The importance of systemic support for student-driven social media learning on campus in Nigerian universities

Abstract

The use of social media during the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a critical factor for academic continuity on university campuses globally. This paper reviews the use of social media as a learning tool among a undergraduates sample of students from selected Nigerian universities during this pandemic challenges period. A set of online survey Google forms was self-designed and used to explore how undergraduate students learn and concentrates on their academic activities during this pandemic. A sample size of 450 was purposively selected from the three universities, but only 153 online survey responses were valid for the data analysis. Descriptive statistics of frequency, mean and standard deviation were used in analysing demographic variables and research questions. The research findings indicated that students were ready for the new change to digital learning with their academic performance. Researchers recommended that both the academic community and government should support building resilient social media networks on campus among students and lecturers, including skills development and ready access to devices and the internet.