Effect of Facebook and Whatsapp supported instruction platforms on undergraduate students’ retention in Educational Technology.

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of Facebook and whatsapp supported instructional platforms on undergraduate Students' retention in educational technology. A three by three by two (3x3x2) factorial design was adopted using pretest- posttest, randomized, control group approach. Three research questions and three research hypotheses were raised to guide the study. A total of 180 educational technology students selected from three universities out of five universities offering educational technology in Nigeria were randomly assigned to Experimental Group I (exposed to facebook supported instructional platform), Experimental Group II (exposed to whatsapp supported instructional platform) and Control Group (taught through lecture method). Educational Technology Achievement Test (ETAT) was used for data collection. ETAT was validated by experts and a reliability coefficient of 0.734 was obtained using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient formular. Data gathered were analyzed using Analysis of Variance and T-test analysis and significance was ascertained at 0.05 alpha levels. Findings revealed that significant difference exists in the mean retention scores of the three groups (Fcal =110.885; df = 179; P<0.05). However, no significant different exist in the mean retention scores of male and female students taught educational technology using Whatsapp supported instructional platform (P>0.05 level of significant (P=0.25). This shows that whatsapp supported instructional platform is gender friendly. It was therefore recommended among others that Facebook and whatsapp supported instructional platform should be made as one of the major teaching strategies for Educational technology courses in universities since from the findings of this study they are more effective.