Article Critique

Exploring The Role Of Social Media In

Collaborative Learning The New Domain Of
Learning
Jamal Abdul Nasir Ansari and Nawab Ali Khan

I. Introduction
a. Background/Overview of the Topic/Essay
i. Students take that different mobile devices and social media play a vital
role in their academic performances and career enhancement.
ii. Researchers emphasized that the acquisition and utilization of mobile
devices and social media can give a more promising future in acquiring
knowledge in different courses, as well as peer interaction (Cavus &
Ibrahim, 2008, 2009; Kukulska-Hulme & Shield, 2008; Nihalani &
Mayrath, 2010; Richardson & Lenarcic, 2008, Shih, 2007).
iii. In the article “Exploring the role of social media in collaborative learning
the new domain of learning,” Jamal Abdul Nasir Ansari and Nawab Ali
Khan (2020) discussed the application and usefulness of mobile devices
and social media for collaborative learning and their significant impacts on
interactivity with peers, teachers and online knowledge sharing behavior.

b. Summary of the article

i. Ansari and Khan (2020) used a sample of 360 undergraduate students to
check their perception on social media for collaborative learning in higher
education. The researchers gathered data through online and offline
survey, and they used seven-point Likert scale to measure the indicators of
interactivity with peers and teachers, the items of students’ engagement,
the statement of social media for collaborative learning, and the elements
of students’ academic performances. The researchers found out that there
are positive effects of social media on students’ learning and academic
performance, peer interaction, and student-teacher interaction.

c. Thesis Statement
i. While this article stated the positive application of online social media
would facilitate the students to become more creative, dynamics and
connect to the worldwide instructor for collaborative learning, but there
are limitations since its focus only in academic performances, and the
respondents focus on students only.
II. Body
a. Topic
i. Strengths
1. The researchers discussed how social media affects the academic
performances of the students.
 2. This research will help to understand that application and
usefulness of the social media in transferring the resource
materials, collaborative learning and interaction with the
colleagues as well as teachers would facilitate students to be more
enthusiastic and dynamic. This study provides guidelines to the
corporate world in formulating strategies regarding the use of
social media for collaborative learning.
ii. Weaknesses
1. They did not discuss the disadvantage of social media to the
students.
2. They focused only on the students and did not consider the other
factors of education.

b. Results
i. Strength/s
1. Significant results were noted and were explained clearly in the
results of this study.
ii. Weaknesses
1. The participants are only the students since the teachers are also
using social media.
2. The research focusses only on the advantage of social media on
study but did not mention any disadvantages.
III. Conclusion
a. Restatement of the Thesis/Summary of the critique
i. Nasir Ansari and Ali Khan (2020) provided information that the use of
online social media for collaborative learning, interaction with mentors
and colleagues lead to better student’s engagement which consequently
affects student’s academic performance. This resulted to the suggestion
that social media may use as one of the platform to be used in all schools,
either public or private
b. Recommendations
i. To improve this research and can be used by other researchers for further
study, the faculty member must included in the studied and try to use as
sample data the lower level of students like those who are aged 8-15 years.
Through this sample data, the researchers can see if the effectivity of
social media in studying will be the same as those aged 15-20 years.

IV. References
Ansari, J.A.N., Khan, N.A. Exploring the role of social media in collaborative learning the new
domain of learning. Smart Learn. Environ. 7, 9 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40561-020-
00118-7