Advance in technology has stimulated the use of social media, a means of Internet-based technologies, in education. A large body of research has attempted to measure the extent to which social media change human communication. In education, researchers and educators have employed social media to increase students’ engagement inside and outside the classroom. They have been exploring the effects of the use of social media on the learning outcome, and learners’ beliefs and experiences. However, some of their endeavors are inconclusive. As the effects of social media in education are context-sensitive, research results reflecting different contexts around the world will contribute to the literature on social media and education.

Student engagement in learning, a growing interest in educational research, is widely believed to contribute to the success of learning. The contemporary literature shows that students can engage in learning affectively, behaviorally, and cognitively. Recent studies are also interested in using technology to mediate students’ social and metacognitive engagement in learning. As student engagement is a multidimensional area, interdisciplinary studies have recently expanded their literature. The use of social media to increase student engagement in learning remains underexplored.

Other current themes in the use of social media center mainly on teachers’ use of social media to engage students in online learning and effects of using social media on the learning outcome and students’ beliefs and satisfaction. Online social media can be used to ease academics’ access to the course contents through video clips, instructional notes, and references. The effects of computer-mediated communication is also being explored in recent endeavors. Investigations into students’ beliefs and experiences with online collaboration, online instruction, and social interaction in online learning will provide insights into the development of the field.

This Research Topic is interested in critical reviews and research articles on the role of social media in education. The use of social media to increase student engagement from the perspectives of education, psychology, and sociology is situated within the scope of this issue. It is especially interested in the following themes:

- The use of social media inside and outside the classroom to enhance students’ engagement
- The use of social media in online learning
- Student’s and teachers’ perceptions of the role of social media in education
- Perceived challenges and benefits of using social media in teaching and learning
- Students' and teachers’ experiences with using social media in teaching and learning
- Students’ engagement in social networks as interactive platforms
- Effects of social media on the learning outcome
- Academics’ use of social networks as interactive platforms

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