Evaluation of social media channel preference for student engagement improvement in universities using entropy and TOPSIS method

Abstract

Purpose: To analyze students’ social media preference in order to improve student engagement with university by examining social media implementation quality in terms of information and service quality.

Design/methodology/approach: Research methodology is started with the hierarchy creation of student engagement with university which then translated into questionnaire. This questionnaire was distributed to 58 universities in Jakarta (Indonesia’s capital). The questionnaire result was analyzed with entropy and TOPSIS method.

Findings: In social media implementation quality, information quality is more important than service quality because in social media, a good information quality is really relevant with the usefulness and comprehensiveness of the information. On the other hand regarding service quality, the system availability will help students in their interaction process with university, on top of the service’s efficiency and fulfillment. This directly impacts the cooperation between students, active learning process, and students’ expectation. The social medias students preferred to improve student engagement with universities respectively are LINE, Facebook, Twitter, Wiki, Blog, Instagram, YouTube, Path, LinkedIn, and Podcast.

Research limitations/implications: Social media’s role is not only to create student engagement in the learning process, but also other aspects included by Chickering & Gamson (1987).

Practical implications: The Social CRM channel shift from electronic into social media shows that social media holds an important role for university since it eases up the communication between university and the students. The good social media management has been an issue that needs to be solved by university by creating a unit or delegate a person that can manage the social media correctly and quickly so the students feel that they get the good service they want.

Originality/value: The other researches focus on observing social media influence to improve student engagement, but only in the context of learning process. This research observes social media roles in student engagement thoroughly according to the existing good practice. This research can also shows the order of social media that are seen important to create student engagement.