SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM: WHATSAPP A NEW COMMUNICATION TOOL FOR ENHANCED CLASS INTERACTIONS

Abstract

This study is grounded in the author's personal experience of using WhatsApp as a communication tool in a mathematics classroom. This platform was used to supplement the normal face-to-face communication between the lecturer and ICT students. WhatsApp was used during the first semester in 2015/2016 at the College of Business Education Dar Es Salaam campus. The class groups consisting of a first-year diploma and bachelor degree students were created and then passed on to another three lecturers who utilized this platform for communication. WhatsApp is a Smartphone application for instant messaging. One of the unique features of this application is its ability to enhance communication within a group of people. Besides, classroom communication between lecturers and students in higher learning using WhatsApp has not yet, to the author’s knowledge, been researched particularly in Tanzania. Therefore, this study explores the use of WhatsApp as used by the four lecturers and ICT students in enhancing class communication. More specifically, the study investigates the ways WhatApp were used by the students and lecturers, the benefits and challenges of using WhatsApp for classroom purposes as perceived by the students. Data was obtained through in-depth interviews with 10 randomly selected students as well as observation of the group chats. Data was analyzed qualitatively based on categories and major themes. Results show that WhatsApp was used for sharing study materials in the form of links, notes, assignments, and coursework, it was used to enhance communication between teachers and students, students used WhatsApp environment to help one another and to cater for anywhere anytime learning. The benefits obtained were Staying up to date, facilitating collaborative problem solving, increasing motivation to learn and reducing the cost of material production. Challenges encountered include lack of privacy due to limited options, misuse of the group due to the lack of rules, and exclusion of students without smart phones. Implications of using WhatsApp for class instructions and student engagement are provided.