The Role of Whatsapp in Learning by University of Nairobi Graduate Students

Abstract

Digital technology, without a doubt, plays a significant part in modern schooling. WhatsApp mobile technology is quite useful in this regard, as it is widely and extensively employed in virtual university instruction. It also provides students with more options and opportunities in the context of online learning. As its length, scope, and frequency of usage has risen, internet technologies have begun to impact the way people create and exchange content, as well as the way they communicate. Social networks, which are particularly popular among young people, are growing increasingly prominent as a result of their capacity to meet individual demands in terms of socializing. Their individualistic nature started to influence users' interaction processes and has since evolved into one of the most important components of daily life. The increasing number of people who are joining social networks, which are described as programs that help individuals and groups communicate more easily. The COVID-19-pandemic affected the education sector world over leaving many educational institutions closed and moving towards online teaching and learning. In this regard, a study was required to account for the advances and changes in the use of New Media in Learning. The main concern of this study was to assess the use of WhatsApp in Learning. The WhatsApp groups under this study were those formed by Graduate students from the School of Journalism at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. The Objectives of this study was to examine the frequency of use of WhatsApp in learning by Graduate students, the frequency of sharing attached academic documents on the students’ WhatsApp groups and the effectiveness of WhatsApp use in learning. The study was guided by Uses and Gratification Theory and the Theory of Social Constructivism. A descriptive research design and mixed methods techniques using both qualitative and quantitative approaches were employed to analyze the data. Snowball and purposive sampling techniques were used in the study. Snowball was employed in establishing the different WhatsApp groups that were being utilized by the students, whereas purposive sampling procedure was employed to selectively gather text messages from the respective WhatsApp groups. The messages they shared between the months of March and June 2020 where learning was disrupted due to the covid-19 pandemic were the main content selected in line with the objectives of the study. Data from the shared messages were gathered through thematic extraction in line with the objectives of the study, from the respective WhatsApp Groups. The data was then analyzed. The study then drew conclusions and provided recommendations as well. The study established that many messages and learning materials were shared on WhatsApp by the graduate learners enrolled at the School of Journalism, the University of Nairobi. WhatsApp groups also formed an important channel that was used as a learning method since physical contact was restricted and the students were not able to meet for normal class learning. The platform can be an effective tool for learning although there were issues of clarity on some of the materials shared and sometimes students didn’t understand what was being posted and there were instances that the students sought for clarity on the materials that had been posted. Lastly, the effectiveness of WhatsApp in learning was affected by accessibility challenges that included lack of internet bundles and inability of some students to use the platform at certain times. The study recommends that adoption of WhatsApp in educational process be encouraged as a supportive technology.