Quality of social media in higher education

Social media technology is rapidly growing as a major web-space for exchanging crucial communication and data (Oswaldo 2015). The academic use of social media in higher learning institutions has grown by leaps and bounds in the past decade or so. When referring g to social media, it basically refers to a channel for social interaction. It may also be used to imply all forms of applications that utilize either mobile or web platforms in facilitating exchange of vital information. This may take place by creating, engaging and sharing data on specific areas of interest.
Widespread use of social media through mobile or computer gadgets is real. As it stands now, Facebook and Twitter are among the most popular interfaces of social media platforms that engage tens of millions of users across the globe.
The profiles created in Facebook are allowed to engage and socialize with each other. Besides, Facebook users can discover commonalities among them alongside permitting the individual profile users to be connected as well as welcoming others outside the Facebook community to join it.
Current statistics indicate that there are over 750 million active Facebook profiles (Yeona 2014). The Facebook profile accounts comprise of both individuals and institutions. However, there has been growing concern regarding service quality in social media used by higher learning institutions. This literature review seeks to delve into the quality of social media and particularly Facebook in higher learning entities.
There is adequate literature documentation on social media use in higher education (Silius, Kailanto & Kailanto 2013). Stand-alone departments in tertiary colleges and universities use Facebook as a la carte tool for sending and receiving information. The same mode of using Facebook applies to administrative offices. The latter is a vivid indication that Facebook is not utilized as a wider and systemic commitment tool in higher learning institutions. For example, student blogs are being used by a number of admission offices in higher learning institutions to market departments of interest. Current student experiences are also highlighted in such blogs. Student volunteers and current students are also hired by higher learning institutions to spread positive news about their respective learning entities. Hence, there is a growing need to personalize students’ experiences so that higher learning institutions can attract more admissions. Needless to say, the millennial generation is highly receptive to such messages and therefore, it is a relatively effective public relations approach.
According to a recent study, the blogs created by these institutions have also been found to be quite effective in engaging both the current and prospective students (Kurkela 2011). However, some institutional blogs do not allow comments from readers or provide email subscriptions. According to WEBQUAL tool, lack of comments in blogs or email subscriptions hinders two-way engagement.
Blogs have been utilized as pedagogical approach by institutions of higher learning. After creating blog articles, readers are given the opportunity to share their opinions using personal Facebook profiles (Sharda, Anita & Pragya 2013). They can also share the same stories on the Facebook walls. Recent studies have dwelt much on the effectiveness of such blogs especially in teacher education, language learning and sciences.
On a positive note, Facebook profiles created by faculties have been instrumental in bridging the formal space between faculty staff and students (Silius, Kailanto & Tervakari 2011). Members of staff can now relate more personally with students than it was in the past. Consequently, Facebook communities such as groups taking particular courses have been developed in Facebook (Wilson 2013).
The past two decades witnessed extensive study of conventional aspects of service quality (Scott & Stanway 2015). As a matter of fact, website service quality is a recent area of study. Websites can indeed assist in executing effective and efficient learning process. Nonetheless, it is crucial to mention that service experience or expected outcomes should be evaluated before and after it has been used in order to determine its effectiveness. That is one of the core functions of WEBQUAL (Sancho & de Vries 2013).
Just as it is in the real world, it is possible to obtain the metrics or standards of a social media platform used by a higher learning institution. In this regard, WEBQUAL measure can be categorized into two broad areas. These include attitudinal and behavioral measures (Kivunja 2015). When commercial effectiveness of a social media site is observed, it is referred to as behavioral measure. It may entail but not limited to the following metrics: new visitors, conversion rates, unique visitors or number and frequency of clicks. When it comes to attitudinal measure, it refers to conventional metric scales which assess client perceptions (Loiacono, Watson & Goodhue 2007). Learning institutions may also hire the services of experts obtain metrics of the perceptions. Generally, WEBQUAL seeks to explore the effectiveness of social media sites in the following ways.
First, the quality of web material in any given social media site (or information quality) is obtained from information system that handles all issues related to research (Pomerantz, Hank & Sugimoto 2015). Quality paradigms considered here include information relevance, format, accuracy and appropriateness. Second, the quality injected in research information system determines interaction quality. In other words, users are in a position to interact effectively and comfortably. In other words, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter should be tailored in such a way that users in higher learning institutions can comfortably and securely interact. Third, ease of navigation, site appearance and design account for overall usability (Boyko 2016).
Based on WEQUAL assessment, most social media sites for higher learning institutions lack email subscriptions and comments section. However, other attributes of web quality metrics are up to the mark.