The technology acceptance model (TAM) uses perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to predict the intention to use a technology which is important when deciding to invest in a technology. Its extension for e-learning (the general extended technology acceptance model for e-learning; GETAMEL) adds subjective norm to predict the intention to…

A discussion forum is an indispensable part of a massive open online course (MOOC) environment as it enables knowledge construction through learner-to-learner interaction such as discussion of solutions to assigned problems among learners. In this paper, a machine prediction model is built based on the data from the MOOC forum and the depth of…

Interest in understanding what constitutes effective instruction online continues to grow as more universities adopt mediated formats for teaching. However, engaging students in productive, content-related conversation in online courses remains challenging. Several variables may influence student willingness to talk in online classes--procedural…

Characterizing the nature of students' affective and emotional states and detecting them is of fundamental importance in online course platforms. In this paper, we study this problem by using discussion forum posts derived from large open online courses. We find that posts identified as encoding confusion are actually manifestations of different…

Emoji are commonly used in social media to convey attitudes and emotions. While popular, their use in educational contexts has been sparsely studied. This paper reports on the students' use of emoji in an online course forum in which students annotate and discuss course material in the margins of the online textbook. For this study, instructors…

The development and improvement of effective tools for predicting human behavior in real life through the features of its virtual activity opens up broad prospects for psychological support of the individual. The presence of such tools can be used by psychologists in educational, professional and other areas in the formation of trajectories of…

This study examined the extent of cyber-bullying among college students and how well Ronald Akers' Social Learning Theory predicted cyber-bullying perpetration. In addition, this study explored students' use of media and the characteristics associated with involvement in cyber-bullying behaviors as victims, perpetrators, and observers.…

Blended learning has become increasingly common in higher education. Recent findings suggest that blended learning achieves better student outcomes than traditional face-to-face teaching in gross anatomy courses. While face-to-face content is perceived as important to learning there is less evidence for the significance of online content in…

This study investigated how one type of learner-generated information and content, i.e. inter-group peer online feedback, provided on a wiki writing assignment for an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) course, could contribute to student L2 writing. Using a mixed method approach, more than 1000 entries of online peer comments were collected,…

Background: Risks associated with teen sexting draw increasing concern from teachers and communities as developments in communication software and devices make sharing private content faster and simpler each year. We examined rates, recipients, and predictors of teen sexting to better plan education and preventative policies and strategies. A…

Social network sites in general, and Facebook in particular, allow users with common interests to meet, share ideas, and collaborate, creating new forms of informal learning. In order to understand and eventually take advantage of the many benefits that Facebook can bring to the academic world, we need to study its adoption process. The objective…

Understanding the factors that predict excessive use of social networks in adolescence can help prevent problems such as addictive behaviours, loneliness or cyberbullying. The main aim was to ascertain the psychological and social profile of adolescents whose use of SNSS is excessive. Participants comprised 1,102 adolescents aged between 11 and 18…

Taking into account that universities assume students will have at least some basic knowledge of the use of computers and the Internet, we hypothesize that the command of ICT skills by freshmen could have an influence on their educational attainment. To test this hypothesis an online questionnaire was used, which was answered by a representative…

Do a web search on the phrase "CRM sucks" and one will find scores of articles, webinars, and blog rants dedicated to the theme. Indeed, if one uses constituent relationship management (CRM) software, one is probably familiar with the litany of complaints. But this is not the time to give up. After all, this is one relationship that really needs…

Because of recent technological innovations, college freshmen can readily communicate with friends who they see infrequently (e.g., friends from home). The current study addressed whether computer-mediated communication with these distant friends can compensate for a lack of high-quality on-campus friendships during students' first semester of…