Volume 5, Number 3 (July-September, 2010)

Technology has emerged as an increasingly important part of higher education’s learning process. Student success is influenced by a variety of factors; therefore, technology is one aspect that administrators and faculty can utilize to attract and retain students. Online social networks have been successful because of their focus on collaboration, networking, and relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between online social networks and their impact on student expectations of university-provided learning technology. In addition, this study focused on how this relationship can influence student satisfaction and retention. An online survey was used for the quantitative design, while open-ended interview questions were used for the qualitative design. The target population was freshmen residential students at a southwestern public university. A stratified random sample of 250 students was selected with 64 valid surveys returned and 8 students interviewed. A discussion of the findings and implications are presented. ACCESS FULL MANUSCRIPT AT: http://cnx.org/content/m35291/latest/