ERIC Number: EJ904301
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Dec
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1096-7516
EISSN: N/A
Facebook: An Online Environment for Learning of English in Institutions of Higher Education?
Kabilan, Muhammad Kamarul; Ahmad, Norlida; Abidin, Mohamad Jafre Zainol
Internet and Higher Education, v13 n4 p179-187 Dec 2010
Facebook (FB) is currently considered as the most popular platform for online social networking among university students. The purpose of this study is to investigate if university students consider FB as a useful and meaningful learning environment that could support, enhance and/or strengthen their learning of the English language. A survey was carried out with 300 undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang. It was found that the students believed FB could be utilized as an online environment to facilitate the learning of English. Nevertheless, teachers or language instructors have to integrate FB as an educational project with pre-determined learning objectives and outcomes for the learning experience to be meaningful. It is suggested that future research should focus on the meaningfulness of FB to students' language learning experiences. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Undergraduate Students, Computer Assisted Instruction, Learning Experience, Second Language Learning, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Computer Mediated Communication, Educational Technology, Instructional Effectiveness, Learning Strategies, Teaching Methods, Student Surveys, Incidental Learning, Web Sites, Social Networks, Student Attitudes
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Malaysia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A