IJMB Journal – Abstracts

International Journal of Management and Business

IJMB Volume X, Special Edition

 

Managing Social Media for Learning and for Maintaining Academic Integrity

Michele T. Cole, J.D., Ph.D.*, Louis B. Swartz, J.D.

Robert Morris University, Moon Township, PA. U.S.ARobert Morris University, Moon Township, PA. U.S.A
E-mail:  cole@rmu.edu, swartz@rmu.edu

ABSTRACT

This article presents the results of two survey studies conducted in 2018. Each had two aims. The first was to determine how effectively instructors felt that they managed the use of social media in their courses for learning. The second purpose was to determine if instructors experienced students’ misuse of technology, particularly social media, to violate academic integrity. In the first survey, instructors were asked if they used social media in their courses and, if so, how effective they found social media to be for learning. In the second survey, students were asked if they had been exposed to social media as a means of instruction and, if so, had they found that their learning experience was better as a result. Ninety-eight instructors of law and business studies participated in the first study. Ninety-four business master students participated in the second study. Results were inconclusive: instructors’ use of social media for instruction was limited, as was students’ experience with technology for learning course material. Where social media was incorporated in the course, both instructors and students rated Google Docs and YouTube as the most effective for learning. On the questions related to how they had addressed instances of violations of academic integrity, instructors most often cited teaching the importance of ethics and following up when violations occurred. Students stated that the instructor’s oversight and the student’s own sense of academic integrity were the most critical elements for maintaining academic integrity. There were statistically significant differences based on gender in the instructor survey and based on enrollment status in the student survey regarding questions on violations of academic integrity. 

Keywords: academic integrity, e-learning, online education, social media, technology.

Click for full manuscript (PDF) or back to Volume 10_SpEd, Table of Content.