RESPONDING TO COVID-19 VIA ONLINE LEARNING: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FACEBOOK INTENSITY, COMMUNITY FACTORS WITH SOCIAL CAPITAL AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

The rapid adoption of social media technologies has resulted in a fundamental shift in the way
communication and collaboration take place. As staff and students use social media technologies in their
personal lives, it is important to explore how social media technologies are being used as an educational
tool especially during a pandemic where teaching and learning has to be done via mediated
communication. However, the question arises as to how effective the use of social media in terms of
Academic Performance and Social Capital of the students. Academic Performance and Social Capital of
university students are two interrelated and critical issues which can define the efficacy of social and
academic activities of students at their universities. However, few studies have adopted a holistic approach
to determine the direct role of online social network activities such as Facebook Intensity, and Community
Factors on both Academic Performance and Social Capital of university students. Thus, this study
attempted to conduct a cross-sectional survey using self-administered questionnaires which were
distributed to 518 undergraduate students at the University of Sirte, Libya. The data was analyzed using
various analytical techniques including descriptive statistics, preliminary and inferential analyses by using
SPSS and PLS-SEM. The results revealed that Facebook Intensity and Community Factors significantly
relate to Social Capital and Academic Performance. This study concludes that the intensity of Facebook
Usage among university students and the interactions maintained by students can be used to develop Social
Capital. Also, university students with good social communications skills and high self-esteem will benefit
from interactions with lecturers and peers and these benefits will certainly enhance their Academic
Performance. This study also demonstrates the potential of using Facebook as a teaching aid during
pandemic.