"I
believe that higher education should grow along with the latest
developments in information technology in order to stay current with
students. Social networks get the message across effectively and that is
what matters most.
"Students usually respond faster to Facebook threads when compared with university portals. Hence, it is a good move."
Khaled
said institutions of higher learning should look into using more
interactive teaching methods, adding that communicating via social
networks was a good start.
Universiti
Sains Malaysia Associate Professor Mohd Kamarul Kabilan said the use of
social media for educational purposes inculcated a more positive
attitude towards learning.
He
said his research showed that 67.9 per cent of the students
interviewed said they had gained confidence when communicating with
their classmates as well as their lecturers.
Kamarul said the question of whether the tool was useful or not depended on the lecturers and students.
"Facebook's
features such as the 'wall', 'notes' and 'video uploads' can be
used for learning in the form of exchanging and sharing of ideas,
thinking critically and encouraging collaboration."
International
Islamic University Malaysia macroeconomics lecturer Riasat Amin said
communicating with his students through the Internet had a profound
impact on the dynamics of his classroom.
"Social networks have definitely helped bridge the gap we had with my students. We connect better in class now."
Riasat
explained that online platforms had made the teaching and learning
process more interactive as students who were too shy to raise questions
during class could express themselves online.
A
survey conducted by Taylor's School of Communication found that
students tend to respond better through Facebook compared with
university online portals.
"When they use student portals, they feel like it is work.
"But
communication through social media is a more relaxed process," said
Taylor's Communication and Media Management programme director Catherine
Lee Cheng Kiat.
She
said 99 per cent of her students had Facebook accounts, hence the
possibility of students being left out of online discussions was rare.
Students, in turn, have responded positively to this new method spearheaded by their lecturers.
Communications
student Hoh May Kay, 22, said social networks had made it more
convenient for her to follow course announcements and assignment
updates.
She said she preferred chatting with her lecturers through Facebook as she could get an immediate response from them.
Mechanical
engineering student Mohd Akram Mohd Yusof, 21, said social media could
become an important tool for teachers to reach out to unresponsive
students.
"We
spend half our time on the Internet and by engaging students here,
lecturers get to reach out to those who are beyond the barrier." By
Nicholas Cheng and Kanyakumari Damodaran
.
Source from - NST
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