Contextualizing the effective use of social media network for collaborative learning: An affordance perspective

Use of Social Media Networks (SMN) in higher education is a key strategy for improving collaborative learning. Despite this, how students can effectively use SMN for collaborative learning has received limited attention, which is concerning given effective use is the lynchpin through which benefits are obtained. As such, understanding how effectively SMN can be used for collaborative learning is a pressing question. We contextualize and develop a model of effective use of SMN for collaborative learning by adopting affordance theory. To test this model, we conducted a survey of undergraduate students who collaborate using SMN. We found users need to perceive SMN affordances relevant to collaborative learning and enact these affordances to attain collaborative learning goals. Overall, we extend research on effective use demonstrating the important role of affordances and their actualization.