Impact of Social Media Platforms on Learning Resource Acquisition among University of Uyo Undergraduates, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined “Impact of Social Media Platforms on Acquisition of Learning Resource amongUniversity of Uyo undergradutes." Plateforms such as Twitter , YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, and WhatsApp have become  ubiquitous in the lives of undergraduates the world over. They influence not only their social media interractions but also the acquisition of learning resources. While these platforms hold the potential to facilitate access to learning resources and educational content, there is a growing concern about their impact on academic focus, the quality of information shared, and the overall learning experience. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The study was guided by six purposes and six null hypotheses. The population consisted 2,056 final year students in the Faculty of Education, University of Uyo during the 2023/2024 academic session. The sample of the study was 200 final year students selected from four Departments in Faculty of Education, University of Uyo. The instrument used for data collection was “Social Media Handles and Acquisition of Learning Resources Questionnaire (SMHALRQ)”. The instrument was validated by three experts, and its reliability was determined using Cronbach's Alpha statistics which yielded a coefficient of 0.66. Independent t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Results showed that YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp significantly influenced the acquisition of learning resources among undergraduates, while Twitter and Instagram did not show significant influence. Based on the findings, it is recommended that educational institutions should integrate effective social media platforms into their teaching and learning strategies, implement digital literacy programs, and develop clear guidelines for the use of social media in academic contexts to enhance students' acquisition of learning resources.