The Use of Social Media as a Means of Information Dissemination among Postgraduate Students: A Case of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa

Abstract

The introduction of social engineering technologies and applications has significantly altered the global communication of information. Social media has enabled a tremendous contribution to academic discourse in which faculty and students engage in academic activities with less face-to-face contact. It appears that graduate students make extensive use of these new technologies in their academic work. This study aims to determine the impact of graduate student use of social media tools at the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa (UMaT). This study aims to establish if Postgraduate Students at UMaT rely on social media or Web 2.0, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using social media in their studies and research. Both primary and secondary data are used in the study. While secondary data was gleaned from academic publications, the primary data was gathered through the distribution of a questionnaire. The data collected were analysed using a simple descriptive analysis, and it was found that research and lectures were the most common academic applications of social media. The cost of an internet connection was a barrier to using social media platforms and was expensive and unstable.