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Educational Use of Social Media: A Teaching Experience Based on the Higher Education Students' Perception

Miguel Ángel Herrera Batista, María Aguirre Tamez, and Emilio Martínez de Velasco y Arellano
Autonomous Metropolitan University in Mexico City, Mexico

Abstract—Since the development of technological tools and their increasing uptake of education, educational models based exclusively on traditional classroom activities, tend to disappear. Currently it is clear that we are before a scenario in which all teaching must be, necessarily, supported by digital resources. Now, we can see that education is evolving towards b-learning model, that is, they become models where the use of online resources is ongoing. Within the technologies currently in use among young students in higher education, the use of Social Media and mobile devices is remarkable. That is why educational institutions have to develop learning strategies to take advantage of technological tools. In the same way, we have to make research programs in order to see how the learning strategies works. This paper focuses on our most recent experiences regarding the use of Social Media as a Virtual Classroom. Based on those experiences, we make out a qualitative research in order to examine and see the experience of the students regarding to educative use of social media on a b-learning and m-learning model. This study was performed at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (AMU) in Mexico City, and it was based on a sample of architecture students. We design and use the interviews and we take the Grounded Theory as a research methodology. The outcomes indicate that students found using this digital platform interesting and effective. Another important finding was the six categories or features of the social media that was obtained after the consultations.

Index Terms—social media, social network, e-learning, b-learning, m-learning, high education, virtual classroom

Cite: Miguel Ángel Herrera Batista, María Aguirre Tamez, and Emilio Martínez de Velasco y Arellano, "Educational Use of Social Media: A Teaching Experience Based on the Higher Education Students' Perception," Vol. 6, No. 3, pp. 155-160, August, 2015. doi: 10.12720/jait.6.3.155-160