The Use of Social Media to Enhance Critical Thinking in Online Learning Among Higher Education Students

Abstract

In higher education, fostering critical thinking skills is crucial for students because they are among the most sought-after employability skills. Recognizing the importance of cultivating critical thinking skills among online learners, educators are exploring innovative strategies to harness the power of social media platforms to enhance students’ critical thinking abilities. Therefore, this study investigates these issues using survey methods on final-year undergraduate students from two public universities. A total of 128 students who had experiences in learning online during the pandemic have been randomly chosen. The survey includes two constructs related to social media and critical thinking during online learning. The findings show that majority students agree with the utilization of social media for their online classes. They also agree that social media can serve as a platform to discuss and collaborate for postclass sessions. Furthermore, the regression analysis illustrates demographic factors such as gender, age, and university program that significantly predicted the perception of social media for teaching and learning. However, these factors were not found to be significant predictors of the activities applied in social media to enhance students’ critical thinking. Therefore, this study conclusively demonstrates that students’ critical thinking can be elevated through the integration of social media into online learning. However, it is imperative that learning activities are meticulously designed to ensure the effectiveness of the learning process.