# Introducing Personal Teaching Environment for Nontraditional Teaching Methods
## 5 Findings: Research Questions 2 and 3
### Social Media-Centered  
The past decade has witnessed the growth and dominance of social media as a Web 2.0 tool for communication and social interaction with a high degree of participation [74]. Social media or social networking is an interactive Web 2.0 tool that allows users to create, share, and publish information, build communities, and communicate without any boundaries anywhere and anytime [75]. That means that social media has the characteristics of user-generated content, online interpersonal interaction [74], direct communication, users' collaboration [76], and user profiling [77]. Famous social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are presently being used by universities. Nowadays, each university has a functional Facebook page or Twitter account, but they are still not the preferred choice for educational purposes [76]. We found that Facebook and Twitter use informal learning, while universities do not focus on this kind of learning. Teachers have been using social media to distribute course materials for students and share news and deadlines. Students are now used to exchanging and sharing documents and collaborating with other students independently from the university environment [78]. The famous types of social media and some examples of worldwide used applications are presented in Table 2. The author of [79] illustrates some benefits of these applications as being accessible anytime and anywhere, user-friendly, flexible, personalizable, and enjoyable. The authors of [80] found that implementing social media in education enhances students' engagement and involvement in the learning process, while significantly improving critical thinking skills, self-monitoring of the learning progress, and peer learning.  
The process flow of using social media in education is illustrated in Figure 8. Teachers first need to choose one of the social media tools to connect and reach students and engage students in collaboration. Secondly, teaching students by presenting teaching materials and concepts in a meaningful way is deemed important. Thirdly, assisting students in reviewing and selecting content and making conversations that guide the learning process is essential. Finally, students need to be notified of deadlines, and providing timely information which guides the learning process is important.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline _Type_ & **Example** \\ \hline _Blogs_ & MicroBlog, Edutopia, Wabisabilearning \\ _Wikis_ & Wikipedia \\ _Social media network_ & Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp \\ _Content Communities_ & Youtube, TeacherTube, SlideShare \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Social Media Types.  
Figure 8: Social media process flow.  
In 2018, the authors of [81] observed the use of Facebook and Twitter for the promotion of interest and motivation of students. As a case study result, the authors found that prior to using qualitative and quantitative methods, the tools mentioned are very useful for the communication and dissemination of content outside the classroom. Moreover, the tools are useful for sharing information on applied issues and increasing students' interest and motivation. The authors of [82] observed students' perceptions of using social media in learning. As a study result, they found that the most popular tools used were Edmodo, Google Docs, and YouTube. Students had a better understanding of the topics when using social media tools. The authors of [83] observed the use of social media for academia. The study results show that most academics are already using or willing to use social media. They are aware of the need for a change, and some are working toward involving social media in their teaching. From the students' perspective, social media is good for achievement, improving students' motivation and performance, and increasing classroom participation. The authors assume that using social media will help students enhance their creativity and productivity.