Adopting social networks in higher education: a study on Facebook as e-learning tool

In higher education, an increasing number of learning institutions are utilising social networks as e-learning tools. Developing countries in particular are experimenting with the use of such networks. It is imperative to review and extend the technology acceptance model (TAM) to enhance the application of social networks in e-learning. The main objective of this study was to determine the factors that affect students' intentions to use social networks, such as Facebook, as e-learning tools. An online survey was administered to collect data from undergraduate students at the Hashemite University in Jordan. Structural equation modelling was employed to analyse the data and test the hypotheses. The results indicated that students' intentions to use social networks as e-learning tools were directly and indirectly influenced by perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived enjoyment. The proposed model explained 74.6% of the variance and achieved an acceptable fit. The implications of the results, limitations of the study, and future research were then considered.