Motivations for Using CMC and Non-CMC Media in Learning Contexts: A Uses and Gratifications Approach

As the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) by students in the university learning contexts increases, there is a need to better understand students’ motivations for using CMC and non-CMC media in their learning. By employing the uses and gratifications (U&G) perspective, this paper identified 7 motivation dimensions including information seeking, convenience, connectivity, problem solving, content management, social presence, and social context cues. Furthermore, this study found that overall CMC media were not functional alternatives to non- CMC media. However, this study revealed some specific similarities and differences between CMC and non-CMC media in terms of each specific motivation dimension. Finally, the paper concluded with a discussion of the implications for both IS researchers, higher education and organizations

Myspace Or Ourspace: A Media System Dependency View Of Myspace

MySpace is a type of social networking website where people meet, socialize, and create friendships. The way MySpace members, particularly younger individuals, interact online underscores the changing nature of mass media. Media system dependency states that individuals become reliant on media in their daily life because of fundamental human goals. This reliance, termed a dependency, leads to repeated use. Media system dependency was applied in the current study to explain how and why individuals became habitual MySpace users. To attain results a survey was administered to a convenience sampling of 401 adult undergraduates at the University of Central Florida. Members reported MySpace dependency had a moderate correlation to MySpace use, and they actively used the website an average of 1.3 hours of use per day. Results indicated members use MySpace to primarily satisfy play and interaction orientation dependencies. MySpace use was found to have a correlation with number of MySpace friends. Number of friends created in turn had a correlation with MySpace dependency, as people returned to interact with their friends. Individual factors were also found to be a source of influence in MySpace dependency. These individual factors were demographics, psychological factors related to use of the Internet, and psychological factors related to use of MySpace. Factors related to MySpace, extroversion and self-disclosure, were positively correlated with intensity of dependency. The influence of factors related to the Internet was partly supported; computer self-efficacy was not significantly related to MySpace dependency, while computer anxiety was significantly related to MySpace dependency. Speed of connection to the Internet and available time to use the Internet were not related to MySpace dependency. Additionally, significant differences were found between genders in overall dependency, extroversion, self-disclosure, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy. These findings provide evidence that MySpace members were little, if at all, constrained by factors related to use of the Internet, but were attracted to the websites for similar reasons as real-life relationships. Finally, MySpace is just one of the large number of online resources that are predominantly social, such as email, message boards, and online chat. This study found that through a technology cluster MySpace members use these other social innovations more frequently than non-members. However, members also used significantly more non-social innovations, which may indicate that MySpace members are part of a larger technology cluster than anticipated or perhaps are in the same category of innovation adopter

The effects of gratifications on intention to read citizen journalism news: The mediating effect of attitude

10.1016/j.chb.2014.03.054Computers in Human Behavior36129-13

Towards a Video Consumer Leaning Spectrum: A Medium-Centric Approach

Purpose: As TV and digital video converge, there is a need to compare advertising effectiveness, advertising receptivity, and video consumption drivers in this new context. Considering the emerging viewing practices and underlying theories, this study examines the feasibility of the traditional notion of differentiating between lean-back (LB) and lean-forward (LF) media, and proposes a revised approach of addressing video consumption processes and associated advertising effectiveness implications. Methodology: An extensive, systematic literature review examines a total of 715 sources regarding current lean-back/lean-forward media research and alternative approaches as by (1) basic terminologies, (2) limitations of lean-back/lean-forward situations, (3) advertising effectiveness implications, (4) video-specific approaches. Findings/Contribution: Key differences between lean-back and lean-forward video consumption are presented. A conceptual integration of video ad receptivity/effectiveness drivers is proposed to guide future media and marketing research and practice. Video consumption today is no longer lean-back or lean-forward, but a “leaning spectrum” with two dimensions: leaning direction and leaning degree. Designing video content today requires focusing on consumption drivers and platform synergies for owning the “leaning spectrum”

Students' uses and gratifications for using computer-mediated communication media in learning contexts

Despite a growing stream of research into the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) media in higher education, there remains limited understanding about the students‘ motivations for using CMC alongside non-CMC media within a learning context. This article identifies seven dimensions of motivation from the perspective of uses and gratifications (U&G), including information seeking, convenience, connectivity, problem solving, content management, social presence, and social context cues. It was found that each CMC satisfied different motivations for its use, and that overall CMC best fulfilled information seeking, convenience, connectivity, and content management motivations. This study also identifies a number of similarities and differences between CMC and non- CMC media in terms of the motivations for their use. Finally, the study concludes with a discussion of the implications for Information Systems (IS) researchers, higher education, and organizations

Videoblogging as an online news phenomenon : an exploratory study

This study explores the emergence of videoblogging as an online news phenomenon and investigates how this new technology is being adopted as a innovative mode of news diffusion. Rogers\u27 diffusion of innovations theoretical framework is being used to analyze the characteristics of this innovation and that of its adopters with particular reference to online news diffusion. Findings indicate that the early adopters tend to be predominantly young male adults located in the higher income regions of the world. Video content posted is predominantly related to arts and entertainment with a substantial minority related to current affairs and politics. While the majority of videos posted are produced by videobloggers themselves, a substantial minority of videos consist of images shot from television screens, extracted from other digital sources, or downloaded from other websites. Based on these findings, the impact of videoblogging in the online media environment is also discussed

In search of local news

A 60-item mail survey of registered voters in two Rochester, N.Y.-area communities (n=185) assessed differences between information- and entertainment-seeking tendencies of those who use online and/or print media for local news. The research concluded that respondents with high information-seeking scores are not only using print media but also online media. In addition, online-only users showed a significant tendency for entertainment-seeking but not information-seeking. The study occurred amid the print newspapers\u27 fight to survive by launching or upgrading online counterparts. This research also discusses the implications of the findings for public discourse, a role traditionally played by local print newspapers