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Computer Science Department
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INFLUENCE OF ACADEMIC INTERACTION ON FACEBOOK AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
CASE STUDY OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY MINNA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Facebook was introduced in early 2004 as a social network site just for Harvard University students(Zywica & Danowski, 2008 ).By 2005 Facebook allowed students from other schools to register as users and eventually everybody(Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). Facebook growth has been rapid to the extent that as at 2013, it was estimated to havehad over 22 Million unique strangers with above 15 billion viewed pages(Zywica & Danowski, 2008 ).
Facebook is one of the world's most populated social media networks with no less than 400Million users (Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). Students and teenagers constitute a majority of the users, with posting of more than 1 Million posts such as pictures, chats and messages on a daily basis(Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of this site who said that if Facebook were to be a country, it would have been the eighth most populated country in the world(Pempek, Yermolayeva, & Calvert, 2009). The adoption of Facebook amongst university undergraduates during the mid-2000s was rapid, leading one media researcher to warn university authorities that 'Facebook owns your campus' (Stutzman, 2006). Researchers are still investigating the reason why Facebook attracts and keeps the attention it does, especially from among youths/students. It is reported that students use Facebook practically on daily basis(Facebook Statistics, 2011). Students post contents on Facebook and also spend much time observing and consuming the contents posted by their friends(Facebook Statistics, 2011).
Statement of the Problem
Social media networking is seemingly taking over the world. One popular social media site is Facebook. University students are one of the primary demographics using Facebook, with features such as photos, wall posts, and status updates becoming seemingly irresistible to those who want to connect with their friends. The University culture loves Facebook, embraces it and has turned the site into a lifestyle, rather than just a hobby or a fun pastime. Academic success is a paramount issue to University studentsincluding those of FUTMinna, with the pressure to belong to social networks. Are students really meeting up with the pressure to succeed academically?
In this study, an attempt is made to answer the question:What is the nature of interaction on Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates?
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The aim of this study is to determine whether academic interaction takes place on Facebook among undergraduates of FUT Minna. The objectives of the study are as follows:
1. To evaluate the proportion of FUTMinna undergraduates who use Facebook against those who do not use.
2. To determine the frequency of usage of Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates
3. To find out the nature of interaction on Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates
4. To identify whether academic interaction on Facebook takes place among FUTMinna undergraduates.
5. If yes in objective four above, to examine the nature of the academic interaction.
1.4 Research Questions
1. What is the proportion of FUTMinna undergraduates using Facebook against those not using?
2. What is the frequency of usage of Facebook among FUTMinna undergraduates?
3. What is the nature of interaction of FUTMinna undergraduates on Facebook?
4. Is there any form of academic interaction among undergraduates of FUTMinna on Facebook
5. What is the nature of this interaction?
1.5 Justification of the Study
This study investigates the extent of the use of Facebook by FUTMinna undergraduates and determines whetherFUTMinna students' interaction on Facebook is academic in nature or not.The findings of this study, it is hoped, will serve as a great assistance to university management in creating policies as it concerns students' use of social media. The study will also help parents, guardians and students to better understand the effect of social media use on academics and how best tomanage this effect.Also, students and lecturers of Information and Media Technology and other related fields of study will find the outcome of this study as assistance in their research and general study in the field of social media and academics.
1.6 Delimitation to the Study
The research is limited to undergraduates of Federal University of Technology Minna.The ideal situation would have been to study undergraduates in several universities, so as to ensure a country wide generalization. But limited finances and time constraint of the researcher did not guarantee adoption of a wider scope. Thus, the generalization of the findings of this study must be done with caution.
1.7 Operational Definition of Terms
· AcademicInteraction: is defined as Facebook discussions among FUT Minna undergraduates related to current school work, field of study or any academic discourse.
· Facebook: is defined as a social networking website that allows registered users to create profiles, upload photos and video, send messages and keep in touch with 'friends'.
· Frequency of Facebook Use: is defined as how often a FUT Minna undergraduate visits the Facebookwebsite in a week.
· Nature of Facebook Interaction: is defined as an activity of Facebook FUT Minna undergraduates engage in, E.g. posting pictures, status updates, chatting etc.
· Proportion of Facebook use: refers to how much of Facebook content FUTMinna undergraduates consume compared to other social network sites
📄 Pages: 48 🧠 Words: 8042 📚 Chapters: 5 🗂️️ For: PROJECT
👁️🗨️️️ Views: 558
