Integration of Social Media Into Engineering Education: a Comparative Study on Perceptions of Faculty and Students

Abstract

For a number of years, the effects of incorporating social media into education systems has invoked the interest of researchers, academicians and students. Yet, the enthusiasm of students in utilizing social media for learning is met with reluctance on the faculty's part in abandoning the traditional ways of teaching. This study compares the students' and faculty's acceptance of the utilization of social media in engineering education from different perspectives. A survey approach has been used for this purpose and 57 faculty and 85 students from the engineering faculties participated in the study. The research model used was tested using the least square regression technique. The results show existence of significant diversity between the faculty and students in the factors affecting the ethical usage. Concerning the general usage, this diversity exists in only the awareness. These results are expected to provide insight into the issues that act as barriers towards a more open, collaborative and learner-centered higher education platform.