Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors
WhatsApp has gained relevance in distance higher education due to its accessibility and ease of use, making it a valuable tool for academic support. This study analyzes the use of WhatsApp in this context, considering sociodemographic variables and factors such as subject and group size. The sample...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Social Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/183 |
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| author | Jose Miguel Romero-Saritama Sandra Espinosa-Tapia Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez |
| author_facet | Jose Miguel Romero-Saritama Sandra Espinosa-Tapia Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez |
| author_sort | Jose Miguel Romero-Saritama |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | WhatsApp has gained relevance in distance higher education due to its accessibility and ease of use, making it a valuable tool for academic support. This study analyzes the use of WhatsApp in this context, considering sociodemographic variables and factors such as subject and group size. The sample included 127 students from an Ecuadorian university, belonging to two subjects from different areas. With a multivariate quantitative approach, this study evaluated the dimensions of management, communication and interaction, learning, and the relevance and benefits of using WhatsApp. The data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests and a K-means clustering analysis. The results show a positive assessment of the use of WhatsApp (mean of 4.48/5), highlighting the academic benefits, especially its innovative and practical effect. Smaller groups presented a more favorable assessment, and women reported a greater inclination towards some key dimensions. The clustering analysis identified three groups of students with differentiated assessments. These findings suggest that WhatsApp, as a support tool in distance education, not only facilitates academic interaction, but also responds to the specific needs of students, its effectiveness being dependent on group size and other student characteristics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e3f9f7f2f5fe4385920f3e8b831dbbbc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2076-0760 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-e3f9f7f2f5fe4385920f3e8b831dbbbc2025-08-20T01:48:50ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-03-0114318310.3390/socsci14030183Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing FactorsJose Miguel Romero-Saritama0Sandra Espinosa-Tapia1Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez2Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Private Technical University of Loja, Loja 110107, EcuadorDepartment of Chemistry, Private Technical University of Loja, Loja 110107, EcuadorDepartment of Didactics and Educational Organization, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, SpainWhatsApp has gained relevance in distance higher education due to its accessibility and ease of use, making it a valuable tool for academic support. This study analyzes the use of WhatsApp in this context, considering sociodemographic variables and factors such as subject and group size. The sample included 127 students from an Ecuadorian university, belonging to two subjects from different areas. With a multivariate quantitative approach, this study evaluated the dimensions of management, communication and interaction, learning, and the relevance and benefits of using WhatsApp. The data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests and a K-means clustering analysis. The results show a positive assessment of the use of WhatsApp (mean of 4.48/5), highlighting the academic benefits, especially its innovative and practical effect. Smaller groups presented a more favorable assessment, and women reported a greater inclination towards some key dimensions. The clustering analysis identified three groups of students with differentiated assessments. These findings suggest that WhatsApp, as a support tool in distance education, not only facilitates academic interaction, but also responds to the specific needs of students, its effectiveness being dependent on group size and other student characteristics.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/183online educationacademic communicationdigital learning toolsdigital interactiontechnological innovationWhatsApp |
| spellingShingle | Jose Miguel Romero-Saritama Sandra Espinosa-Tapia Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors Social Sciences online education academic communication digital learning tools digital interaction technological innovation |
| title | Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors |
| title_full | Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors |
| title_fullStr | Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors |
| title_short | Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors |
| title_sort | using whatsapp in distance education assessing the impact on academic interaction and influencing factors |
| topic | online education academic communication digital learning tools digital interaction technological innovation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/3/183 |
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