The Effectiveness and Utilization of Social Media as Academic Medium in the UNC College of Education

Various literature has seen the potential of Social media as one of the interventions to distance learning, particularly amidst the global health crisis. It establishes that some applications are not only meant for entertainment, some of which can be of great value to learning. For this reason, this study aims to test the Effectiveness and Utilization of Social Media as an Academic Medium in the UNC College of Education to provide concrete evidence of what particular activities social media be integrated with the teaching-learning process. The study used a mixed-method design. It adopted a survey and interview instrument towards the perspective of students and teachers on social media as a tool for academic medium. The researchers determined the number of participants for the college professors through a Non-probability sampling technique, while the purposive sampling technique was utilized in determining the number of students. The study results show that most students and teachers used social media, particularly Facebook and Messenger, for communication and collaborative learning. Also, the study proves that social media platforms were highly effective and served as students' alternative LMS, which increases students' engagement with the teaching-learning process. The study realized that social media platforms help students develop learning experiences and creativity towards attaining academic achievement and boosting academic performance in making projects or assignments. Moreover, social media platforms offer a variety of activities that can be integrated into the achievement of teaching- learning. Some were used as a communication tool, be an alternative LMS where students could submit assignments, and be an announcement board where teachers could send updates and notifications. Therefore, it was recommended that social media platforms be maximized in the classroom, and teachers ensure that the student-teacher relationship remains despite the restriction to face-to-face learning. However, further research should be conducted to determine the risks and impact of too much use of these platforms on the students' mental, physical, and mental aspects and how this may affect their academic performance if misused.