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AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF Rania Hassan Talafhah , for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Curriculum and Instruction, presented on 4 May 2017, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING: JORDANIAN EFL LEARNERS’ PRACTICES AND EXPERIENCES MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Christina C. McIntyre The purpose of this mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was to identify the EFL learners’ practices and understand their experiences with SNSs (social networking sites) as a tool for English language learning. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, quantitative results were obtained from a survey of 144 undergraduate Jordanian EFL learners in the English and Translation Departments at Yarmouk University in Jordan. In the second phase, richer information and a deeper insight was gained through a qualitative case study. In the quantitative phase of the study, the research questions focused on the actual practices and strategies of EFL students on SNSs. In the qualitative phase, 12 participants were purposefully selected and interviewed in order to explain further the statistical results of the first phase, develop a rich descriptive picture of their lived experiences using social networking to improve their English language learning, and identify the factors and barriers that influence their practices. This study was guided by the following research questions: 1. To what extent do Jordanian EFL learners use Facebook as a tool for language learning? 2. What language learning practices do Jordanian EFL learners engage in on Facebook? 3. How do these Facebook practices affect their language learning experiences? The results revealed that most participants felt comfortable using Facebook in English language learning. However, less than half of them used Facebook on a regular basis to learn English. In addition, they tended to read and observe discussions in English rather than participate in them or produce language output. The results also revealed that learners’ practices or behaviors in the SNS environment changed depending on certain factors, such as the context, audience, sense of belonging, self – confidence, and the learners’ needs and interests. The results of the study brought to light some implications in the context of formal and informal language learning. The study might raise learner, teacher, and educator awareness about SNSs as a tool for language learning, particularly for countries with limited resources. The results also showed the need for a theoretical and pedagogical framework for the teaching and learning process that identifies the best practices and ways to avoid any harm in a SNS environment. Integrating SNSs in language teaching and learning is a topic that requires further study. Using SNSs inside and outside the classroom to practice different language skills is an important topic for future research.

Networking is a key component of a successful professional career. Studies have shown that between 60-75% of jobs are obtained through an individual’s network. Today many professionals use the social media site such as LinkedIn to make and maintain professional connections. However college students only make up approximately 10% of LinkedIn’s 300+ million users. There has been much research done regarding the use of social networking and academic and corporate use, little has been done to investigate how college students interact with LinkedIn. Therefore the purpose of this study was to gather students’ perceptions of LinkedIn as a professional social networking tool.Three research questions were used to find the use and perception of LinkedIn among college students and if there was a difference in the way that select students used it. A survey administered via Survey Monkey based on demographic, utilization, and perception of LinkedIn was sent to undergraduate students majoring in Kinesiology, Business Administration, and Mechanical Engineering during the spring 2015 semester. A total of 359 students responded to the survey, out of which only 105 owned LinkedIn accounts. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, and percentages, and the one-way analysis of variance test. The results showed that the use of LinkedIn was low, and 38% of account owners reported never using their account. Most of the participants who owned LinkedIn accounts were white males. Students shared a neutral perception about LinkedIn features and LinkedIn as a tool for professional networking. Mechanical Engineers had the largest population of users out of the 3 majors surveyed.The results showed that Business Administration students used LinkedIn more than the other two majors surveyed, and juniors and seniors used the site comparatively the same. In addition, the findings showed that there was no significant difference in the way Mechanical Engineers and Kinesiology majors used LinkedIn. The findings of this study will provide valuable information for students and career counselors on the features of LinkedIn and what guidance students need when using the site.

The purpose of this study was to explore the community college students’ perceptions on the use and effects of social media and social networking sites as well as any differences in perceptions based on students’ demographic characteristics. A community college in the state of Mississippi was chosen for this study. This community college is a comprehensive educational institution, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The population for this study was currently enrolled freshman and sophomore students at one of the multiple locations. The respondents in this study were gathered by using a convenience sampling of students enrolled in academic core courses and electives or career and technical programs of study during the spring 2018 semester. The instrument that used for data collection in this study was a modified version of the Social Media Updates Survey (Pew Research Center, 2016). This study was quantitative in design, and a descriptive research methodology was used to conduct the study. The results revealed that students 25 years and older had significantly different social media habits than the students in the other age groups. Female students used social media more often than male students. More females than males used social media to interact with family. The data revealed that students mostly used mobile devices/tables to access social media and social networking sites. More students from academic programs accessed social media using desktops and laptops. More students from career technical education accessed social media using mobile devices. The most preferred social media websites were Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and SnapChat. Of the 201 respondents 41.3% agreed to social networking sites help them academically in getting educational materials for assignments or projects in class and 48.8% agreed that social networking sites are an effective tool for e-learning. 45.8% disagree to social media sites having positively affected their GPA. When asked the question, Social media networking sites have been effective in enhancing my active learning skills, 41.3% disagreed.

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Scholars and political candidates have frequently viewed online political participation as a weaker and less meaningful form of political involvement than traditional, offline activities. This thesis presents an overview of the literature on political participation and the Internet in order to understand the origins of this view and why participation on social media may be uniquely meaningful in comparison with other Internet-based activities. Examination of social media using Resource Theory and Social Identity Theory justify this unique status by highlighting and rationalizing social media's exceptional capacity to build and maintain weak-tie networks while also generating an intimacy between constituents and candidates. Social Identity Theory also provides an argument for the potential of social media for reaching and mobilizing first-time participants through its capacity to passively reach and attract constituents for non-political, personal and identity-serving reasons. This thesis then shows how social media-enable first-time participants may be more inclined to continue and expanding their participation over time, thereby substantially affecting participation trends in the United States. Using case studies composed of qualitative data collected on candidate views of the Internet and social media in U.S. House campaigns, this thesis examines the state of Web campaigning in 2010 in comparison to the theoretically "archetypal" Web campaign in order to provide indications of whether the prescribed theoretical activities deliver meaningful citizen engagement and valuable returns to campaigns. / Master of Arts

Social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace, have become increasingly popular among teens and young adults because of the availability of the internet. Because these websites promote interpersonal connections and information sharing among individuals around the world, personal information to online "friends" may be shared carelessly. However, little is known about the correlation between engaging in online activities, sharing personal information online, and susceptibility to online victimization and cyberbullying. This study analyzes data from the Parents & Teens 2006 Survey to examine the applicability of Routine Activities Theory as a theoretical framework for understanding cybervictimization and cyberbullying. Online teens and teens on social networking sites (SNS) were examined separately in this study to determine if social networking (SNS) teens were at an increased risk. The results indicated that participating in online activities and sharing personal information increased the risk for receiving a threatening email, instant message or text message. Teens whose parents did not have rules regulating their online activities and behaviors were also at an increased risk for receiving a threatening email, instant message or text message. The logistic regression models show that for social networking (SNS) teens, gender and age increase the odds of receiving a threat, compared to online teens.

The social transition to older adulthood can be challenging for elderly individuals and their families when isolation poses a threat to well-being. Technology is currently providing younger generations with an opportunity to stay in contact with social partners through the use of online social networking tools; it is unclear whether older adults are also taking advantage of this communication method. This study explored how older adults are experiencing online social networking. Specifically, this research addressed how older adults' attitudes towards online social networking are related to their expertise in using computers and the internet for this purpose. A survey methodological approach was employed whereby older adults aged 65 and over were recruited from senior centers across the Central Florida area to fill out a series of questionnaires. The Computer Aversion, Attitudes, and Familiarity Index (CAAFI) was used to measure attitudes and expertise with computers. The Internet Technical Literacy and Social Awareness Scale was used to measure interest and expertise with the internet. The relationship between older adults' use of online social networking and their attitudes and expertise was also investigated. Finally, social connectedness, (measured using the Social Connectedness Scale) and subjective well-being (measured using the Satisfaction with Life Scale) were measured to explore whether older adults receive a psychosocial benefit from using online social networking. Findings showed expertise and attitudes scores were strongly correlated, and these scores were also predictive of online social networking use. The results of this study may help social service providers for elderly individuals begin to understand the many factors associated with using new forms of technology.

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