Using assemblage theory to analyse WhatsApp use among first-year students: case of a South African University

Abstract

In this paper we analysed the use of WhatsApp among first-year students at the University of Technology in the context of South Africa. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s Assemblage Theory, the study analysed postings on a WhatsApp group and secondary data using content analysis. The findings showed that first-year students used WhatsApp for communication, sharing content and information related to issues affecting their studies. Further, WhatsApp was useful in the process of becoming first-year students in the new educational environment and in the creation of knowledge from multiple sources that was not confined to the lectures and classroom experiences. This study offers insights that can be useful when developing strategies for integrating Mobile Instant Messaging platforms in the context of higher education.