Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to explore and understand how Higher Education Students are using Social Media to support their studies in higher-education. The social media term has been defined in many different ways. Based on a literature review, Kaplan and Haenlein (2010) define Social Media as “media that allows the creation and exchange of user-generated content” (p. 61). This essentially means that all media that are used to support exchanges among people (e.g. e-mail, social networks, content sharing, and forums) can be considered as Social Media. Alternate definitions consider social media as the interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. It is the students who decide whether a media is used in social ways or not. More than ever, students are immersed in the Social Media, including both face-to-face and virtual worlds. This paper shows results from a study conducted in a Mexican University, in the aim to explore the potential benefits from Social Media on Education. Results indicate that interaction tools have a positive effect on students’ learning processes. The potential benefits of Social Media for students are not only limited to the improvement of learning process used as a communication and a interaction tool, but also as a useful tool that helps students improve their skills, share knowledge and professional development.

Keywords:

Social media, university, students, higher-education, mobile technology.