While I think communication and interaction with peers and teachers is key to foster learning in any field, I would raise another question here, because WhatsApp is normally linked to a personal cellphone and with a personal telephone number. Is it appropriate to mix private and academic spheres of life? In my opinion, some other options seem like a better fit, such as the Chat feature from Google Suit. There are studies, however, that cover the use of WhatsApp in informal and formal settings. In educational settings, this one, for instance, by Bouhnik and Deshen from Israel:

https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/44092791/whatsapp_goes_to_school.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1537529328&Signature=H1GfZrvPHkoSZhMJJUHspwSTA%2FU%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DWhatsApp_Goes_to_School_Mobile_Instant_M.pdf

Yes, as any visual, aural and typographic communication system does promote appropriate interaction between co-learners.

I would really resist to the idea that "WhatsApp" has any effects by itself. For me, It's a question of usage rather than specs of the application. So, my suggestion would be to reframe the question, trying to understand under which conditions this application might foster collaborative learning or/and social networking. This might lead to suggestions regarding the pedagogical

conditions and learning situations which could benefit from affordances and functionalities of this app.

Yes, I think it can! The more technology embraced the better - providing it meets the goals. 'WhatsApp' can build a feeling of 'groupness', cohesion and be a support between learners. I have used it with students to build a team feeling that allows learners to answer each others' questions and find a way with out resorting to asking the lecturer.

Referring to whether the use of WhatsApp promotes collaborative learning and autonomous learning, it can be said that if it is effective, the first situation is that it allows extending academic work outside the physical classroom, achieving an integral practice.

As an academic experience in the teaching of mathematics allows a student to leave exercises that then share it in WhatsApp and colleagues comment on the experience or feedback giving apart from academic feedback an effective strength of participation achieving better integration of students in the subsequent sessions and achieving significant learning.

In autonomous learning is important the interrelation of students allowing real-time consultations receiving input from students and teachers and allows continuing education avoiding delays for concepts not learned in a timely manner.You can use other means of social networks as well as Skype, Facebook what is important is the initiative to encourage continuous learning.

Best regards

It all depends on how one uses the application. Majority of the students use the application for the social networking and when one combines the usage of the same for dual purpose how much focused he/she is when working with the application decides the effectiveness of the tool/application in collaborative learning environment.

Las redes sociales son múltiples en cada país se tiene afinidad por algunas en particular, es el medio más interactivo para comunicarnos con los estudiantes que son nativos digitales, por lo tanto la comunicación es más fluida.

En enfoque académico permite transmitir una retroalimentación permanente y continuidad en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje es eficaz y mejora la interrelación entre los mismos estudiantes logrando aprendizaje significativo.

Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a task. In Whats-app can done this mode in various fields. My answer is "Yes, Whats-app creates collaborative learning and solve its remove errors in that content by the concern group members and it disseminate socially.

Please refer to the following article:

Nortcliffe, A., & Middleton, A. (2013). The innovative use of personal smart devices by students to support their learning. In Increasing student engagement and retention using mobile applications: Smartphones, Skype and texting technologies(pp. 175-208). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Regards

WhatsAp application could be used in learning as it is used by many people as an application chatting purposes. There are other alternatives by which learning is efficiently provided to learners such asking them to do some specific duties through internet materials or getting information from libraries or Google.

peer groups can also be formed by using Canvas, Blackboard or any other learning environments on internet. I am afraid mr. Vaidya could be right: every "ping" will be distracting.

using Whats App technology in collaborative learning facilitate to deliver teaching materials and receive feedback, members in groups easily respond, because this technology is user-friendly, but cannot be monitored by non-members, this is the point of weakness

Dear Jamri, a good point you added!

It does when used appropriately and correctly. The challenging part is the feedback given by the teacher and peers through the responses. Both types of learning (collaborative and self-directed) should be included with scaffolding from the teachers.

What's up may be very good for social networking nut not collaborative learning since it has many detractors that impend learning. Class control becomes a challenge

Students may easily divert from the intended objectives

Hablando desde mi propia experiencia, tengo q decir que sí,. Creo que WhatsApp sí ayuda durante el proceso de aprendizaje colaborativo. Es una forma de comunicación informal que permite compartir dudas muy rápido y resolverlas en poco tiempo con la ayuda de los compañeros, ya q permite enviar fotos, enlaces a webs, etc. También permite agilizar la toma de decisiones sobre consultas rápidas que demandan el consenso del equipo. Por tanto, agiliza procesos en "tiempos muertos", momentos en los que no todos los miembros del grupo estarían trabajando sobre el tema de forma natural (al salir del trabajo, en el ascensor, la cola del supermercado...) También tiene ventajas en la comunicación asíncrona.

Sin embargo, como ya han citado en otros comentarios, solo da acceso a los miembros invitados al grupo y el proceso de recuperar información de mensajes anteriores no es muy ágil.

Normalmente no se suele usar cómo única vía de comunicación del grupo q trabaja colaborativamente, pero sì como una alternativa rápida para solventar cuestiones puntuales (dudas, cuestiones organizativas, reparto de tareas...)

Thanks for your contribution Eunice. Don't you think that as teachers or lectures, we need to use a technological system that is appealing and accessible to many people, to attain educational goals required in the 21st Century.

Thanks for your contribution: Jamri, Hazim and Dr Nachimuthu.

I thank Abdullar Noori for material provided.

Ofcourse whats app promote collaborative learning as students exchange important information by the mean of whats app

Comparto la opinion de Norkhalilie Zulkifli , hay que diseñar bien el uso para lograr el objetivo de colaborar pero a la vez aprender y compartir sin desviar la atencion, interesante las opiniones de los colegas. Cada contexto tambien influye en los que hay cultura de esa aplicación y todos tienen telefonos móviles con conectividad rápida y eficiente en fin creo es una alternativa pero no la sobre valoro en el aprendizaje colaborativo en redes el uso en plataformas de foros, de debates sobre temas bien planificados y escogidos son muy utiles en mi experiencia, la coevaluacion entre estudiantes en fin podemos usar las TIC y los celulares en esa direccion pero el maestro quiando la accion educativa a lograr.

Desde ni propia experiencia y de otros colegas, el uso de Whatsapp puede ser adecuado o no. Es solo una herramienta y su bondad o dificultad no depende de ella misma, sino de quien la usa y cómo. Por tanto, considero que bien utilizada esta aplicación constituye una opción que enriquece el aprendizaje y fomenta la cooperación entre los actores del proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje, tanto en pre, como en postgrado.

I m teaching a course ..i make whats app group with students ... students enquire about some concept on whats app ...we usually share important information that promote learning and rapport building with the students

Thank you Lourdes and Lakwinder. Your contribution is helping a lot.

Thank you Lorenzo and Martha Garcia.

Yes, because the whatsapp is based on U-learning and one of the most important applications of collaborative learning

Thank you Mohammed for your answer to my research question.

Nice Contribution Lourdes Hernández Rabell

Thank you.

This Link Maybe Useful For You:

Article The Impact of Whatsapp Use on Success in Education Process

Yes, whatsapp can be used as a tool for distant or virtual learning and social networking.

Thanks for input.