Usability of social networks for academic purposes in higher education

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the use of social networking platforms for academic purposes by students from two Mexican universities. A descriptive comparative quantitative study was carried out with a non-experimental cross-sectional design; it was a non-probability sampling under the intentional criterion of 593 students from both institutions; in addition, a scale was administered to measure the dimensions of effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. The social network chosen was Facebook since it allows the creation of virtual communities for educational purposes. The results indicated that students showed interest in social networks for leisure activities, but do not recommend their use as learning platforms. The contribution of this study provided a descriptive analysis, empirical and statistical evidence on the use of Facebook. It is concluded that students associate social networks with leisure and not with education; therefore, they prefer to separate both activities.