تصورات طلاب السنة التحضيرية بجامعة الدمام نحو توظيف شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي لدعم و تعزيز عمليات التعليم و التعلم

Abstract EN

In the recent decade, the popularity of utilizing social media networks has steadily increased.

This reality is conspicuously visible among university students.

New tools have fomented digital approaches of thinking among the emerging generations.

Most researchers call upon the need of applying educational technologies compatible to the developments of rapid advanced technology.

By the same token, they urge upon the imperativeness of exploiting the characteristics of social media networks to generate a more conducive educational environment.

In essence, this environment will be both flexible and accommodating.

It will surmount all negative factors chronological and spacial.

Further, this idealized environment will expand intellectual area for the students.

On the positive side, they will become active participants in gaining knowledge.

On the negative side, they will abstain from indulging in trivial and vain exploitation of their talents.

In addition, they will move towards reinforcement of cooperative gestures.

The latter involves publications, reading and variant typology of literary works.

All this necessitates that the educationists and educational institutions should advance to counter challenges associated with factors effective in utilizing social media networks.

Understandably, the latter are oriented to provide vent and promotion to the twin processes educational and instructional among the university preparatory year students.

The present research represented a modest endeavor to cherish one specific objective.

Specifically, it sought to explore the perceptions of the preparatory year students of the Al-Damam University in using social media networks towards promoting twin processes instructional and learning.

The focus of attention was on a sample of preparatory year students of Al-Damam University students enrolled during the academic year, 2014-2015.

The sample comprised 281 students.

These students responded to the questionnaire in the correct form.

This questionnaire served as the research tool.

The findings of the research revealed that the mental perceptions of the preparatory year Al-Damam University students were positive towards three themes incorporated in the research tool.

Summarily, these themes were as under: First theme stressed on the reinforcement of interactive linkage between students and teachers themselves.

Second theme pleaded for reinforcement between contents of curricula and activities of instruction and learning.

Third and last theme advocated reinforcement to instructions focusing on the learning students.

In addition, the present research also exposed the existence of statistical variance among the mental perceptions of the preparatory year students towards utilizing social media networks on twin processes instruction and learning.

This utilization is commensurate to both male and female students.

The research yielded a finding of significance.

It showed that the male students commanded superiority over their counterpart female students.

In the light of the given findings, the present research has offered a host of constructive recommendations.

Also, it has suggested additional future researches of applied education.