Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges of Using WhatsApp in Learning: A Literature Review

: WhatsApp is a widely used and widely used communication platform in education. The main objectives of this literature review are to identify the trends and challenges associated with using WhatsApp in education, explore the benefits and opportunities for students and teachers in using this platform for learning


INTRODUCTION
The integration of technology in education has been a topic of increasing importance in recent years. One of the technologies that has gained popularity in the field of education is instant messaging applications, such as WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a cross-platform instant messaging application that allows users to send text, voice, and video messages, as well as make voice and video calls. It has become one of the most widely used instant messaging applications in the world, with over 2 billion monthly active users (Bajpai et al., 2022). The use of instant messaging applications, such as WhatsApp, in education has been growing in recent years.
WhatsApp can be used for a variety of purposes in education, such as communication between students and teachers, collaboration on group projects, and the sharing of educational resources (Stevani & Putro, 2020). The immediacy and flexibility of instant messaging make it an attractive option for educators and students (Warschauer & Matuchniak, 2010 (Jailobaev et al., 2021). Secondly, the integration of technology in education is a topic of growing importance, and the use of instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp is becoming increasingly common in the field of education (Madge et al., 2019). Thirdly, there is a need to understand the trends, opportunities, and challenges associated with using WhatsApp in educational settings, as well as its impact on student engagement, motivation, and achievement. Finally, the increasing use of WhatsApp in education highlights the need to consider privacy and security issues and to develop best practices for its use in the classroom.
Previous research discussing this theme has not been found to map in detail the trends, challenges and opportunities for using WhatsApp. Research by Nyasulu & Dominic Chawinga (Nyasulu & Dominic Chawinga, 2019) mention WhatsApp use by students included instant sharing of academic information, communicating with fellow students and lecturers, and conducting collaborative learning activities. WhatsApp chat group as a platform for extending learning in a blended learning classroom with a small group of undergraduates in the Malaysian context (Annamalai, 2019). WhatsApp enhances student-to-lecturer interaction, students-tostudent interaction, student-to-lecturer intimacy and student-to-student intimacy (Ujakpa et al., 2018). Mobile technology can assist in increasing immediacy and connection not only in informal, but also in formal blended and open distance learning contexts (Gachago et al., 2015).
WhatsApp use in education process should be encouraged as a supportive technology (Cetinkaya, 2017). These studies have not explained the trends, challenges, and opportunities for using WhatsApp in learning, so it is very important that the title of research related to this theme be carried out. The purpose of this study is to conduct a literature review on the use of WhatsApp in educational settings in order to understand the current trends, benefits, and challenges of this technology. The study aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the topic by reviewing relevant literature, articles, and research studies. Ultimately, the purpose of this study is to provide insights and recommendations for educators, researchers, and policymakers on the effective use of WhatsApp in education.

RESEARCH METHODS
The literature review for this study will be conducted by searching for relevant articles, research studies, and other sources (Garritty et al., 2021) on the use of WhatsApp in educational settings. The search will be conducted using various databases such as JSTOR, ProQuest, and Google Scholar, and ERIC. The keywords that will be used in the search include "WhatsApp," "education," "learning," "teaching," "classroom," "trends," "benefits," "challenges," "opportunities," and "integration". The search will include articles and studies published from 2015 to 2021 in order to provide an up-to-date understanding of the current trends and research in this area. In addition to the literature review, the study will also include a critical analysis of the selected literature, in order to identify patterns, themes, and gaps in the existing research.
The method section of this literature review will include a comprehensive search and analysis of relevant literature, articles, and research studies on the use of WhatsApp in educational settings. The search will be limited to articles published in the last five years to ensure that the literature review is current and relevant. The inclusion criteria for the literature will be studies and articles that focus (Mattei et al., 2021) on the use of WhatsApp in educational settings, specifically in K-12 and higher education institutions. Studies will be included regardless of the research design (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) as long as they provide valuable insights on the topic. The literature will be analyzed using thematic analysis (Kiger & Varpio, 2020), a widely used method in literature reviews, to identify key themes and patterns in the studies.

Trends
The trends section of this literature review will present the current trends in the use of WhatsApp in educational settings. This section will provide an overview of the various ways in which WhatsApp is being used in education, including its use as a communication tool between teachers and students, as a platform for sharing resources and assignments, and as a tool for conducting online discussions and group work. Additionally, this section will examine the frequency of WhatsApp use in different educational settings, such as K-12 and higher education institutions, as well as in different countries and cultures. The trends section will also highlight any recent or emerging trends in the use of WhatsApp in education, such as the use of WhatsApp for virtual and blended learning.
According to a study by Urien et al. (Urien et al., 2019), WhatsApp is widely used in educational settings as a communication tool, particularly in higher education institutions. The authors found that WhatsApp is used for a variety of purposes such as sending announcements, reminders, and providing feedback to students. Similarly, a study by Warschauer & Matuchniak (Warschauer & Matuchniak, 2010) found that WhatsApp is commonly used by educators to communicate with students, share resources, and provide feedback. The authors also found that WhatsApp is used to facilitate group discussions and collaborative learning activities among students. In addition to communication, WhatsApp is also being used for distance and online learning. A study by Wut & Xu (Wut & Xu, 2021) found that WhatsApp is used to deliver synchronous and asynchronous instruction, as well as to support student-to-student and studentto-instructor communication. The study also found that WhatsApp is used to enhance student engagement and motivation, as well as to support formative and summative assessments.
Another trend in the use of WhatsApp in educational settings is the use of WhatsApp groups to facilitate collaborative learning. A study by Jailobaev et al. (Jailobaev et al., 2021) found that WhatsApp groups are used to support team projects, group discussions, and peer feedback. The authors also found that WhatsApp groups are used to support language learning, as students use the platform to practice speaking and writing in a foreign language. Furthermore, a study by Arifani (Arifani, 2019) found that WhatsApp is used to facilitate flipped classroom instruction, where students watch video lectures and engage in discussions and activities on WhatsApp before coming to class.
The authors also found that WhatsApp is used to support self-directed and self-regulated learning, as students are able to access resources and receive feedback on their own schedule (Broadbent & Lodge, 2021). In summary, the current trends in the use of WhatsApp in educational settings include the use of WhatsApp for communication, distance and online learning, collaborative learning, and flipped classroom instruction. WhatsApp is also being used to support student engagement, motivation, and self-directed learning. studies support the quizzes and games that students can participate in, which can help to increase engagement and motivation in class. WhatsApp can also be used to create personalized feedback loops for students (Young & Jerome, 2020), where teachers can provide individualized feedback and support for students based on their needs and progress. This kind of feedback can help to increase student motivation and engagement by providing them with a sense of direction and purpose in their learning. Furthermore, WhatsApp can be used to create opportunities for student-led learning, where students can take ownership of their learning by creating and leading their own discussion groups and projects. This can help to increase student motivation and engagement by providing them with a sense of autonomy and agency in their learning.

Challenges
Using WhatsApp in education can also come with its own set of challenges. One of the main concerns is the potential for distractions and procrastination among students. WhatsApp is a social media platform, and students may be tempted to use it for non-educational purposes during class time or use it as a procrastination tool instead of focusing on their studies (Azizur Rahman et al., 2020). Additionally, there may be concerns around digital divide, not all students have access to smartphones or internet, and this can create a barrier for those students to participate in WhatsApp-based learning activities. Another challenge is ensuring the privacy and security of students' personal information. WhatsApp is an online platform, and there is a risk of cyberbullying and the sharing of inappropriate content among students (Aizenkot & Kashy-Rosenbaum, 2021). Teachers must be vigilant in monitoring students' use of WhatsApp and ensure that they are using it appropriately and safely. Moreover, there is a lack of professional development opportunities for teachers to learn how to effectively use WhatsApp in the classroom setting (Morsidi et al., 2021). Without proper training and support, teachers may not fully understand how to integrate WhatsApp into their instruction and may not be able to fully leverage its potential benefits. Lastly, while WhatsApp is a powerful tool for communication and collaboration, it can be overwhelming for teachers to manage and monitor all the different group chats and conversations that may be happening simultaneously (Naghdipour & Manca, 2022). This can lead to teacher burnout and a lack of effectiveness in using WhatsApp as an educational tool.
Despite the many potential benefits of using WhatsApp in education, there are also some challenges to consider. For example, one of the main challenges is that not all students may have access to the technology or be comfortable using it. Additionally, there may be concerns about the privacy and security of personal information shared on WhatsApp groups (Udem et al., 2020). Therefore, it is important for educators to consider these challenges and develop strategies to overcome them, such as providing training and support for students who are not familiar with WhatsApp (Nyasulu & Dominic Chawinga, 2019). Finally, it is essential to consider the privacy and security concerns when using WhatsApp in education. WhatsApp is a closed platform and it's a third party application, which means that the company may have access to the data shared on the platform. Furthermore, WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption may not be enough to secure the data shared on WhatsApp groups (Reis et al., 2020), as there are known vulnerabilities that can be exploited. Therefore, educators should be aware of these issues and take steps to protect student's data, such as creating guidelines for what can and cannot be shared on WhatsApp groups. However, there are also a number of potential challenges that need to be considered when using WhatsApp in education. One of the main challenges is the need to ensure the privacy and security of student and teacher data. WhatsApp is a popular messaging app, and as such, it is essential to consider how student data will be protected when it is shared through the app. This includes both the data that is shared within the app, as well as any data that is stored on the servers of WhatsApp or any other third-party services that may be used in conjunction with WhatsApp.
The integration of WhatsApp in education has seen a growing trend in recent years due to its potential benefits in communication, collaboration, and instruction. However, there are also challenges that come with using WhatsApp in educational settings. One of the main challenges is the potential for distractions and procrastination among students. WhatsApp is a social media platform, and students may be tempted to use it for non-educational purposes during class time or as a tool for procrastination. This can undermine the effectiveness of WhatsApp as a learning tool. Another challenge is the digital divide (Bishai, 2022), as not all students have access to smartphones or the internet, which can create a barrier for participating in WhatsApp-based learning activities. Moreover, there is a need to ensure the privacy and security of students' personal information, as there is a risk of cyberbullying and the sharing of inappropriate content on WhatsApp. Teachers must be vigilant in monitoring students' use of the platform to ensure that they are using it appropriately and safely. Additionally, there is a lack of professional development opportunities for teachers to learn how to effectively use WhatsApp in the classroom setting (Oyewole et al., 2020). Without proper training and support, teachers may not fully understand how to integrate WhatsApp into their instruction and may not be able to fully leverage its potential benefits. To address these challenges and ensure the