A Stochastic Framework for Social Media Adoption or Abandonment: Higher Education

Social Media platforms have, for a while, been embraced by educational institutions as powerful instruments in reaching larger audiences. Universities’ use of Social Media in terms of creating and administering Social Media “Profiles” dates back to the very start of the Social Media evolution. Currently, universities use SM for various purposes such as marketing, administration, and academic purposes. Nonetheless, current research on SM’s adoption by universities as pedagogical tools reveals a divide in views and findings among educators and researchers. The aim of this study is to construct an adequate understating of how Social Media is being used in higher education and to highlight the researchers’ views on whether SM should be adopted as educational platform or not. More than 80 academic papers (between 2007–2019) have been reviewed and analysed and the research provided interesting insights on the determinant which were the drives for the authors to adopt or to abandon SM in education. In addition, prominent barriers and challenges to its implementation and use by universities have been discussed. A research framework was developed which shows how to assess current research findings and provide valuable insights on future research areas that needs to be explored and examined for SM’s adoption in education. Further, the research represents a basis for future studies concerning Social Media’s implementation in universities’ teaching and learning activities, as well as engagement and integration strategies for major education stakeholders.