Integrating Social Media in Nigerian University Education: Prospects and Constraints

Abstract

Social media have become significant part of life of most young people especially those in universities. The media are used for different purposes mostly for social interaction. The main purpose of this paper is to examine how social media platforms can be formally used in teaching and learning in the university education system in Nigeria. Anchored on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the paper adopts qualitative research approach. Data were sourced from existing works and semi structured interviews. The population frame of the study includes lecturers and students of the department of mass communication, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. Results revealed that social media are valuable tools for education as they encourage collaborative and cooperative learning among students and lecturers but issues of low social media literacy among older lecturers, online security threat, poor network, distractive tendencies and addiction pose serious challenges to adoption of the media for teaching and learning in universities in Nigeria. Among others, the study recommends that lecturers need to acquire and or update social media knowledge and operational skills while management of universities in Nigeria are called upon to make or improve the provision of free and effective wireless network to lecturers and students.