educational contexts; and positively altered the teacher’s role in online instructional contexts. In addition, social media provided improved information sources via mobile devices (i.e. Ipads, Ipods, Iphones, smart phones, and tablets); provided good spaces for school-leaders to practice public relation skills; were easily used, accessible, and inexpensive; and facilitated students’ learning autonomy. It is believed that the significance of the research findings can be transferred to the similar online teaching contexts where learning management systems cannot be afforded.