Abstract:
Rationale of Study – This study investigated the extent of social media usage for
exchanging knowledge by higher education students in Tanzania because, during
the COVID-19 outbreak, Tanzania witnessed the closure of various higher
education institutions due to a lack of dependable online learning platforms.
Methodology – A mixed-methods approach with a convergent research design was
used in this study. Parallel mixed-methods sampling was used to select a sample
of 239 out of 633 postgraduate students from the four selected higher education
institutions in northern Tanzania. Interviews were conducted with eight heads of
academic departments at the HEI. The quantitative data was descriptively
analysed with SPSS version 24, and the results were presented as tables,
frequencies, and percentages. Qualitative data were submitted to thematic analysis
using Atlas.ti version 7 based on the emerging themes.
Findings – The findings established that education (classmates) and WhatsApp
were postgraduate students' most commonly used social media. They also
perceived social media as applicable and developed positive attitudes towards it
because of the advantages it offered them in academics. The study further found
the frequent use of social media by postgraduate students.
Implications – The study recommended that the management of HEIs ensure the
availability of reliable Internet to facilitate knowledge-sharing activities and offer
training on the ethical use of such platforms.
Originality – This is a component of a larger PhD study submitted to the
University of South Africa (UNISA), contributing to the existing body of
knowledge.
