Courseware in academic library user education: a literature review from the GAELS Joint Electronic Library project

The use of courseware for information skills teaching in academic libraries has been growing for a number of years. The GAELS project was required to create a set of learning materials to support Joint Electronic Library activity at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities and conducted a literature review of the subject. This review discovered a range of factors common to successful library courseware implementations, such as the need for practitioners to feel a sense of ownership of the medium, a need for courseware customization to local information environments, and an emphasis on training packages for large bodies of undergraduates. However, we also noted underdeveloped aspects worthy of further attention, such as treatment of pedagogic issues in library CAL implementations and use of hypertextual learning materials for more advanced information skills training. We suggest ways of improving library teaching practice and further areas of research

Courseware in academic library user education: A literature review from the GAELS Joint Electronic Library Project

The use of courseware for information skills teaching in academic libraries has been growing for a number of years. In order to create effective courseware packages to support joint electronic library activity at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities, the GAELS project conducted a literature review of the subject. This review discovered a range of factors common to successful library courseware implementations, such as the need for practitioners to feel a sense of ownership of the medium, a need for courseware customization to local information environments, and an emphasis on training packages for large bodies of undergraduates. However, we also noted underdeveloped aspects worthy of further attention, such as treatment of pedagogic issues in library computer‐aided learning (CAL) implementations and use of hypertextual learning materials for more advanced information skills training. We describe how these findings shaped the packages produced by the project and suggest ways forward for similar types of implementation

Courseware in academic library user education: a literature review from the GAELS Joint Electronic Library project

The use of courseware for information skills teaching in academic libraries has been growing for a number of years. The GAELS project was required to create a set of learning materials to support Joint Electronic Library activity at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities and conducted a literature review of the subject. This review discovered a range of factors common to successful library courseware implementations, such as the need for practitioners to feel a sense of ownership of the medium, a need for courseware customization to local information environments, and an emphasis on training packages for large bodies of undergraduates. However, we also noted underdeveloped aspects worthy of further attention, such as treatment of pedagogic issues in library CAL implementations and use of hypertextual learning materials for more advanced information skills training. We suggest ways of improving library teaching practice and further areas of research

The effects of interactivity and involvement on users\u27 attitude toward and perception of brands and purchase intent on Facebook

Communications practitioners have long studied factors related to consumers’ impressions of brands as well as their intent to purchase from brands. While early research has focused on traditional advertising methods, newer research is geared towards understanding how interactive features are changing this relationship. The rise of newer computer-mediated communication (CMC) technologies, specifically social media, has lead to many changes in the way organizations market their brands as they allow for unique, interactive communication between an organization and its publics. While the notion of interactivity, a core feature of CMC, has no one definition, researchers continue to examine its effects within the digital sphere. This exploratory study investigated the effects of level of interactivity on the social networking site, Facebook, as well as level of product involvement on users’ attitudes towards the brand and perceptions of the brand as well as their intent to purchase from the brand. The study utilized a 2x2 (high interactivity, low interactivity X high involvement, low involvement) factorial design with level of interactivity and level of involvement as independent variables and attitudes toward the brand, perceptions of reputation and purchase intent as dependent variables. To explore these relationships, this study utilized a controlled online experiment with 96 adults. Participants were exposed to one of four possible conditions, and the data were analyzed using a factorial analysis of variance in SPSS. While this study did not find any significant effects for interactivity or product involvement on users’ impressions or intent to purchase from the brand, it did find that interactivity, attitudes toward the brand, perceptions of the brand and purchase intent were all highly, positively correlated with one another. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed

Using WebCT as a course supplement to facilitate a learner-centered environment : a case study of a communication technology course

Although online technologies are often seen as channels through which entire courses could be delivered, in fact online technologies are more commonly used as supplements to the classroom. This study examined this supplementary use of one online technology-WebCT, in a manner consistent with the learner-centered principles. Pre- and post-surveys were administered to students in a communication technology class in fall, 2001, to measure comfort with online technologies, attitudes toward traditional and online learning and motivation. In addition, the relationship between the course instructor and instructional designer was examined. Using the discussion tool, students took ownership of their learning, selecting topics for study and team presentations. The post-class survey indicated that students felt very positive about this learner-centered approach. Survey results showed that most students in the class were already comfortable with use of computers for learning. However, many had not used the communication tools such as chat and discussion in a classroom environment. Student enjoyment with using online technologies increased significantly after using these technologies. Results also indicate that students in general like both online and traditional classroom learning approaches, rather than having a strong preference for one or the other. Interviews with the instructor and instructional designer indicate that to be effective, early course assignments should require use of online tools rather than assuming that students will use them automatically. In addition, the instructor should clearly indicate how both face-to-face and online supplements should be used and how they fit into the overall course plan

An examination of computer-mediated communication's scholarly communication.

This dissertation asks "what is meant by computer-mediated communication?" CMC was defined as it exists in the scholarly communication concerning business, education, psychology, sociology, and social sciences. This exploratory longitudinal analysis: examined the dynamic of computer-mediated communication in general, identified where academic scrutiny was being focused, and gives a general sense of the kinds of issues that were dominant during the time of examination.There were disparate foci between disciplines of differing perspectives. Multi-disciplinary with some interdisciplinary linkages would be a good description of CMC. Where there was interdisciplinary overlap, the communication discipline appears to be the boundary spanner in the majority of cases. This role did not extend to the business index analyzed.What was found was an area of scholarly communication, heavily popularized in education-related journals. Psychology and other social science affiliated disciplines contributed in a less prolific fashion.Specifically, this study employed bibliometric analytical techniques to establish CMC's artifacts, producers, and concepts within that domain. These were defined as journals, authors of those journals, and conceptual keywords. Artifacts and producers were identified based on their prevalence in the field and academic orientation. A more fine-grained analysis was applied to concepts. They were examined in terms of their prevalence, academic orientation and also their relationship to each other.This study was significant for three reasons. First, it documented CMC's historical emergence. Second, it identified descriptive boundaries concerning CMC's authors, journals, and areas of inquiry that were prevalent. Third, it examines the communication discipline's role in the literature as defined. Additionally, it provides guidance concerning CMC's future research.The distribution of first authors was overwhelming populated by one-time authorship. This significantly differed from theoretically defined literatures associated with a field of study. Moreover, CMC's articles tended to be localized in a relatively few journals. Clusters of conceptual topics tended to be database affiliated. Those with the most wide ranging support among all databases tended to come from topics traditionally associated with the communication discipline. Also "telecommunications", "information network" and "Internet" affiliated topics were widely indicated from a number of the databases

Uses and gratifications of online advertising

This study attempted to clarify the motives, attitudes, and obtained gratifications from commercial websites as the most important format of online advertising, and to examine the relationships among these elements. The present research has demonstrated that the intersection of uses and gratifications theory and online marketing can lead to a deeper understanding of the marketing constraints and utilities offered by interactive computer-mediated communication technology. An online survey was conducted with Egyptian and German users who visited commercial websites. A total of 648 people responded to the survey, 352 of them to the German version and 296 to the Arabic version of survey that questioned the reasons they use commercial websites as well as what gratifications they obtain from this experience. With more and more businesses worldwide establishing web presences, it is also important to understand how an organization’s commercial website may affect a customer’s perception of the organization. However, customers from different cultures would most likely perceive different website characteristics as providing a value-added experience. Therefore, it is important to understand how commercial websites vary in their approach not only across businesses but across cultures, so content analysis of the sites, which were visited by sample, was employed to better understand the nature of the content being consumed. A total of 252 visited commercial websites by the sample of German and Egyptian users were content analyzed. Four websites had to be removed from the study due to technical errors involved in coding the sites. Coders looked at quantity and type of ads displayed; format and features of the ads, as well as the characteristics of the commercial websites as a whole. The results of survey study indicated that respondents generally were positive about their experience of using commercial websites, German respondents were slightly more positive about using shopping utility of commercial websites than Egyptian counterparts. This study also presented a theoretical model describing the relationships between the uses and gratifications elements (motives, attitudes, usages, and gratifications) in the context of online advertising particularly commercial websites. All the hypotheses of this study have been fully supported except hypothesis 1; since it was partially supported. Both of age and educational level of respondents have a significant effect on their overall motives for using commercial websites, overall motives of using commercial websites have a significant effect on the average time spent on these websites, motives of using commercial websites and gratifications obtained from using these websites were both positively and significantly related to positive attitudes toward using these sites, there is a strong relationship between overall motives for using commercial websites and overall obtained gratifications from using these sites, positive attitudes have a significant effect on the average time spent on these websites, the consumers’ time spent on commercial websites had a strong effect on consumers' gratifications obtained from these websites, and vice versa, consumers' gratifications obtained from these websites had a strong effect on consumers’ time spent on these sites, and finally there is a significant difference between Egyptian and German consumer’s attitudes toward using commercial websites. Findings of content analysis study found that the websites that were visited by German users used the basic and contact information more than did the sites that were visited by Egyptian users. The study found that the websites that were v

Online education on campus: A technological frames perspective on the process of technology appropriation.

The advent of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and the Internet has created significant opportunity for online education. Research on this topic has addressed its effectiveness, but as yet little attention has been given to the technology appropriation process in this context. This thesis adopts a social constructivist perspective. To enhance the understanding of online education, the study argues for abandoning the notion of technology as a passive tool and, instead, for considering the contextual issues which surround it. In order to understand how learning and technology appropriation takes place, the organisational and cultural setting needs to be considered. From this underlying conceptual position, the thesis constructs a theoretical framework using theories of collaborative and situated learning in combination with technological frames analysis. Applying this framework, an empirical study is performed on the implementation of an online education system at a traditional U.K. university. Research findings suggest that student perception and interpretation of technology and of online education are strongly influenced by their understanding of the institution, and these perceptions alter students' subsequent behaviour towards technology during the learning process. Furthermore, the study reveals that student appropriation of technology changes in accordance with the surrounding context and their realisation of the educational value which emerges from their interaction with the system over time. The theoretical contribution arises from applying to the study of online education the social constructivist approach to information systems. The methodological contribution lies in demonstrating the value of the interpretive approach for understanding online education on campus. Empirically, the thesis has significant value for educationalists by highlighting the contextual issues that affect student appropriation of technology and the consequent learning outcomes