INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL NETWORKS ON LEARNING OUTCOMES OF UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of social network sites on learning outcomes of
undergraduates in Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and College of Education, Ikere. The study
adopted descriptive research design of the survey type. The population for the study consisted of
all students in the faculty of education of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti and all students in
College of Education, Ikere Ekiti. In all, 350 respondents made up the sample. Stratified random
sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the respondents. An instrument
tagged Comparative Influence of Social Network Sites on Learning Outcomes of Undergraduate
Students was used to elicit relevant information from the respondents. Reliability coefficient of
0.83 was obtained for the instrument. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts,
percentage scores and t-test statistic, Result showed that SNs were used for various purposes
such as friendship and communication network, surf for useful information, used to having group
discussion, reading news update, post inspirational links, blogging, sharing files, music, videos,
pictures, software and getting solutions to most class work, projects and group works. The study
also revealed that there is no significant difference between undergraduates using SNs in Ekiti
State University, Ado-Ekiti and College of Education, Ikere- Ekiti. There is no significant
difference between male and female students’ learning outcomes.