Utilization of Social Media Platforms by Higher Education Faculty in Tamil Nadu

What is it about?

The study aims to analyse the use of social media platforms for educational purposes in developing nations such as India. The study intends to examine the penetration and reception of social media platforms in higher educational institutions in urban as well as the technologically deprived rural areas. An extensive survey was conducted among the faculty members in the higher educational institutions in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The research reveals the present diffusion level of social software in the academic sector of Tamil Nadu, a state containing a varied technological landscape due to its internal digital divide and many other infrastructural discrepancies. Additionally, factors that induce and the barriers that affect the pedagogical employment of social media tools by the higher education faculty members have been identified.

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Why is it important?

Major Findings : The diffusion of social media applications for pedagogical purposes is still in its infancy in Tamil Nadu. Though a large number of faculty members showed interest and intention to employ these tools in their classes, only a few (early adopters) were found to be currently experimenting with them. Students’ influence was identified as the primary motivators for the faculty members to bring in social media tool into their classrooms. The present study was conducted in a developing nation with unequal resource distribution and technological advancements—digital divide. Such conditions may provide varied exposure, experiences and problems to the faculty members leading to a difference in perception regarding social media outlets. Though technological and infrastructural resources were not observed to play an important role in shaping the perception of the faculty members regarding the use of social media tools for teaching purposes (i.e., availability and non-availability of resources did not affect/change the faculty’s intention), they served as a potential barrier in hindering the process of bringing social media technologies into the higher education classrooms present in Tamil Nadu.