Social networking sites can improve student retention

Part of our study focuses on the effect of social networking sites such as Facebook on students’ sense of belonging. Our findings so far suggest that for students who live off campus and are to some degree cut off from the informal social interaction that takes place among students who live on campus (e.g. in halls) benefit significantly from using social networking sites. Making friends online aids social integration, which in turn translates to increased sense of belonging and more positive attitudes towards university life. The paper, entitled The Effect of Online Social Networking on Facilitating Sense of Belonging among University Students Living Off Campus is to be presented at the World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications (ED-MEDIA) in July this year.