Gender-based learning and behavioural differences in an educational social media platform

Abstract

Background: Gender differences in the use of educational environments and social media platforms have been a topic of interest in research. Several studies have examined the disparities between female and male participants in terms of participation, engagement, and motivations in either educational or social media platforms. On this end, this study proceeds to explore gender disparities in an innovative educational environment that sees the incorporation of an educational component within a simulated social media environment. Objectives: Driven by a dual objective, this study aims to first investigate the impact of gender on skills development in an educational social media platform, and second, to explore the behavioural differences between female and male adolescents social interactions within the platform. Methods: The study involved 142 high school students in Barcelona and utilised an ad-hoc questionnaire to assess students' skills. To explore students' behaviour within the platform, actions such as likes, comments, publishing, visiting profiles, and viewing images, were recorded using the Experience API. Results and Conclusions: Our study's findings indicate that both female and male students benefited from the intervention implemented within the educational social media platform. Moreover, the results revealed distinct interaction patterns between female and male participants. These findings provide valuable insights into how adolescents of different genders interact within an educational social media platform. Additionally, the design principles outlined in this study can inform the development of future educational social media interventions that effectively engage the preferences of both genders.