LMS VS SOCIAL NETWORK: CONTENT ANALYSIS WITH THE SOCIAL PRESENCE THEORY APPROACH
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to study the phenomenon in which educators and learners use social networks as part of their teaching and learning, instead of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) that are specifically designed for education. The author uses content analysis with multiple studies to find the influence that leads to the acceptance of social networks as a teaching tool, and what is seen as a disadvantage of LMS that reduces potential benefits. With the social presence theory approach, it is possible to visualize the decisions of educators/learners by defining relationships and positioning within social groups. Studies show that most students use social networks for discussion, collaboration, sharing resources and finding support (including mental support), while LMS is useful for managing communication between teachers and students (including assessments). The emergence of mobile technology also helps to increase communication efficiency through social networks. On the other hand, studies have shown that social networks sometimes distract students from learning.