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INVESTIGATING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT AND SOCIAL NETWORKS

Despite the latest advances in educational methodologies, many teachers often report high levels of anxiety, brought on by their students’ lack of engagement in learning. However, though the last couple of years have witnessed the proliferation of innovative technologies that are capable of motivating students and getting them engaged in active learning both in-class and out-of-class, many academic institutions have remained static and tied to restraining policies, systems and processes. Our objective in this paper is, therefore, to explore the potential role that social networks might play in promoting students’ engagement in the learning process. In this vein, on the basis of the survey that we conducted among students, it was revealed that these online communities can effectively boost students’ levels of engagement in learning. The majority of the surveyed students, actually, noted that social networks allow them to connect and interact with classmates and other learners, thus, making them feel a sense of belonging to their institution and to the learning community. Via these virtual spaces, students can discuss different topics with peers and get feedback or assistance on learning difficulties that they are having. Moreover, thanks to their dynamic and participatory nature, social networking sites were noted to enable students to share ideas and resources with each other and to allow them to work collaboratively towards common goals. Hence, using social networks as educational tools will not only help teachers overcome motivation barriers to student engagement, but will also enable students to enjoy learning relationships with others, and to feel they are capable and competent to achieve their own objectives.