The Role of Virtual Social Networks in Knowledge Sharing and Student Interaction in Higher Education (A Case Study in the Postgraduate Students of Payame Noor University)

Due to the role of virtual social networks in the process of knowledge sharing and to make contact between groups and human communities, this study examines the impact of use of virtual social networks and dimensions of social capital theory on knowledge sharing and student interaction.

This research is of applied type that was conducted by using descriptive method. In this research, from social capital theory has been used as a theoretical foundation to examine the relationships between the use of virtual social networks in universities, knowledge sharing and students’ interaction. The statistical sample of the research is 303 Postgraduate students of Payame Noor University of Fars province in 1400. The data collection tool is Guranting et al. (2019) questionnaire. Independent research variables include virtual social networks and social capital theory (dimensions including: structural, relational and perceptual), the intermediate variable is knowledge sharing and the dependent variable is student interaction research. content validity (Confirmatory factor analysis) and reliability (computing the coefficient of Cronbach’sa for all items) were adopted. In order to investigate of research hypotheses, the structural equation model has been used. The software used is SPSS Version 23.

Based on the research findings, the significant values of the relationship between virtual social networks, knowledge sharing and students’ interaction respectively are t = 8.00 and t = 9.35. Therefore, in both cases, there is a positive and significant relationship. Significant values obtained from the effect of structural, relational and perceptual dimensions of social capital theory on knowledge sharing were obtained 3.67, 2.06 and 3.45, respectively, which all confirm the positive and significant effect of social capital theory dimensions on knowledge sharing. The significant value of the relationship of knowledge sharing and students’ interaction (t = 9.45) confirms the existence of a significant relationship between knowledge and student interaction.

Presence in virtual social networks promotes students' desire to share knowledge. The desire to knowledge sharing increases students' interaction in individual and group activities. On the other hand, according to interaction theory, Whatever students interact with education will be more, their learning outcomes will be more.