The effect of social networks on education and academic learning: an interventional study

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Undoubtedly, social networks are being used extensively and are the most important communicative tool among students, especially at higher levels of education. We aimed to investigate the effect of social networks on education and academic learning.Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 32 nursing students who were taking the cancer nursing course at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences during 2015. The students were randomly and equally divided into two groups. The students in the case group established a group in Viber social network and shared the academic materials related to the presented course in addition to receiving information in the classroom. At the end of the semester, they were evaluated through a test and a questionnaire. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS-18 software using t-test and Kolmogrov-Smirnov test. P