The study explores the applications of informal Internet tools on improving the learning outcomes,
academic achievements and career advancement of the Saudi Arabian university students. A systematic
review of studies conducted on various institutions of higher learning across Saudi Arabia enabled the
researcher to evaluate the trends in the use of informal digital learning tools. The paper pools evidences
from multiple studies of similar design to examine the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the applications of
digital technology in improving the learning outcomes, skills and knowledge acquisition among the
university students.The internet tools present the best platform for reflective practice, exhaustive knowledge
sharing, skills upgrade and accessing unlimited support services. The students capitalize on the autonomy
resulting from the informal environment to source multiple data from as many stakeholders as possible
thereby gaining holistic perspective of their areas of interest, career and other value adding co curricular
activities.The informal internet technologies have not only grown to become essential tools for reinforcing
the formal learning activities but also critical requirements for developing social competence,
interpersonal skills, and creativity.
Scholar Social is a microblogging platform for researchers, grad students, librarians, archivists, undergrads, academically inclined high schoolers, educators of all levels, journal editors, research assistants, professors, administrators—anyone involved in academia who is willing to engage with others respectfully.
Before steps are taken to impose limits on the use of social media and mobile technologies in schools, policymakers and educators need to consider the consequences for learning that such restrictions would produce. In this document, we argue that such action should carefully consider the advantages of social media for learning and that these guidelines for responsible use bring media into mentored environments where they can be safely explored and shared.
Many of the problems raised by these new technologies – from bullying to engaging in risky behavior – are not new to the public discourse, but are merely being delivered in different media. The challenge to responsible educators remains the same: to provide stimulating and safe learning environments that support the acquisition of practical skills necessary for full participation as a 21st-century citizen. Achieving this without mentored use of new technologies seems both impractical and counterproductive. One of the most powerful reasons to permit the use of social media and mobile devices in the classroom is to provide an opportunity for students to learn about their use in a supervised environment that emphasizes the development of attitudes and skills that will help keep them safe outside of school.
Gephi is an open-source software for visualizing and analyzing large networks graphs. Gephi uses a 3D render engine to display graphs in real-time and speed up the exploration. Use Gephi to explore, analyse, spatialise, filter, cluterize, manipulate and export all types of graphs.
M. Aasbakken, K. Chorianopoulos, and L. Jaccheri. 2nd International Workshop on Games and Software Engineering Realizing User Engagement with Game Engineering Techniques , ICSE 2012 workshop, page 27--30. IEEE, (2012)