IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i16p6520-d398022.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Social Media Usage for Sustaining Formal Academic Communication in Developing Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih

    (College of Business Administration, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia
    Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University, P.O. Box 12612, Cairo, Egypt)

  • Ahmed M. Hasanein

    (Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Helwan University, P.O. Box 12612, Cairo, Egypt)

  • Ahmed E. Abu Elnasr

    (Higher Institute for Specific Studies, Future Academy, P.O. Box 11771, Cairo, Egypt)

Abstract

The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has forced higher education institutions to shift from face-to-face to online education. However, many public institutions, especially in developing countries, often do not have access to formal online learning management systems (LMS) for facilitating communication with students and/or among faculty members. This research empirically examines the extent to which social media sites are adopted by faculty members and students for sustaining formal, i.e., sole and official tools, academic communication. For this purpose, online questionnaire surveys, supplemented with in-depth interviews, were undertaken with both faculty members and students. The results showed that students’ personal usage of social media has promoted its effective usage for sustaining formal teaching and learning. However, significant differences were found between faculty members and students regarding social media usage for student support and building an online community. Students used social media for building an online community and supporting each other, whereas faculty members were focused on teaching and learning exclusively. The results confirm that proper usage of social media could promote a new era of social learning, social presence and an alternative platform to foster online learning. Research implications for higher education policymakers, especially in developing countries, and scholars are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Ahmed M. Hasanein & Ahmed E. Abu Elnasr, 2020. "Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Social Media Usage for Sustaining Formal Academic Communication in Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:16:p:6520-:d:398022
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6520/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/16/6520/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stathopoulou, Anastasia & Siamagka, Nikoletta-Theofania & Christodoulides, George, 2019. "A multi-stakeholder view of social media as a supporting tool in higher education: An educator–student perspective," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 421-431.
    2. Ming Yuan Hsieh, 2020. "The Most Sustainable Niche Principles of Social Media Education in A Higher Education Contracting Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Shafi AlDousari, 2023. "Capacities and Obstacles of Kuwait Medical Educational Sector in Transitioning Education System to Online Form: A Paradigm Shift," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 16(12), pages 1-88, February.
    2. Fan Zhang & Jianbo Pang & Yanlong Guo & Yelin Zhu & Han Zhang, 2023. "A Study of Factors Influencing the Use of the DingTalk Online Lecture Platform in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Jenalyn Shigella G. Yandug & Erika Mae D. Costales & Ardvin Kester S. Ong, 2023. "A Conjoint Analysis Approach, Implications, and Mitigation Plans in Analyzing Students’ Preferences for Online Learning Delivery Types during the COVID-19 Pandemic for Engineering Students: A Case Stu," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-15, March.
    4. Mansour A. Alyahya & Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Fathi Abunasser & Osama H. Mahmoud Hassan & Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih, 2022. "E-Learning Experience in Higher Education amid COVID-19: Does Gender Really Matter in A Gender-Segregated Culture?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-12, March.
    5. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Ishfaq Ahmad Palla & Abdul Baquee, 2022. "Social Media Use in E-Learning amid COVID 19 Pandemic: Indian Students’ Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-12, April.
    6. Uthman Alturki & Ahmed Aldraiweesh, 2021. "Application of Learning Management System (LMS) during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Sustainable Acceptance Model of the Expansion Technology Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Muhammad Zaheer Asghar & Seema Arif & Javed Iqbal & Pirita Seitamaa-Hakkarainen, 2022. "Social Media Tools for the Development of Pre-Service Health Sciences Researchers during COVID-19 in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-22, January.
    8. Claudiu Coman & Laurențiu Gabriel Țîru & Luiza Meseșan-Schmitz & Carmen Stanciu & Maria Cristina Bularca, 2020. "Online Teaching and Learning in Higher Education during the Coronavirus Pandemic: Students’ Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-24, December.
    9. Khloud Alshaikh & Shaikhah Maasher & Afnan Bayazed & Farrukh Saleem & Sahar Badri & Bahjat Fakieh, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on the Educational Process in Saudi Arabia: A Technology–Organization–Environment Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-19, June.
    10. Mohamed A. Shabeeb & Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2022. "Examining Learning Experience and Satisfaction of Accounting Students in Higher Education before and amid COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-12, December.
    11. Mostafa Aboulnour Salem & Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih, 2022. "ADIDAS: An Examined Approach for Enhancing Cognitive Load and Attitudes towards Synchronous Digital Learning Amid and Post COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Rahiem, Maila D.H., 2021. "Remaining motivated despite the limitations: University students’ learning propensity during the COVID-19 pandemic," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    13. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Amany E. Salem & Ahmed M. Hasanein & Ahmed E. Abu Elnasr, 2021. "Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Students’ Learning Experience Using Microsoft Teams versus Social Network Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-12, September.
    14. Alejandro Quiroz Flores & Farhana Liza & Husam Quteineh & Barbara Czarnecka, 2021. "Variation in the timing of Covid-19 communication across universities in the UK," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(2), pages 1-25, February.
    15. Masouda A. Gurban & Abeer S. Almogren, 2022. "Students’ Actual Use of E-Learning in Higher Education During the COVID-19 Pandemic," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, May.
    16. Renzhong Peng & Qiqin Hu & Bochra Kouider, 2023. "Teachers’ Acceptance of Online Teaching and Emotional Labor in the EFL Context," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    17. Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih, 2022. "FLOWER: An Approach for Enhancing E-Learning Experience Amid COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-13, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Melchor Gómez-García & Luis Matosas-López & Julio Ruiz-Palmero, 2020. "Social Networks Use Patterns among University Youth: The Validity and Reliability of an Updated Measurement Instrument," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-14, April.
    2. Thasnim Humida & Md Habib Al Mamun2, 2021. "Factors Influencing Usage of Social Media among Students for Academic Purposes- A Case Study in Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Bangladesh," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(4), pages 377-384, April.
    3. Abdulrahman Obaid AI-Youbi & Abdulmonem Al-Hayani & Hisham J. Bardesi & Mohammed Basheri & Miltiadis D. Lytras & Naif Radi Aljohani, 2020. "The King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Pandemic Framework: A Methodological Approach to Leverage Social Media for the Sustainable Management of Higher Education in Crisis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Yueh-Min Huang & Ming-Yuan Hsieh, 2020. "An Interdisciplinary Research on Students’ Employability in Technology Education to Advance Higher Education Enrollment Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-16, February.
    5. Chih-Cheng Huang & Yung-Kuan Chan & Ming Yuan Hsieh, 2022. "The Determinants of ESG for Community LOHASism Sustainable Development Strategy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    6. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Amany E. Salem & Ahmed M. Hasanein & Ahmed E. Abu Elnasr, 2021. "Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Students’ Learning Experience Using Microsoft Teams versus Social Network Sites," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-12, September.
    7. Khan Muhammad Asif, 2022. "Universities’ Involvement in Promoting Digital Entrepreneurship and Future Digital Entrepreneurship Opportunities through Digital Technologies in Indonesia," Journal of Intercultural Management, Sciendo, vol. 14(4), pages 39-59, December.
    8. Korzynski, Pawel & Mazurek, Grzegorz & Haenlein, Michael, 2020. "Leveraging employees as spokespeople in your HR strategy: How company-related employee posts on social media can help firms to attract new talent," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 204-212.
    9. Ming-Yuan Hsieh, 2022. "The Sustainable Development and Strategic Approaches for Contemporary Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, October.
    10. Melina A. Throuvala & Mark D. Griffiths & Mike Rennoldson & Daria J. Kuss, 2021. "Perceived Challenges and Online Harms from Social Media Use on a Severity Continuum: A Qualitative Psychological Stakeholder Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-26, March.
    11. Abu Elnasr E. Sobaih & Ahmed Hasanein & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2022. "Higher Education in and after COVID-19: The Impact of Using Social Network Applications for E-Learning on Students’ Academic Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-12, April.
    12. Omar A. Alismaiel & Javier Cifuentes-Faura & Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi, 2022. "Online Learning, Mobile Learning, and Social Media Technologies: An Empirical Study on Constructivism Theory during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-15, September.
    13. Yung-Kuan Chan & Ming Yuan Hsieh & Muhammet Usak, 2021. "A Concrete Study on Social-Media Connection of Global Literacy Abilities in MOOCs under the Dual Impacts of Lower Birth-Rate and COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    14. Laura Studen & Victor Tiberius, 2020. "Social Media, Quo Vadis? Prospective Development and Implications," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, August.
    15. Muhammet Usak & Ming Yuan Hsieh & Yung-Kuan Chan, 2021. "A Concretizing Research on Making Higher-Education Sustainability Count," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-14, March.
    16. Samuel López-Carril & Vicente Añó & María Huertas González-Serrano, 2020. "Introducing TED Talks as a Pedagogical Resource in Sport Management Education through YouTube and LinkedIn," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-17, December.
    17. Yung-Kuan Chan & Ming-Yuan Hsieh, 2022. "An Empirical Study on Higher Education C-ESG Sustainable Development Strategy in Lower-Birth-Rate Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, October.
    18. Chih-Cheng Huang & Yung-Kuan Chan & Ming Yuan Hsieh, 2022. "Preliminary Research on the Sustainable Determinants of Taiwanese Ecotourism with the International Standards," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-21, November.
    19. Zoe Kanetaki & Constantinos Stergiou & Georgios Bekas & Sébastien Jacques & Christos Troussas & Cleo Sgouropoulou & Abdeldjalil Ouahabi, 2022. "Grade Prediction Modeling in Hybrid Learning Environments for Sustainable Engineering Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-24, April.
    20. Chih-Cheng Huang & Shang-Pin Li & Yung-Kuan Chan & Ming-Yuan Hsieh & Jiin-Chyuan Mark Lai, 2023. "Empirical Research on the Sustainable Development of Ecotourism with Environmental Education Concepts," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-15, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:16:p:6520-:d:398022. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.