ABSTRACT

This study examines the use of social media by undergraduate students in core agricultural science disciplines in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. The study covers four colleges that represent the colleges that offer core agricultural science courses. There are eleven colleges in the university. Four objectives and four research questions were stated. The researchers adopted descriptive survey research design for the study. The area of study is the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. Undergraduate students in their third and fourth years ofstudy from the four core agricultural science colleges were selected and surveyed. Proportionate stratified sampling technique was used in selecting the sample while the research instrument used in data collection was questionnaire. The population ofthe study is made up of 1,666 third and fourth year undergraduate students of the four core agricultural science colleges. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and mean and presented in tables for clarity. Findings reveal that all the students are familiar with at least one of the various social media websites under study. The study also reveals that Wikipedia is more popular with the students than the other social media channels under study. The purposes of use of the social media by the students were found to include: interaction with friends; obtaining recreational information; sharing ideas, information and for up-date news; enhancing social presence; and for exposure related to education. The paper recommends, among others, that university libraries should regularly provide information on its activities and services to the students through the social media as this will draw students towards using social media more for educational purposes.