Social Networking Essay

Computers & Education 55 (2010) 1494–1503

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Computers & Education
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu

Can learning be virtually boosted? An investigation of online social networking impacts
Angela Yan Yu a, *, Stella Wen Tian b,1, Douglas Vogel a, 2, Ron Chi-Wai Kwok a, 3
Information Systems Department, College of Business, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, S.A.R. Hong Kong, China Management Science and Engineering Department, University of Science and Technology of China; Information Systems Department, City University of Hong Kong; and USTC-CityU Joint Advanced Research Center, 166 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, P.R. China
b a

a r t i c l e i n f o
Article history: Received 2 March 2010 Received in revised form 17 June 2010 Accepted 17 June 2010 Keywords: Social network Socialization Learning outcomes e-Learning

a b s t r a c t
Online social networking has deeply penetrated university campuses, in uencing multiple aspects of student life. We investigate the impacts of individual online social networking engagement (e.g., on Facebook) from a pedagogical standpoint. Based on social learning theory, we argue that two socialization processes, social acceptance and acculturation, bridge individual online social networking engagement with three domains of social learning outcomes. Results from a survey accompanied by focus group discussions demonstrate the substantial impacts of university student online social networking engagement on social learning processes and outcomes. Online social networking not only directly in uences university students’ learning outcomes, but also helps the students attain social acceptance from others and adapt to university culture, both of which play prominent roles in improving their learning outcomes. Ó 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction With the inception of Web 2.0 technology, a new mode of social networking, i.e., online social...