Impacts of Knowledge Sharing through Social Networking Services on the Learning Culture of Undergraduates

Abstract

The rapid development of Information Communication Technology leads to the evolution of Social Networking Services (SNSs) that brings new opportunities not only for socializing and marketing but also for knowledge sharing and changing learning culture. At present, social computing and literacy play a vital role in learning and knowledge sharing aspects and there is scant literature about the use of SNSs for knowledge sharing among Sri Lankan undergraduates and its impact on their learning culture. The study identifies five ways of using SNSs namely, content creation, file sharing through virtual data storage drivers, chatting and discussion, entertainment and enjoyment, and video conferencing. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the impacts of SNSs on both knowledge sharing and learning culture. Particularly, the study will explore the direct effect of those five ways on the learning culture of undergraduates and the mediation effect of knowledge sharing. Mediating factor knowledge sharing was measured by five mediating factors namely behavioral patterns, reciprocity, privacy concerns in blogs, trust in information and social network service provider, and social ties. The online questionnaire consisted of previously tested measures administered to undergraduates of Science Faculties in both state and private universities in Sri Lanka and received 170 valid responses that exceed the minimum to run regression analysis. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that ways of using SNSs such as chatting and discussion and entertainment and enjoyment influence the learning culture of undergraduates. Subsequently, knowledge sharing mediates the ways of using SNSs as chatting and discussion and entertainment and enjoyment. The enhancement of Web 2.0, which is a highly interactive and dynamic application platform, influences learners’ correlation on knowledge sharing through SNSs and speedy knowledge gathering. Moreover, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic creates the global necessity of migrating education activities into electronic learning platforms (SNSs). The study recommends an improved software solution that can attribute to the desirable features on these SNS tools by connecting to learning management system, integrating the use of SNS tools in the course module designing, maintaining course module attractive and addressing privacy concerns using SNSs tools. This can enhance the learning culture of undergraduates by focusing on effective ways of using SNSs and knowledge sharing.