Online socializing: How does it affect the information seeking behavior and the educational preferences in Saudi Arabia? |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Management Information Systems, Dhofar University, Oman;2. Information Studies, IMSIU Univesity, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;3. Information Systems, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Singapore;2. Department of Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore;1. Department of Medical Oncology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 600 Tianhe Road, Guangzhou 510630, China;2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhu Hai, China;3. Department of Nephrology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College, Guangzhou, China;1. Utrecht University, Department of Sociology/ICS, Padualaan 14, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands;2. King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Saudi Arabia;1. Ling Tung University, No. 1, Ling Tung Rd, Nantun, Taichung 408, Taiwan;2. National Changhua University of Education, No. 2, Shi-Da Road, Changhua 500, Taiwan;1. Open University Business School, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, United Kingdom;2. Nottingham Trent University, College of Business Law & Social Sciences, School of Social Science, Nottingham, United Kingdom;3. Henley Business School, Greenlands Campus, Henley, Reading-on-Thames, RG9 3AU, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | There are three major issues, among others, associated with the rapid adoption of information technology in Saudi Arabia. These are the changes in online socializing (through Social Media), the information seeking behavior, and the eLearning developments in the local academic institutions. In this causal exploratory research study the main idea was to find the effect of the changes of the former on the latter two. Saudi Arabia is the geographic scope of the study as the most important and influential country in the region. A pre-tested and moderated questionnaire, administered both on- and offline, was used to gather the relevant data. Findings indicate a shift from the conventional to the online information seeking behaviors and a preference of a blended educational system, both traditional (classroom) and eLearning or similar, despite the deep and dramatic penetration of social media in the country that could lead to the false assumption that the local population, especially young people, would turn their back on the conventional education processes. |
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| Keywords: | Information seeking behavior Social networks Education Saudi Arabia |
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