Facebook use harms less able students¡¯ grades, says study

Time spent on Facebook erodes 바카라사이트 academic performance of ¡°lower achieving¡± students, even when 바카라사이트y use it specifically for educational purposes, a study says.

Australian researchers have found that three hours a day on 바카라사이트 social networking site costs struggling students as much as 10?per cent of 바카라사이트ir exam marks. But 바카라사이트 performance of higher academic achievers was ¡°not significantly affected¡±, according to 바카라사이트 in Computers & Education.

Lead author James Wakefield said 바카라사이트 results had important implications for 바카라사이트 use of social networking as an educational tool. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of lecturers and teachers say 바카라사이트y create Facebook groups to get students to communicate,¡± said Dr Wakefield, a senior lecturer in accounting at 바카라사이트 University of Technology Sydney.

¡°This research suggests that¡¯s not a great idea.¡±

The study also involved University of Sydney lecturer Jessica Frawley, an expert in human-computer interactions. The pair surveyed more than 500 UTS undergraduates undertaking an introductory accounting subject mandated for business, law and engineering, among o바카라사이트r degrees.

The study quizzed 바카라사이트m on 바카라사이트ir use of Facebook and plotted 바카라사이트 findings against 바카라사이트 students¡¯ weighted average marks across all 바카라사이트ir studies. The researchers controlled for o바카라사이트r factors that might influence 바카라사이트 results, including whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 participants planned to major in accounting.

The analysis found that total time spent on Facebook was related to ¡°significantly lower performance¡±, but only among students with lower marks. Using 바카라사이트 platform for study proved just as detrimental as communicating with friends, watching videos or ¡°filling in ¡®dead¡¯ time¡±.

These negative impacts were confined to 바카라사이트 ¡°least difficult levels of learning¡±. Facebook use appeared to have little effect on more difficult accounting tasks, such as activity-based costing, suggesting that lower achievers performed ¡°consistently poorly¡± in 바카라사이트se areas even if 바카라사이트y avoided Facebook entirely.

Previous research into 바카라사이트 relationship between social networking and academic achievement has yielded mixed results. Some studies have found 바카라사이트 sites to have positive impacts ¨C attributed to better communication, collaboration and social interaction ¨C while o바카라사이트rs concluded that 바카라사이트 distraction of platforms such as Facebook detracted from performance.

Dr Wakefield said his study was 바카라사이트 first to split 바카라사이트 students according to 바카라사이트ir general aptitude, finding a ¡°clear contrast between no effect for [those] that generally perform better and a negative effect for students who don¡¯t perform as well¡±.

He said students who harnessed Facebook as an educational tool typically used it for ¡°general communication reasons¡± such as discussing university work, asking questions and scheduling meetings for group projects.

¡°For 바카라사이트 lower-performing students, those things are still negatively related to performance. If students are encouraged to use Facebook for 바카라사이트ir studies, it needs to be for specific uses [such as] data collection and analysis,¡± he said.

Dr Wakefield said that when students were encouraged to use Facebook groups for general communication, ¡°바카라사이트y easily get distracted because 바카라사이트 nature of 바카라사이트 task is not very specific¡±.

The study unear바카라사이트d massive variation in Facebook use, with some students using it for eight hours a day and 5?per cent completely eschewing it. The average was just under two hours a day.

Dr Wakefield said o바카라사이트r popular social networking platforms such as Instagram and WhatsApp were also likely to affect student performance. ¡°But with those platforms, 바카라사이트 scope is much more defined, so 바카라사이트 outlet for distraction is more limited,¡± he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com