**4. Facebook and its applications at Ariel University**

With the emergence of Facebook groups that do not require members to be "friends" or expose their lives to one another, the option of creating a "study group" with students and lecturers is on the rise, and the effects of using Facebook groups as an alternative learning management system (LMS) has become increasingly relevant.

Any Facebook user can set up a Facebook group. After the group is established, the group founder can invite other Facebook users to register for the group. Groups can choose to restrict membership to specific individuals or open the group for access by anyone. Unlike other Facebook activity, a closed learning group does not appear in any user's activity records and is published only among the members of the group [3].

The main uses of Facebook learning groups include posing questions about homework, test material, exams, and assignments, and sharing summaries uploaded by students [7].

As a tool of learning, Facebook has also reached universities. The ability of higher education to utilize social media to advance professional development, to expand institutional development, and to increase students' success is no less than revolutionary. A few decades ago, most students came from society's elite classes, but today, the student population has changed and students come from all levels of the population, increasing cultural diversity among students, with all the implications. In addition, today's students are digital natives: they have grown up into a reality with sophisticated technology, availability, and intensive use of mobile and social media. Despite the development of technology and the fact that every student now has a mobile device and a laptop, teaching methods in most academic courses have retained a traditional form. The students' learning environment must be updated to include classroom teaching and home tasks that utilize the capabilities of mobile media and social media [8].

Motivation refers to the process in which goal-oriented activities are energetic, directed, and sustained. A student's motivation was found to be a major factor in learning achievements. Other studies have explored basic questions such as how and why some students succeed in the learning process, while other students struggle to develop knowledge and cognitive resources necessary for academic success. Therefore, in designing a new learning environment that makes use of new technologies, the role of motivation must be taken into account. Researchers and educators have focused on new design projects, curriculum reforms, and innovative technological tools to raise motivation [9].
