STUDENTS’ PREPAREDNESS FOR BLENDED LEARNING THROUGH SOCIAL NETWORK SITES: INSPIRING ACTIVE LEARNERS

Transformation of Malaysia’s higher education had been a national focus since the introduction of the Industrial Master Plan 3 (IMP3) in 2006. The higher education sector was identified as one of the key engine for the nation’s economic growth and development. It was expected that the number of international students will reach 200,000 by the year 2020. Malaysia’s ability to realise this target is subject to the institutions ability in offering and ensuring quality education. The implementation of blended learning environment had been identified as one of the main strategies that can ensure quality education and produce active learners. There are numerous models for the execution of blended learning environment across the globe. One of the increasingly dominant modes is the execution of blended learning environment via Social Network Sites (SNS). Success of this model is largely subjected to the acceptance level among the students. However, there are still a limited number of studies that explore students’ acceptance of blended learning using SNS. This paper seeks out to bridge some of the gaps in the literature. Specifically, the study aims to determine the students’ preparedness for blended learning through SNS. This was done via a survey that gauge their perception based on their prior knowledge and experiences. Moreover, the students were asked to reflect on how much the SNS tool inspired them into becoming active learners. The paper also discusses the benefits and challenges in executing of blended learning environment via SNS.