Facebook: A Shift from Social to Academia

Technology has engulfed all aspects of our lives, with no exception in academia. The latest branch of e-learning is the incorporation of social networks into the classroom domain. With its recent passing of 1 billion users, Facebook is no doubt a force to be reckoned within the classroom too. A large majority of its users tend to be adolescences who are dependent on it for varying reasons. Past research has clearly indicated the importance of language particularly writing skills is undoubtedly the most daunting skill for students at university level. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine if this mode of online writing affects students writing anxiety and to access overall students’ attitudes towards the use of Facebook in the academic domain. A longitude quantitative study comprising 96 students from a variety of disciples partook in this study. Based on Vygotsky's (1978) constructivist leaning theory and The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) model, the data was analyzed using SPSS, the findings indicated that there was a positive correlation between writing online via Facebook and reduced anxiety levels, whilst resulting in an overall positive attitude towards the use of Facebook in the course. Therefore, with the prominence given to e-learning today, educators should embrace the use of social networks in classroom practices and be ever willing to adapt these new technological trends into classroom practices.