Saudi Arabian students' attitudes to and perceptions of social networking for educational purposes

Web 2.0 applications, in the form of social networking sites, are increasingly being repurposed as academic tools in higher education institutions. In this context, social networking sites are used to support a number of key academic functions including the sharing of ideas between students and academic staff, the forming of dedicated study groups, the exchange of links and other academic objects and self-publication. While these tools are readily being adopted in mainstream Western contexts, little is currently known regarding whether -and how -social networking sites are used in other geo-cultural regions. This study sought to redress this research gap by investigating how often and in what ways Saudi Arabian students use social networking for learning purposes as well as how they perceive these instruments as educational instruments. The study was based on the analysis of results derived from focus group discussions with university students at four Saudi Arabian universities. The research found that Saudi Arabian students are aware of, and welcome, social networking sites and are starting to use them for academic purposes in the same way that university students do in more mainstream contexts. However, it is evident that, in Saudi Arabia, the utilization of these sites for teaching and learning purposes is not yet widespread, nor is it particularly sophisticated in terms of user knowledge of a range of social networking sites and their application to higher education. The study concluded that, due to students' enthusiastic reception of these sites, Saudi Arabia is wellplaced to adopt them in a considered and organized manner, looking to global best practice usage. This study is part of a wider research project and the outcomes will be used as the basis of an in-depth survey which will be published in future research