Directives for the application of social media as computer-mediated communication in South African higher education
| dc.contributor.advisor | Wilkinson, A. C. | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Krige, D. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Coetzee, Emmerenzia Johanna Susanna | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2015-08-07T06:49:08Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2015-08-07T06:49:08Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014 | |
| dc.description.abstract | English: This study has been conducted from the disciplinary context of Communication Science (CS) and more specifically, the subfield of Computer-mediated communication (CMC). The field of application of the study is higher education and, specifically, the educational context of higher education (teaching and learning) with its specific users (learners and educators). As a result of the continuous developments in CMC technologies, research in the possible application of social media in HE has exploded. Unmanageable amounts of information have become available, making it difficult to keep up with primary research evidence about the way social media may be utilised in an educational context. In addition, available studies in this regard do not show any uniform theoretical basis, nor do they consider communication theory, or connections between communication and educational theories. These problems informed the decision to conduct a systematic review of selected studies on the topic and to summarise existing information about the use of CMC and social media in HE into directives for the utilisation of CMC and social media in South African higher education. The literature review reflects the three angles from which the use of social media in HE had to be considered, referred to as three theoretical ”lenses” in the study. The first lens, the “communication-centred lens”, provides important background and theoretical perspectives (principles) on effective communication, which includes communication by means of social media. The second lens, the “social media-centred lens” provides focus on the social media landscape and recent and predicted developments in technology and social media. The third lens, the “education-centred lens”, highlights the educational context through a discussion of applicable educational theory and principles. The many similarities and congruities between educational principles and the theories and principles derived from CS and CMC theories, provide a strong binding factor in the study. The literature review aided the compilation of a conceptual framework that guided the study and the ultimate compilation of a set of directives for effective teaching and learning using social media in higher education. The empirical investigation took on the format of an extensive systematic analysis on 220 relevant research documents. Using inductive category coding, data were categorised according to themes and then organised into data sets which were used for the analysis. The findings provide perspectives on the effective use of social media in the educational context, and the most effective social media tools to be used in this regard. Key perspectives gained from the analysis and the literature review are presented in an integrated framework from which 12 possible directives for the utilisation of CMC and social media technologies in South African higher education are proposed. The directives focused on: 1) Factors impacting on access to and effective use of social media technologies; 2) The role of the educator in the choice and use of applicable social media technologies; and 3) The effective use of social media technologies to ensure active learning. The significance of the study lies in the contribution the study makes to the theory of CS and CMC, especially in regard to the use of social media in South African higher education. The study furthermore highlights the important link between Communication Science and Education as disciplines. The directives and other findings of the study, if appropriately disseminated, may also foster broad interest and contribute to a more extensive and effective application of social media in higher education worldwide. | en_ZA |
| dc.description.abstract | Afrikaans: Hierdie studie is onderneem vanuit die Kommunikasiewetenskapdissipline, spesifiek vanuit die veld van Rekenaargebaseerde kommunikasie (RGK). Die toepassingsveld van die studie is hoër onderwys, by name die onderwyskonteks (onderrig en leer) met spesifieke gebruikers (leerders en opvoeders/dosente). As gevolg van die voortdurende veranderinge in rekenaargebaseerde kommunikasietegnologie, het navorsing in die moontlike toepassing van sosiale media in die hoër onderwys geweldig toegeneem. Groot hoeveelhede inligting is beskikbaar, wat dit moeilik maak om op datum te bly met primêre navorsingsbewyse wat handel oor die wyse waarop sosiale media in onderwysverband gebruik kan word. In aansluiting hierby toon die beskikbare studies in hierdie verband geen konsekwente teoretiese grondslag nie, en is dit ook nie op kommunikasieteorie, of op verbintenisse tussen kommunikasie- en onderwysteorieë gebaseer nie. Hierdie probleme het gelei tot die besluit om ‘n sistematiese navorsingsondersoek op geselekteerde studies, wat oor die onderwerp handel, uit te voer en om, gebaseer op die bestaande inligting oor die gebruik van GRK en sosiale media in hoër onderwys, ‘n stel rigtinwysers vir die gebruik van RGK en sosiale media in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys op te stel. Die literatuuroorsig reflekteer drie perspektiewe (in hierdie studie die drie teoretiese “lense” genoem) waaruit die gebruik van sosiale media in die hoër onderwys oorweeg kan word. Die eerste lens, die “kommunikasiegerigte lens”, verskaf belangrike agtergrond- en teoretiese perspektiewe (beginsels) rakende effektiewe kommunikasie, wat ook op kommunikasie met behulp van sosiale media van toepassing is. Die tweede lens, die “sosiale media-gerigte lens”, fokus op die sosiale media landskap en onlangse en voorspelde ontwikkelinge in tegnologie en sosiale media. Die derde lens, die “onderwysgerigte lens”, belig die onderwyskonteks deur die bespreking van toepaslike onderwysteorieë en -beginsels. Die vele ooreenkomste tussen die onderwysbeginsels en die kommunikasie- en RGK teorieë en -beginsels, verseker ‘n sterk bindende faktor in die studie. Die literatuuroorsig versterk die skep van ‘n konseptuele raamwerk wat die studie en die uiteindelike saamstel van ‘n stel rigtinggewers vir die effektiewe onderrig en leer deur die gebruik van sosiale media in die hoër onderwys ondersteun. Die empiriese ondersoek is uitgevoer in die formaat van ‘n omvattende sistematiese analise op die 220 fyngeselekteerde navorsingsdokumente. Deur middel van induktiewe kategoriekodering, is data volgens temas gekodeer en daarna in die datastelle georganiseer wat vir die analise gebruik is. Die bevindinge het perspektiewe op die effektiewe gebruik van sosiale media in onderwyskundige konteks geplaas, en wat die mees effektiewe sosiale media-tegnologie vir gebruik in dié verband is. Sleutelperspektiewe wat deur middel van die analise en die literatuurstudie geïdentifiseer is, word in ‘n geïntegreerde raamwerk aangebied waaruit 12 moontlike rigtingwysers vir die gebruik van RGK- en sosiale media tegnologieë vir Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys voorgestel word. Die rigtingwysers fokus op: 1) Faktore gerig op toegang tot en effektiewe gebruik van sosiale mediategnologieë; 2) Die rol van die opvoeder in die keuse en gebruik van toepaslike sosiale mediategnologieë; en 3) Die effektiewe gebruik van sosiale mediategnologieë om aktiewe leer te verseker. Die belangrikheid van die studie berus op die bydrae wat die studie tot die teorie van Kommuniksasiewetenskap en RGK maak, wat ook op die gebruik van sosiale media in Suid-Afrikaanse hoër onderwys van toepassing is. Die studie beklemtoon verder die belangrike verband tussen Kommunikasiewetenskap en Opvoedkunde as vakdissiplines. Die rigtingwysers, sowel as die ander bevindinge van die studie, indien op toepaslike wyse aaangewend, kan wye belangstelling wek, en kan bydra tot ‘n meer omvattende en effektiewe toepassing van sosiale media in die hoër onderwys wêreldwyd. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11660/792 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_ZA |
| dc.publisher | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.rights.holder | University of the Free State | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Web 2.0 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Thesis (Ph.D. (Communication Science))--University of the Free State, 2014 | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Computer-mediated communication | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Social media | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Facebook (Electronic resource) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Wikis (Computer science) | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Generation Y | en_ZA |
| dc.subject | Higher education | en_ZA |
| dc.title | Directives for the application of social media as computer-mediated communication in South African higher education | en_ZA |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_ZA |