Personality Traits and Motivations for Usage of Online Social Network Sites Among College Freshmen

Millions of people worldwide log onto social network sites (SNS) every day. Some users have positive experiences while others have negative experiences. The functionality of any given SNS is the same for each user, but the choice of how and when to use certain features leads each user to have different experiences. This study utilized a uses and gratifications framework to help understand what gratification expectations affect the usage of SNS among college freshmen in their first semester. Additionally, the research explored a possible link between individual personality traits of freshmen and gratification expectations as well as a link between levels of homesickness and gratification expectations. College students (n = 499) enrolled in a First-Year study course completed an online survey that contained a uses and gratifications of SNS scale, the McCroskey (1997) 12-item Introversion scale; the Leary, Kelly, Cottrell, and Schreindorfer (2001) 10-item Need to Belong scale, and the Utrecht Homesickness Scale (Stroebe, van Vliet & Hewston, 2002). Based on an exploratory factor analysis, gratification expectations were reduced into two factors. The first factor consisted of items related to expectations for entertainment gratifications. The second factor consisted of items related to expectations for social gratifications. Based on the results of this study, it is reasonable to conclude that incoming freshmen utilize SNS to satisfy a need for social gratifications as well as entertainment gratifications. The data also indicated that, to some extent, the characteristics of extraverts and introverts are represented in the way freshmen use SNS. Additionally, the findings indicated freshmen are more likely to use SNS to keep up with their friends than with their family. Although there was not a strong positive correlation between homesickness and gratification expectations, there was a clear indication of usage of SNS to relieve symptoms of homesickness

Examining the Impact of Learning Management Systems in Computer Programming Courses

The development of software and communication technologies in education has led the majority of universities worldwide to integrate the functions of Learning Management Systems (LMSs) into their learning environments. LMSs offers several features that encourage their use by universities and other educational institutions, such as unlimited access to course content, easy tracking of learners’ progress and performance, and reduced costs in terms of both money and time. Most existing LMS studies have been focused on experienced LMS users who are familiar with its functions, with little consideration given to new users. Furthermore, although previous researchers have identified various means of enhancing the effectiveness of LMS use, no consensus has yet been reached on which of these features most successfully improve the learning outcomes of new learners enrolled in programming courses. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the usability of particular LMS features and their impact on learning outcomes for freshman students enrolled in programming courses. Through the Virtual Programming Lab (VPL) and discussion forums, particular LMS features have been considered. For this study, a quantitative quasi-experimental design was employed, including experimental and control groups of new students enrolled in an introductory programming course that involved different LMS features. These features have been considered in the place of treatment in this experiment, in which the level of difference between participants in the two groups was compared. This study involved two main dependent variables: LMS features’ usability and learning achievement. For the first dependent variable, LMS usability, the participants completed a survey, based on the components of Shackel’s usability model (1991), to evaluate the effectiveness of the LMS features’ usability. Four constructs underpin this model: effectiveness, learnability, flexibility, a¬¬nd attitude. For the second dependent variable, learning achievement, the final grade was used to measure the impact of these two LMS features on learning achievement between the two groups. The results revealed significance differences related to LMS features’ usability and learning achievement between the experimental group and the control group. Participants in the experimental group reported greater LMS usability than did those in the control group, and overall course scores indicated improved learning performance in members of the experimental group who applied the VPL and discussion forms features of programming courses

Contemporary Capstone Computer Courses: Lessons From The Service Sciences

Enrollment in computer programming courses has plummeted in the past decade.  Facing a similar situation in the 1960s, the mathematics community responded by inventing the “new math.”  Unfortunately the new math failed because it was too abstract for students to see connections with their lives, and because math teachers were not adequately prepared.  Many of today’s computing related degree programs are in danger of failing for similar reasons. This paper argues that, besides off-shoring; there may be other less obvious reasons for the drop in enrollment.  These reasons include curriculums that overemphasize functional programming, and under-emphasize ethics and practical service internships.  This paper further argues that modern curriculums for the fields of Computer Science, Information Systems, Information Technology, and Software Engineering could all be improved by viewing them as sub-specialties of the newly emerging discipline of Service Sciences.  The paper concludes by sketching a basic curriculum for a hypothetical new program we call the School of Artificial Systems and Service Sciences.  It is an extension of the philosophical approach used at Yale Medical School

What Determines Interest in an IS Career? An Application of the Theory of Reasoned Action

This study posits an IS specific career choice model that provides good predictive power and elucidates the nuances of factors underlying attraction to an IS career. IS is a relatively new career option, which many students may be unaware of or may misconstrue; this suggests the need for discipline-specific understanding. In this study, we used the Theory of Reasoned Action, which is a well-developed and widely applied theoretical model, but it has only recently begun to be applied to understanding occupational intentions. We argue that the TRA is an especially useful model for developing an IS-specific model of career attraction because, unlike other theories of career choice, it specifies the effect of social environment and allows for a more nuanced understanding of the factors underlying attraction to IS. Undergraduate students in an introductory IS course at a large public university were surveyed to test the study’s model, providing empirical validation of a career choice model comprising IS-career relevant beliefs and values. Overall, findings reveal that intentions significantly influence actual behavior—completion of an IS degree. IS career attitudes and social beliefs, in turn, collectively form intentions about pursuing IS careers. More specifically, attitudinal beliefs such as software/programming skill self-efficacy and technical, income, leadership, and job-variety-related work values have significant influence on favorable attitudes. The normative beliefs derived from one’s referent others, i.e., family members, friends, teachers, and significant others, significantly impact IS attitudes and intentions. The research contribution and practical implications of this work are discussed

Attitude towards One-to-One Technology among Student Academic Achievement in Ninth Grade STEM Classes

The use of technology is an essential element in the world in which we live. This study is important because schools around the world spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on one-to-one technology integration in the classroom. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine if a predictive relationship exists between the attitudinal level towards one-to-one technology and student academic achievement of ninth-grade students. A bivariate regression analysis was used to determine if there was a predictive relationship between student academic achievement as measure by EOC scores Algebra 1 and Biology 1 and the attitudinal test scores measured by the PATT-SQ. The attitudinal survey was distributed to 195 participants via Google Docs. The participants for this study were drawn from a convenience sample of one high school located in rural northwest South Carolina who were enrolled in either Algebra 1 or Biology 1, during the spring of the 2018-2019 school year. The regression analysis revealed that attitudinal scores did not predict student academic achievement in Algebra 1 nor Biology 1

Successful Steps in Higher Education to Stop Computer Science Students from Attrition

Currently, the dropout rate is crucial in the field of Computer Science (CS) higher education. In CS education it is usually the mathematically oriented subjects that are blamed for the high dropout rates. Implementing a theoretical framework into practice, we have been able to prevent 28% of our students from dropping out in the last 2 years due to our education reform. The aim of the present study is to analyse the results of the students through the curriculum of the CS program by factor analysis. Nearly 4000 first-year students’ results were analysed. One of the most important steps of the education reform was that all of the lectures became compulsory to attend. Another step was the introduction of a prevention and skills-training program for every first-year student in order to develop their study skills. Our findings highlighted that as a consequence of the education reform, more students stayed until the end of the first and second semesters and try taking exams in the exam period. Analysing the subjects as factors in the CS curriculum could (1) help faculty staff introduce an education reform, and (2) help decision-makers develop prevention and promotion programs in order to develop students’ study skills. The results reveal that we have managed to successfully engage first year students in the academic environments

A meta-analysis of global youth environmental knowledge, attitude and behavior studies

There is a considerable body of literature on research on environmental knowledge, attitude and action. A lot of research has occurred on the primary and secondary school populations and the general population. However, much less emphasis has been placed on studies that concern post-compulsory education students in the range from 16 to 18 years old. The purpose of this review was to give an overview of environmental knowledge, attitude and action research with a particular emphasis on youth. The findings of a majority of studies reported a positive attitude towards the environment and a variety of levels of environmental knowledge. Behavior was not extensively studied. A number of studies found that females had a more positive attitude towards the environment than males. The majority of studies indicate that the main sources of environmental information for youth are television, books, newspapers, schools and friends. The main environmental problems mentioned by students were air pollution, water pollution, the loss of biological diversity and “population increase in the big cities” and hazardous waste. Most studies used quantitative techniques to gather data. The most commonly used instrument was a questionnaire with multiple choice questions and a Likert type scale particularly to measure attitudes. Considering the mainly quantitative nature of these studies, more appropriate sampling strategies, contextualized research instruments and statistical analysis should have been carried out to ensure more robust statistical findings.peer-reviewe

Examining the relationship between the use of social media and ICT proficiency among secondary school teachers in Baghdad Karkh 2nd, Iraq

Social media is a growing phenomenon that is becoming more significant in academia and private lives. Looking at the conditions of school teachers in Iraq, being the users of social media, they are lack of ICT proficiency, which will lead to the creation of a new generation of ICT-ignorant students. In the research related to social media, social constructivism has been used frequently as a fundamental theory. Unfortunately, the relationship between the use of social media and ICT proficiency of the users had not been observed. Moreover, the previous research mostly focused on the higher education institutions and students as the object of the study. In recent reality, teachers are still having difficulties in using ICT tools, which means that there is a need to improve their ICT proficiency. To address these problems, this study seeks to examine the relationship between the use of social media and ICT proficiency among secondary school teachers in Iraq. To achieve research objectives, this study utilizes quantitative approach and a survey among Iraqi secondary school teachers. The findings demonstrate that using social media improved ICT proficiency among secondary school teachers in Iraq. The analysis and interpretation of this research can be applied to improve learning policies via the social media. This study concludes that the use of social media can enhance knowledge in working environments through interaction with peers, engagement and collaborative learning. This practice would have an impact in the improvement of the ICT proficiency among secondary school teachers in Iraq

Student Perceptions of ELMO Technology in a Physical Science Classroom

This qualitative study provides student perceptions of digital visual display camera (ELMO being the specific one) use in a secondary physical science classroom. The use of ELMO was alternated with the overhead projector, using ABAB and BABA designs in two classrooms. The study was based on semi-structured interviews of fifty-six individuals, representing a sample of suburban, high school students. Interview questions focused on three constructs: benefits, limitations, and suggestions for improvement. Analyzing the results ascertained that students found the ELMO to be interesting because it was engaging and new technology. Students also reported the ELMO to improve instruction through enhanced visuals and notes. Limitations and areas for improvement also were noted. These results can be used to inform educators on possible applications of the ELMO\u27s use

The Effect of E-Learning Sessions on the Development of Reading Comprehension: A Case of EFL Students’ Perceptions at Saudi Electronic University

This study investigated Saudi EFL university students’ perceptions toward the development of reading comprehension through e-learning sessions. A cross-sectional questionnaire was utilized and distributed to a sample of 140 participants at Saudi Electronic University. Descriptive statistics, independent sample paired t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that EFL university students had positive perceptions of the use of online sessions to practice the reading comprehension skill. The majority agreed that reading comprehension strategies such as skimming and scanning were more appropriate to online sessions. E-learning helped these students to be more motivated and created an atmosphere conducive to independent learning. The participants appreciated the role of online sessions in enhancing their reading comprehension skills and facilitating the level of difficulty of any reading passage. Significant differences were identified relating to the respondents’ gender and academic year. Female students were more satisfied with e-learning than male students. It is recommended that in light of the rapid growth of e-learning in Saudi Arabia, educational institutions should provide online learning programs and develop well-structured courses for e-learning implementation