Abstract: If a technology provides features that are useful then it will have a positive impact on performance. Social media has morphed into one of the preferred methods of communication for many people; much has been written to proclaim its benefits including its usefulness as a tool to help students achieve success within the classroom. But is it perceived by students to be a tool to aid in their education or is it a distraction to the learning process? Task-technology fit theory defines a model that has been used to explain information systems utilization in many different contexts. Prior research describes the relationship between the task requirements of the user and the functionality provided by the technology with the resulting impact on performance. Resultant studies concluded that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have a significant impact on utilization. Additionally, task-technology fit identified several factors that impact the use of technology. We use the task-technology fit theoretical model to test the impact of social media as a learning tool for business students. Students from three universities were surveyed and the results present significant empirical evidence of utilization and the factors that impact social media use in the classroom. This research extends the existing body of task-technology fit research to include social media technologies. It also provides a theoretical construct to test the use of social media technologies.
Keywords: task-technology Fit, social media
Download this article: ISEDJ - V12 N2 Page 38.pdf
Recommended Citation: McCarthy, R. .., McCarthy, M. (2014). Student Perception of Social Media as a Course Tool. Information Systems Education Journal, 12(2) pp 38-46. http://isedj.org/2014-12/ ISSN: 1545-679X. (A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of ISECON 2013)