Skip to main content
Article
Social Media, Higher Education, and Community Colleges: A Research Synthesis and Implications for the Study of Two-Year Institutions
Community College Journal of Research and Practice (2015)
  • Charles H.F. Davis, III, University of Pennsylvania
  • Regina Deil-Amen, University of Arizona
  • Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, Claremont Graduate University
  • Manuel González Canché, University of Georgia
Abstract

The boundaries between on-line and “real-world” communities are rapidly deteriorating, particularly for the generation of young people whose lives are pervaded by social media. For this generation, social media exchanges are a primary means of communication, social engagement, information seek- ing, and possibly, a central component of their identity and community-building. Given these realities, postsecondary educators should begin to seriously explore the potential to intentionally and strategi- cally harness the power of these revolutionary transformations in technology use to better serve the needs of students to enhance their success. Therefore, this review of books, academic journals, higher education news, research reports, individual blogs and other online media on the use of social media technology (SMT) in higher education provides a baseline sense of current uses nationally, providing a descriptive overview of the social media phenomenon. Additionally, the review clarifies how colleges and college students use SMT and also challenges assumptions in two areas: how institutions can best exploit social media’s features and its impact on student outcomes. The review further pro- vides a foundation to develop conceptual frameworks that would better capture the role and impact of SMT among colleges and college students, and community colleges in particular.

Keywords
  • Social Media,
  • Facebook,
  • Twitter,
  • Higher Education,
  • Community College
Publication Date
2015
Citation Information
Charles H.F. Davis, Regina Deil-Amen, Cecilia Rios-Aguilar and Manuel González Canché. "Social Media, Higher Education, and Community Colleges: A Research Synthesis and Implications for the Study of Two-Year Institutions" Community College Journal of Research and Practice Vol. 39 Iss. 5 (2015)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/hfdavis/9/