The Role of Social Media for Collaborative Learning to Improve Academic Performance of Students and Researchers in Malaysian Higher Education

Abstract

Social media is widely considered to improve the collaborative learning among students and researchers. However, there is a surprising lack of empirical research in Malaysian higher education to improve performance of students and researchers through the effective use of social media that facilitates desirable outcomes. Thus, this study offers a review of the empirical literature, and its distinctiveness stems from the focus on collaborative learning and engagement in literature, as dominated by higher education. This study also aims to explore factors that contribute to the enhancement of collaborative learning and engagement through social media.  It is also unique in that it highlights that the effective use of social media depends on users in what is referred to as social interactivity to "collaborative learning, engagement and intention to use social media" - a phenomenon that relies on the theory of social constructivist learning. The findings showed that collaborative learning, engagement and intention to use social media positively and significantly relate to the interactivity of research group members (students and researchers) with supervisors to improve their academic performance in Malaysian higher education.