Impact of Social Media on Student Learning - Research Proposal Example

Name University Course Instructor Date Impact of Social Media (Face-book and Twitter...) on Student Learning 1) Parameters of the research Social media describes as range of Internet or online services and practices that have increasingly encouraged virtual connection, collaboration, sharing, and participation. Social media acceptability and usage results from advancements made in the area of Internet technology. The scope of this research will be on investigating the impact of Facebook and Twitter on the English scores of undergraduate level international students. This research is important because some previous research have mentioned the possibility of social media to have negative impacts on learning, especially in the incorrect use of English language. For foreign students whose English is not their first language, this may negatively affect their ability to learn English correctly and improve their performance on the subject. Social networking enables people to connect and communicate with each other regardless of distance. Other activities carried out on social sites include sharing information, pictures, files and videos, creating blogs, chatting and following trending news items. These activities are more for achieving social relationships but their importance on academic level has not been clearly established. On one hand, proponents of social media in learning argue that such networks enhance student contact with colleagues, faculty and administration, improve their engagement in the classroom and school, and hence the time and effort invested in collaborative educational and creative activities results to positive learning outcomes (Al-Rahmi & Othman 2013). While on the other, opponents argue that students who spent excessive time on Facebook and other social media have poor academic performances (Junco 2012). Furthermore, social media has been associated with negative learning outcomes such as negligent attitude towards grammar and correct spelling, using the media for any other purpose except learning (Liu 2010. In addition, the educator has limited control in ensuring that all the students are pursuing the social media integrated course material as intended. 2) Research question 1. What impact does social media has on English score performances of international undergraduate students? The question is based on the assumption that: a. Use of social media negatively impact international students’ English scores. Liu (2010) found that the nature of social sites such as Facebook and Twitter encourage other interactions other than learning, and that people tend to use poor grammar in social network posts. This poses concern for foreign students especially those that English is not their first language; hence the need to find out whether usages of social media like Facebook and Twitter influence their English scores. 3) Epistemological position The researcher here will adopt a positivism stance to generate knowledge about the research topic through use of primary research. The knowledge that will be generated on whether social media usage among international students limits their ability to score well in English will be quantitative in nature. The researcher will measure the average hours spent on social media and how the hours relate to the level of English scores before and after a specified period. This study will therefore apply a feminist empiricism theoretical perspective which is suitable for quantifying previous data and using it to interpret current research findings. 4) Ethical issues The research will involve human subjects and need to consider ethical issues. First, relevant institutions and the university’s ethical committee will be consulted for ethical approval and permission. Potential participants will then be contacted and informed about the purpose and the nature of the study. Participation will be strictly voluntary and participants will be required to sign informed consent form. Anonymity of the participants will be assured by protecting their real identity, for example, omitting their real names during findings reporting. Confidentiality of the information provided will be assured and will only be used within the boundaries of this research. 5) Methodology Positivist epistemology invites the use of various quantifying methodologies and this research will use the survey research methodology. Specific to this study, a survey research methodology embedded in a descriptive design will be used to conduct the research about the impact that social media on English scores of international students. Utilization of the quantitative survey methodology allows the researcher to detach from the process and take an objective stance (Bryman 2012). Research surveys are vital in availing data about the incidence, prevalence, and pattern of Facebook/Twitter usage and student performance. Following fulfilment of ethical procedures, survey questionnaires will be self-administered to potential participants. The methodological design will be created to consider variables that will help to address the research questions sufficiently. The choice of a research design depends with the nature of the problem (Bryman 2012). “What’ as presented in this research are best answered with descriptive answers. This research will utilise a descriptive research design to provide an intense outlook of the phenomenon under study and help the researcher to describe precisely the observation. The descriptive design will help to describe the characteristics of a problem as it portrays a near accurate profile of events and situations in the emerging area of Internet technology and international study. Descriptive design is unique in the number of variables employed. Like other types of research, descriptive research can include multiple variables for analysis, yet unlike other methods, it requires only one variable (Crotty 1998). Variables that will be tested and described for this study include number of hours spent on Facebook and how it affects learning within a specified study period. A descriptive survey is an excellent methodology for it considers issues such as economy of the design, rapid data collection, and ability to understand a population from a part of it. 6) Methods Quantitative data collection by use of questionnaires to inform about social media impact on student learning will be widely applied in the research survey. A questionnaire is a formalised list of questions that are used to solicit information from respondents (Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). The questionnaire can apply either closed-ended or open-ended question/items (Crotty, 1998). In line with the quantitative paradigm, this research will use structured or closed-ended questionnaires to validate the research assumptions. The questions will be developed using themes, concepts and theories that are already available in literatures. Compared to open-ended questionnaires, questionnaires with close-ended questions enable precise responses in which participants are asked to tick or mark the right answer from the given multiple choices or scale given. Use of questionnaire is also flexible as a means of gathering data because of a wide variety of methods are available for administration including e-mailing the questionnaires, self-administration or mailing (Bryman 2012). Facts and figures can be drawn directly from the questionnaires which are structured to cater to the research questions. The drawbacks of using structured questionnaires are that they limit collection of in-depth information as ones that can be generated from qualitative interviews (Alston & Bowles 2003). The information collected may also not represent the entire opinion of the respondents as their answers are limited by the question. Some respondents may not provide honest answers or fail to complete the questionnaires. To overcome these challenges in data collection, the questionnaire will be piloted as a means to check the reliability, validity, and practicality of the research instrument. Piloting can be achieved by allowing a peer researcher or sample group to test the initially prepared questionnaire to ensure items answerable, unambiguous, and simple with a coherent format (Balnaves & Caputi 2001). Questions should not be leading, embarrassing, or biased. 7) Data analysis methods In suitability with the data collected, quantitative methods will be used in analysis of the research data. After the questionnaire data are collected, they need to be presented in a way that communicates the information and enables conclusions to be drawn from them. The concepts that emerged from the questionnaires are thus subjected to analysis by use of appropriate statistical methods. Data analysis for this methodology is construed in a strategy that quantifies responses and establishes connections between variables (Bryman 2012). Statistical measures quantify and explain people’s actions in the social world through strategies employed to conceptualize, operationalize, and measure variables as well as analyze and interpret findings. These include univariate, bivariate, or multivariate analysis methods as well as measures of central tendencies as mean, mode, median, standard deviation, chi-squares, and correlational contingency tables (Alston & Bowles 2003). Therefore, descriptive analysis will be used in the analysis of quantitative data. Descriptive statistics include methods such as mean, variance, standard deviations, and data ranges and provide straightforward analysis of immediate data. Inferential analysis can also be used as it can help to make conclusion and recommendations that surpass immediate data. These analyses can be performed using either excel or SPSS which are computer programmes that increase the efficiency, accuracy and speed of analysis. Data presentation during the analysis should be clear, accurate and appropriate and this is achieved through various methods with the use of SPSS and Excel software for descriptive data. These include tables, pie charts, line graphs and bar graphs. They enable quick understanding, interpretation and comparison of variables as found in the analysis process. In addition to complementing the textual information, descriptive graphical data helps facilitate comparison of variables by virtue of their clear visual impact and are the easiest to use when presenting quantitative data (Bryman 2012). Literature Review and References: Relevant literatures for this study include: 1. ‘The impact of social media use on academic performance among university students: A pilot study’ by Al-Rahmi & Othman published in the Journal of Information Systems Research and Innovation (2013). 2. ‘Too Much Face and Not Enough Books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance’ by R. Junco, published in the Computers in Human Behaviour (2012). 3. ‘Social media tools as a learning resource’ by Y. Liu, published in the Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (2010). List of references: Al-Rahmi, WA & Othman, MS 2013, ‘The impact of social media use on academic performance among university students: A pilot study. Journal of Information Systems Research and Innovation, pp. 1-10. Alston, M & Bowles, W 2003, Research for social workers: An introduction to methods, 2nd ed. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Balnaves, M & Caputi, P 2001, Introduction to quantitative research methods: An investigative. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Bryman, A 2012, 'The nature and process of social research', in Social research methods, 4th edn, Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, pp. 76 Crotty, M 1998, The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. London: Sage Publications. Junco, R 2012, ‘Too Much Face and Not Enough Books: The relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance’. Computers in Human Behaviour, vol. 28, pp. 187-198. Liu, Y 2010 ‘Social media tools as a learning resource. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, vol. 3, pp. 101-114. Read More

5) Methodology Positivist epistemology invites the use of various quantifying methodologies and this research will use the survey research methodology. Specific to this study, a survey research methodology embedded in a descriptive design will be used to conduct the research about the impact that social media on English scores of international students. Utilization of the quantitative survey methodology allows the researcher to detach from the process and take an objective stance (Bryman 2012).

Research surveys are vital in availing data about the incidence, prevalence, and pattern of Facebook/Twitter usage and student performance. Following fulfilment of ethical procedures, survey questionnaires will be self-administered to potential participants. The methodological design will be created to consider variables that will help to address the research questions sufficiently. The choice of a research design depends with the nature of the problem (Bryman 2012). “What’ as presented in this research are best answered with descriptive answers.

This research will utilise a descriptive research design to provide an intense outlook of the phenomenon under study and help the researcher to describe precisely the observation. The descriptive design will help to describe the characteristics of a problem as it portrays a near accurate profile of events and situations in the emerging area of Internet technology and international study. Descriptive design is unique in the number of variables employed. Like other types of research, descriptive research can include multiple variables for analysis, yet unlike other methods, it requires only one variable (Crotty 1998).

Variables that will be tested and described for this study include number of hours spent on Facebook and how it affects learning within a specified study period. A descriptive survey is an excellent methodology for it considers issues such as economy of the design, rapid data collection, and ability to understand a population from a part of it. 6) Methods Quantitative data collection by use of questionnaires to inform about social media impact on student learning will be widely applied in the research survey.

A questionnaire is a formalised list of questions that are used to solicit information from respondents (Balnaves & Caputi, 2001). The questionnaire can apply either closed-ended or open-ended question/items (Crotty, 1998). In line with the quantitative paradigm, this research will use structured or closed-ended questionnaires to validate the research assumptions. The questions will be developed using themes, concepts and theories that are already available in literatures. Compared to open-ended questionnaires, questionnaires with close-ended questions enable precise responses in which participants are asked to tick or mark the right answer from the given multiple choices or scale given.

Use of questionnaire is also flexible as a means of gathering data because of a wide variety of methods are available for administration including e-mailing the questionnaires, self-administration or mailing (Bryman 2012). Facts and figures can be drawn directly from the questionnaires which are structured to cater to the research questions. The drawbacks of using structured questionnaires are that they limit collection of in-depth information as ones that can be generated from qualitative interviews (Alston & Bowles 2003).

The information collected may also not represent the entire opinion of the respondents as their answers are limited by the question. Some respondents may not provide honest answers or fail to complete the questionnaires. To overcome these challenges in data collection, the questionnaire will be piloted as a means to check the reliability, validity, and practicality of the research instrument. Piloting can be achieved by allowing a peer researcher or sample group to test the initially prepared questionnaire to ensure items answerable, unambiguous, and simple with a coherent format (Balnaves & Caputi 2001).

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