Pages: (52-61 )
Abstract
This study focused on the effects of social media platform use on learning behaviour of engineering students at Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana. The main objective of the study is to identify the effects of social media use on learning behaviour of the students. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population was 2073; a sample size of 336 was determined using Taro Yamane’s formula. Questionnaire was used for data collection and 330 was duly filled and returned for data analysis. The data collected was analysed using statistical tables and the findings show that Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, Wikis are the social media platforms being used by the engineering students of the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana. There are both positive and negative effects of social media on the learning behaviour of the Engineering students at the Polytechnic such as consuming time for academic works, distracting from academic works, helping find scholarly assistance, reducing search efforts, helping in virtual learning, and that its addictive nature prevents serious academic work. Lack of adequate digital literacy skills, absence of digital literacy education programmes in the school, addictive nature of social media, peer pressure, proliferation of social media platforms, and unmonitored and unregulated use of social media in the academic environment are the challenges associated with the efficient and ethical use of social media in learning environments among engineering students at the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Ebonyi State. The study recommends monitoring of students’ social media use on campus, sensitizing students on ethical use of social media among others to address the challenges discovered.
Keywords: Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Effects of Social Media, Learning Behaviour of Engineering Students, Social media platforms,