Social Media And Networking Technologies: An Analysis Of Collaborative Work And Team Communication

Abstract

Digital communication increases students’ learning outcomes in higher education. Web 2.0 technologies encourages students’ active engagement, collaboration, and participation in class activities, facilitates group work, and encourages information sharing among students. Familiarity with organizational use and sharing in social networks aids students who are expected to be facile in these technologies upon graduation (Benson, Filippaios, and Morgan, 2010). Faculty members become coaches, monitoring and providing feedback to students rather than directing activities. While Web 2.0 technologies, including social networks, may act as a distraction in a teaching environment, our findings suggest that effective social networking in learning environments sustain quality instruction and skills-development in business education.