Determinants of college students' use of online collaborative help‐seeking tools

Research has noted the effectiveness of online tools (e.g., discussion boards) for supporting help seeking among class members. However, help seeking is not necessarily warranted via online learning tools because some factors (e.g., low Internet self‐efficacy) may influence students' intention to use them. This study aims to identify the determinants of students' use of a web‐based help‐seeking tool called EchoLu. For this purpose, a structural model was developed based on technology acceptance model and tested using a structural equation modelling approach. According to the data analysis results, general Internet self‐efficacy, information‐search self‐efficacy, web‐based learning self‐efficacy, and EchoLu‐specific self‐efficacy play a significant role in students' intentions to use online help‐seeking tools. Contrary to the previous research, no statistically significant relationship was found between general Internet self‐efficacy and EchoLu‐specific self‐efficacy, and between web‐based learning self‐efficacy and perceived usefulness. Implications of the findings for guiding practitioners in supporting effective help‐seeking are presented. Limitations of the study and future research prospects are discussed as well.     

Motivational beliefs and perceptions of instructional quality: predicting satisfaction with online training*

Abstract Many would agree that learning on the Web – a highly autonomous learning environment – may be difficult for individuals who lack motivation and self‐regulated learning skills. Using a social cognitive view of academic motivation and self‐regulation, the objective of the present study was to investigate the relations between students' motivational beliefs, their perceptions of the learning environment and their satisfaction with a self‐paced, online course. Service academy undergraduates (n = 646) completed a questionnaire following online training. Pearson correlations indicate that task value, self‐efficacy and perceived instructional quality were significantly positively related to each other and to students' overall satisfaction with the self‐paced, online course. Additionally, results from a three‐step hierarchical regression reveal that task value, self‐efficacy and instructional quality were significant positive predictors of students' satisfaction; the final regression model accounted for approximately 54% of the variance in the outcome measure. These findings support and extend prior research in traditional classrooms and online education in university settings, indicating that military students' motivational beliefs about a learning task and their perceptions of instructional quality are related, in important ways, to their overall satisfaction with online instruction. Educational implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Scaffolding student teachers' information‐seeking behaviours with a network‐based tutoring system

Student teachers' instructional planning requires them to regulate certain aspects of their own learning while designing lessons. The aim of this study is to support student teachers' self‐regulated learning through the convergence effect, where network‐based tutors are designed to optimize system recommendations of online resources based on information‐seeking behaviours. A total of 68 student teachers were randomly assigned to either a dynamic or static version of nBrowser, which converged a network or not towards an optimal configuration. The structural equation model suggests that student teachers spent less time during the learning session using the dynamic version of nBrowser. Although student teachers were found to be more efficient in seeking and acquiring information and reported knowledge gains, they failed to perform better than those assigned to the static condition on the lesson plan design task. We discuss the implications for the convergence effect in the context of network‐based tutors.     

A study to explore the effects of self‐regulated learning environment for hearing‐impaired students

Although computer‐ and Internet‐aided learning for hearing‐impaired students has been a trend in the modern days, a few studies were done to examine their effectiveness in strengthening learning motivation and, in turn, enhancing learning efficiency. This study attempts to establish an interactive self‐regulated learning environment and employs Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction motivation model, hyperlink technology, modular concepts and online learning community to design teaching contents and presentation of teaching materials. An empirical study was conducted to examine the effects of hearing‐impaired students learning motivation and cognitive attitude of learning environment. The results showed that interactive and self‐regulated learning environment could effectively strengthen learning motivation and promote positive learning behaviour in hearing‐impaired students.     

Understanding the online information‐seeking behaviours of young people: the role of networks of support

Information seeking is one of the most popular online activities for young people and can provide an additional information channel, which may enhance learning. In this study, we propose and test a model that adds to the existing literature by examining the ways in which parents, schools, and friends (what we call networks of support) effect young people's online information behaviours, while at the same time taking into account young people's individual characteristics, confidence, and skills to use the Internet. Using path analysis, we demonstrate the significance of networks of support in understanding the uptake of online information seeking both directly and indirectly (through enhancing self‐concept for learning and online skills). Young people who have better networks of support, particularly friends who are engaged in technology, are more likely to engage in online information seeking. While quantitative models of this nature cannot capture the complexity of individual online search practices, these findings may assist in the development of policy and practice to support young people to make the most effective use of the Internet for information seeking.     

Designing on‐demand education for simultaneous development of domain‐specific and self‐directed learning skills

On‐demand education enables individual learners to choose their learning pathways according to their own learning needs. They must use self‐directed learning (SDL) skills involving self‐assessment and task selection to determine appropriate pathways for learning. Learners who lack these skills must develop them because SDL skills are prerequisite to developing domain‐specific skills. This article describes the design of an on‐demand learning environment developed to enable novices to simultaneously develop their SDL and domain‐specific skills. Learners received advice on their self‐assessments and their selections of subsequent learning tasks. In the domain of system dynamics – a way to model a dynamic system and draw graphs depicting the system's behaviour over time – advice on self‐assessment is provided in a scoring rubric containing relevant performance standards. Advice on task selection indicates all relevant task aspects to be taken into account, including recommendations for suitable learning tasks which meet the individual learner's needs. This article discusses the design of the environment and the learners' perceptions of its usefulness. Most of the times, the learners found the advice appropriate and they followed it in 78% of their task selections.     

Individual learning goal orientations in self‐managed team‐based organizations: A study on individual and contextual variables

Previous research has shown the importance of individual learning goal orientation for both job and task performance and consequently organizational performance. Despite its importance, knowledge on the antecedents of learning goal orientation remains scarce, especially in the context of self‐managing team‐based organizations. In fact, most of the research on goal orientation antecedents has been focused on individual characteristics, belief, and ability, while the contextual factors that might influence them remain unspecified. We build on and further extend earlier studies by jointly exploring the role of individual and contextual factors affecting individual learning orientation. In particular, this study combines individual informal social network, self‐efficacy, performance feedbacks, and team identification into a model that explains individuals' learning goal orientation within self‐managing team‐based organizations. The model was empirically tested on a sample of 104 individuals belonging to an R&D organization relying on self‐managing teams. Results show that performance feedback has a negative direct effect, while team identification has a positive direct effect on individual learning goal orientation. In addition, we found that individual self‐efficacy is a mediator of the relationships between performance feedback and brokerage in the advice network and individual learning goal orientation. Finally, we did not find a relationship between centrality in the friendship network and individual learning goal orientation.     

The ‘Privacy Paradox’ in the Social Web: The Impact of Privacy Concerns,Individual Characteristics,and the Perceived Social Relevance on Different Forms of Self‐Disclosure

Given the diffusion of the Social Web and increased disclosure of personal information online, the ‘privacy paradox’ suggests that while Internet users are concerned about privacy, their behaviors do not mirror those concerns. This study investigates the potential influence of privacy concerns, psychological traits, attitudes to the Social Web and age on self‐disclosure. Using an online survey of a representative sample of German Internet users (n = 2, 739), the variety and quality of self‐disclosure as well as access were measured. The findings indicate that privacy concerns hardly impact self‐disclosure, but different variables moderate this relation. Perceived social relevance and the number of applications used proved important. Users' general willingness to disclose is most important when providing sensitive information.     

Interplay of prior knowledge,self‐regulation and motivation in complex multimedia learning environments

This study examined the direct and indirect effects of medical clerkship students' prior knowledge, self‐regulation and motivation on learning performance in complex multimedia learning environments. The data from 386 medical clerkship students from six medical schools were analysed using structural equation modeling. The structural model revealed that medical students' prior knowledge directly positively affected their learning outcome, self‐efficacy and performance approach goal orientation. The learners' self‐regulation had a significant positive direct effect on learning outcome. The learners' mastery goal orientation directly affected their learning outcome. Interestingly, inconsistent with our hypothesis, the learners' performance approach goal orientation showed a significant negative direct effect on learning outcome, and performance avoidance goal orientation had a significant positive effect on learning outcome. These findings help develop a more comprehensive understanding of the role of individual characteristics on learning performance of complex tasks in multimedia learning environments.     

Developing a web‐based multimedia assessment system for facilitating science laboratory instruction

This study developed a web‐based multimedia assessment system (WMA system) and applied it to science laboratory instruction. The goal was to improve students' knowledge acquisition under science laboratory instruction. The developed system enabled learners to perform self‐assessments by responding to multimedia technology test items online. The system recorded each learner's complete answer history and provided the students with personalized learning resources. This study adopted a quasi‐experimental research design. The learning content was an “experiment on separating mixtures.” Students participating in the research were divided into a typical science laboratory instruction group (TI group; n = 25) and a group that received instruction through the WMA system (WMA group; n = 26). Before instruction, all the students completed the conceptual knowledge and experimental knowledge pretests. During instruction, the TI group watched the teacher's demonstration experiment, and the students then performed the experiment in a real laboratory. In the WMA group, after learning through the WMA system, the students also performed the experiment in a real laboratory. After instruction, all the students completed the conceptual knowledge and experimental knowledge posttests. The findings indicated that the students in the WMA group showed significantly higher improvements in their scientific conceptual knowledge and experimental knowledge.     

The impact of team‐based learning on students with different self‐regulated learning abilities

Team‐based learning (TBL) stresses applying knowledge rather than absorbing knowledge in class; studies have investigated the use of TBL and its merits in different teaching courses (e.g., medical science and business). TBL is most effective when students learn autonomously before class. However, the ability of autonomous learning is highly associated with the ability of self‐regulated learning (SRL); most importantly, not every student possesses good (or high) SRL ability. Nevertheless, few studies have compared the effectiveness of TBL in students with different SRL abilities. To address this issue, this study analyzed approximately 90 students, whose course teaching involves office application software (Microsoft Excel). This study also developed an online TBL system (called Online TBL) to facilitate performing TBL and to collect the learning behaviours of students with different (high or low) SRL abilities on each TBL stage. The analytical results show that compared with the low‐SRL students, the high‐SRL students were more prepared for class because they spent more reviewing material and had better scores on personal uploaded Excel and Individual Readiness Assurance Test. From the feedback of the peer evaluation, the results also show that the high‐SRL students received more credits than the low‐SRL students did. The questionnaire survey revealed that both low‐SRL and high‐SRL students had a favourable impression of TBL. Further discussion is given to explain the above results.     

The Xanadu project: training faculty in the use of information and communication technology for university teaching

Abstract Technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) methodologies are becoming an important part of University teaching but faculty members have tended to shy away from using them. So, how can they be enticed to use them effectively? What approaches can be used? The purpose of the Xanadu project was to analyse the problems involved and to propose a model for training, based on experimentation at the University of Turin. Besides providing a model, this article will deal with the follow‐up, particularly regarding the faculty members' initial approach to using information and communication technology (ICT), as well as examine the motives and conditions influencing their choices. In this sense, the project has enabled us to come to a better understanding of the typical misconceptions leading teachers to favour methodological approaches based on the distributive use of ICT (which are considered less demanding to manage), rather than networked collaborative interaction, which actually involve students more. In this regard, Xanadu has shown how teachers' awareness may be developed towards adopting a wide range of TEL approaches through both gradual training (project‐oriented with a basic and an advanced course) and with the help of a graduate assistant capable of following e‐content development and online collaborative activities. The effectiveness of the method may be confirmed by the large number of faculty members continuing to use ICT to support their teaching despite having no specific university TEL projects.     

Fostering self‐regulated learning in a blended environment using group awareness and peer assistance as external scaffolds

Most systems for training self‐regulated learning (SRL) behaviour focus on the provision of a learner‐centred environment. Such systems repeat the training process and place learners alone to experience that process iteratively. According to the relevant literature, external scaffolds are more promising for effective SRL training. In this work, group awareness and peer assistance are used as external scaffolds in the process of training SRL behaviour, enhancing opportunities for self‐reflection and stimulating and encouraging learners. This work further develops a system, called self‐regulated learning with group awareness and peer assistance (SRL‐GAPA). Experimental results reveal that SRL‐GAPA provides significantly more participation in online training tasks and learning activities, better SRL behaviour and better learning achievement than the traditional SRL system (i.e,, a learner‐centred environment). The SRL‐GAPA benefited poorly self‐regulated learners more than highly self‐regulated students. Some implications of this finding are discussed.     

Designing a technology‐enhanced flipped learning system to facilitate students' self‐regulation and performance

In recent years, the flipped classroom has become prevalent in many educational settings. Flipped classroom adopts a pedagogical model in which short video lectures are viewed by students at home before class so that the teacher can lead students to participate in activities, problem‐solving, and discussions. Yet the design or use of technology that employs planned instructional strategies with sustainable support of self‐regulation is scant. We propose a technology‐enhanced flipped language learning system (Flip2Learn) that provides facilitation and guidance for learning performance and self‐regulation. A quasi‐experimental study was carried out to examine whether Flip2Learn could enhance college students' self‐regulatory skills and later contribute to the learning performance in the flipped classrooms. The results showed that Flip2Learn not only better prepared students for flipped classrooms but also better promoted learning performance compared to the conventional flipped classrooms. The results of this research advanced our understanding of the dynamics of flipped classrooms and represented a revolutionary new approach to the technology‐enhanced learning for flipped classrooms.     

Context‐aware language‐learning application in the green technology building: Which group can benefit the most?

To assess the effects and learner perceptions of context‐aware ubiquitous language learning (CAULL), a green‐building English‐learning application (GBELA) employing sensing technology was created to develop participants' English listening and reading skills using smartphones and QR codes. This study investigated the effects of 40 participants' perceived ease of use, usability, usefulness, learner attitude, satisfaction with the use of GBELA, and self‐efficacy in smartphone and GBELA usage. Quantitative and qualitative data through pretest/post‐test, questionnaires, and semistructured interviews were collected with a focus on green building–based English (GBbE) reading and listening skills. Results proved the effectiveness of the GBELA for both high‐achievement (HA) and low‐achievement (LA) groups. Furthermore, correlations were found between the HA group and ease of use of the GBELA. The correlations among learner perceptions and self‐efficacy showed that a well‐designed context‐aware learning system can help learners enhance self‐efficacy in CAULL mode. Implications for the design of effective context‐ and knowledge‐specific ubiquitous learning systems are provided in the study.     

How and why do student teachers use ICT?

This paper examines how and why student teachers made use of information and communication technology (ICT) during a 1‐year initial teacher education programme from 2008 to 2009. This is a mixed methods study involving a survey (N = 340) of the entire cohort and a series of semi‐structured interviews with a sample of student teachers within the cohort (N = 21). The study explored several themes, including the nature of student teachers' use of ICT; variation in the use of ICT; support for, and constraints on, using ICT; attitudes to ICT and to teaching and learning more generally. It was found that nearly all teachers were receptive to using ICT – more so than their in‐service counterparts – and made frequent use of it during their placement (internship) experience. The Interactive Whiteboard (IWB) was central to nearly all student teachers' use of ICT, in good part, because it was already used by their mentors and was widely accessible. Student teachers' use of ICT was categorized in three levels. Routine users focused mostly on the use of the IWB for whole class teaching; extended users gave greater opportunities for pupils to use ICT for themselves; innovative student teachers used ICT in a greater range of contexts and made more effort to overcome barriers such as access. ICT use was seen as emerging from a mix of factors: chiefly student teachers' access to ICT; their feeling of ‘self‐efficacy’ when using ICT; and their belief that ICT had a positive impact on learning – in particular, the impact on pupils' behavioural and affective engagement. Factors which influenced ICT use included mentoring, training and support. Limitations on student teachers' use of ICT are explored and it is suggested that new teachers need to be supported in developing a more discerning use as they begin their teaching careers.     

Chinese undergraduate students' perceptions of mobile learning: Conceptions,learning profiles,and approaches

Close links between students' conceptions of and approaches to learning were established in the past research. However, only a few quantitative studies investigated this relationship particularly with regard to mobile learning (m‐learning). The correlation between learners' conceptions and approaches to m‐learning was analysed using a partial least squares analysis applied to data obtained from a sample of 971 undergraduate students in China. The results indicated that students' conceptions of m‐learning could be classified into reproductive, transitional, and constructive levels. Students may hold multiple m‐learning applications than a predominant one; hence, examining m‐learning as one monolithic entity may provide limited information. Latent profile analysis identified four learning profiles based on students' preferred m‐learning applications: passive, mixed, surface‐supportive, and high‐engagement.. Moreover, a general trend was observed, whereby students with reproductive and surface‐supportive learning profiles showed a tendency to adopt surface approaches, whereas those expressing constructive and mixed learning profiles were more inclined to adopt deep approaches. Interestingly, students with transitional conceptions and high‐engagement learning profiles tended to take both surface and deep approaches.