Abstract:

The use of social networks has become an important component of social life and, at the same time, an important source of information. As a consequence of publics’ attention steering towards getting information on “events” from the virtual space, many activities such as data transmission, activity promotion, products, services have mainly moved to the virtual sphere.

The evolution of social networks has led to the development of applications meant to reunite joint interests, with direct applicability for a series of forums and chat groups. These aspects have led to the increase of the number of persons involved in networking, while adding new themes/subjects has led to the increase in the number of groups and forums dedicated to these specific themes.

Relevant studies in the field [1] show that generations of students after 2000 are characterized by significant changes in the way they obtain, manage and archive information, as well as in the way they communicate with fellow students and professors.

Going from the study of printed teaching materials to virtual information transmitted through new media is a progressive, yet fast process. The objectives of our research are:
O1: to identify the most important social networks which are used by students in learning.
O2: to study the opportunity of financing in The National University of Political Studies and Public Administration a social network for the exchange of academic materials – the involvement of the university in the virtual academic community.
O3: to identify the facilities offered by the social networks for finding a job to graduates or for opening various other opportunities, such as participation in (extra) curricular projects/events.

To this end we conducted a sociological study based on a self-administered questionnaire on a sample of 120 students. Through this study we intend to highlight the degree of social networks use by the participants, the main informational advantages provided by the social networks, the way students exchange information and the way support is offered for solving practical problems (support offered by coordinating professors through networks).
The results of research will form a database for students and professors, contributing to the improvement of the curriculum for subjects in the area of IT Management, Social Management, Decision Management (by using information from the new media).

Social networks ensure interactivity and consequently generate the increase of information exchange. There is close interdependence between the students’ decisions and the quality of the information they receive. The existence of new information sources can change their decisions about certain subjects. “It is an environment that demands a continual stream of decisions. What is called the ‘click stream’ is in reality a ‘decision stream’. People at the moment use the Web in a way that is heavily loaded with utilitarian rather than entertainment motives” [2]

The conclusions of the study highlight the main elements specific to the social media which influence the students’ decision: interactivity, spontaneity, novelty, extremely vast (theoretical) informational content.

References:
[1] Guţu –Tudor, D. (2008), New Media, Bucharest: Tritonic Publishing
[2] Sutherland, M., Sylvester, A. (2000), Advertising and the Mind of Consumer, London: Kogan Page Ltd., p. 246

Keywords:

Development, Education, Learning process, Skill, Technology Adoption, Social Network Site, Virtual Communities.