Perceptions of Saudi male and female postgraduate students regarding the impact of social networking sites and apps on their academic life: A study of Umm Al-Qura university – makkah

This paper outlines a study exploring the perceptions of Saudi male and female postgraduate students regarding the impact of using Social Networking Sites and Apps (SNSAs) on their academic engagement and academic relationships. While research on SNSA use within the higher education environment does exist, mixed gender research has often presented challenges in Saudi Arabia, due to the educational segregation. A mixed methods approach was used to collect data through surveys, individual interviews and focus groups involving 313 male and 293 female postgraduate students at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) in Makkah. Findings illustrated that both males and females engaged with SNSAs at a moderate level of use for academic purposes, and they perceived more positive than negative impacts associated with the academic use of SNSAs. Correlational analysis demonstrated a large positive correlation between academic engagement and academic relationships. Gender differences were not extensive however, the quantitative analysis highlighted more prominent involvement with SNSAs by females which is interesting, in light of social restrictions experienced by females in Saudi society

Perceived Credibility of Social Networking Technologies in Ugandas Institutions of Higher Learning

Abstract- Perceived Credibility on the use of Social Networking Technologies SNTs in institutions of higher learning in Uganda The Study evaluates the influence of Perceived Ease of Use Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Credibility on the adoption of Social Networking Technologies Research Methodology The study opted for cross sectional survey methodology to gather data from 146 institutions of higher learning on the variables captured by the modified Perceived Ease of Use Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Credibility construct Findings Results of correlation and regression analysis indicated that in addition to Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness a positive and significant relationship exists between Perceived Credibility and SNTs adoption Research Limitations The Study was limited to senior managers further research is recommended to investigate the perceived credibility of SNTs by Students and Lecturers because they are the actual users of such technologies Practical Implications This study suggests that managers of institutions of higher learning believe that a positive change in understanding and evaluating the source credibility media credibility and content credibility of the teaching information exchanged on SNTs would increase reliance on the use of social networking technologies in education Originality This research provides an insight into the influence of perceived credibility on SNT adoption in the education context and besides this study is one of the first studies to align perceived credibility as a significant predictor of SNT adoption in institutions of higher learning in Ugand

The perceived impact of social networking sites and apps on the social capital of saudi postgraduate students : a case study

With the increased use of Social Networking Sites and Apps (SNSAs) in Saudi Arabia, it is important to consider the impact of this on the social lives of tertiary students, who are heavy users of such technology. A mixed methods study exploring the effect of SNSAs use on the social capital of Saudi postgraduate students was conducted using a multidimensional construct of social capital, which included the components of life satisfaction, social trust, civic participation, and political engagement. Data were collected through surveys and interviews involving 313 male and 293 female postgraduate students from Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) in Makkah. Findings show that male and female participants perceived SNSAs use impacting all components of social capital at a moderate and mainly positive level. Correlational analysis demonstrated medium to large positive correlations among components of social capital. Gender differences were not evident in the life satisfaction and social trust components; however, females reported more involvement with SNSAs for the purposes of political engagement while males reported more use for civic participa-tion, which is an interesting finding, in light of the norms and traditional culture of Saudi society. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Bridging technology and educational psychology: an exploration of individual differences in technology-assisted language learning within an Algerian EFL setting

The implementation of technology in language learning and teaching has a great influence onthe teaching and learning process as a whole and its impact on the learners’ psychological state seems of paramount significance, since it could be either an aid or a barrier to students’ academic performance. This thesis therefore explores individual learner differences in technology-assisted language learning (TALL) and when using educational technologies in higher education within an Algerian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting. Although I initially intended to investigate the relationship between TALL and certain affective variables mainly motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, and learning styles inside the classroom, the collection and analysis of data shifted my focus to a holistic view of individual learner differences in TALL environments and when using educational technologies within and beyond the classroom. In an attempt to bridge technology and educational psychology, this ethnographic case study considers the nature of the impact of technology integration in language teaching and learning on the psychology of individual language learners inside and outside the classroom. The study considers the reality constructed by participants and reveals multiple and distinctive views about the relationship between the use of educational technologies in higher education and individual learner differences. It took place in a university in the north-west of Algeria and involved 27 main and secondary student and teacher participants. It consisted of focus-group discussions, follow-up discussions, teachers’ interviews, learners’ diaries, observation, and field notes. It was initially conducted within the classroom but gradually expanded to other settings outside the classroom depending on the availability of participants, their actions, and activities. The study indicates that the impact of technology integration in EFL learning on individual learner differences is both complex and dynamic. It is complex in the sense that it is shown in multiple aspects and reflected on the students and their differences. In addition to various positive and different negative influences of different technology uses and the different psychological reactions among students to the same technology scenario, the study reveals the unrecognised different manifestations of similar psychological traits in the same ELT technology scenario. It is also dynamic since it is characterised by constant change according to contextual approaches to and practical realities of technology integration in language teaching and learning in the setting, including discrepancies between students’ attitudes and teacher’ actions, mismatches between technological experiences inside and outside the classroom, local concerns and generalised beliefs about TALL in the context, and the rapid and unplanned shift to online educational delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic situation. The study may therefore be of interest, not only to Algerian teachers and students, but also to academics and institutions in other contexts through considering the complex and dynamic impact of TALL and technology integration at higher education on individual differences, and to academics in similar low-resource contexts by undertaking a context approach to technology integration

Barriers of Distance Education at Iraqi Universities: Analysis Study

هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى تحليل معوقات التعليم عن بعد داخل الجامعات العراقية. لهذا الغرض، شارك في هذه الدراسة 150 مدرسًا وطالبًا جامعيًا عراقيًا. كانت الجامعات من جميع أنحاء العراق. كان المشاركون من الذكور والإناث. تراوحت أعمار الطلاب ما بين 22 إلى 31 عامًا، وتراوحت أعمار المعلمين بين 35 و45 عامًا. وكان لديهم جميعًا نفس اللغة الأم، وهي العربية، وقد اختبروا جميعًا التعليم عن بعد خلال جائحة كورونا. تم جمع البيانات من خلال استبيان الكتروني. تم تصنيف معوقات التعلم عن بعد على أنها معوقات شخصية ومعوقات فنية ومعوقات تربوية ومعوقات تنظيمية ومعوقات مالية. بعد إدارة الاستبيان، تم تدوين الإجابات من خلال القيم العددية ثم تم تحليلها باستخدام الإحصاء الوصفي في الإصدار 24 من SPSS. أشارت النتائج إلى أن متوسط ​​جميع الردود من كلا الجانبين كان أكثر من ثلاثة، مما يشير إلى أن كل من المعلمين والطلاب واجهوا معوقات التعليم عن بعد في الجامعات العراقية. تمت مناقشة النتائج فيما يتعلق بكل معوق.The current study aimed at investigating distance education barriers within Iraqi universities. The design of the study was quantitative in nature and for this purpose, 150 Iraqi university teachers and students participated in this study. The universities were from all around Iraq. The participants were both male and female. The students’ age ranged between 22 to 31, and the teachers’ age ranged between 35 to 45. They all had the same mother tongue which is Arabic, and all of them had experienced distance education during Covid 19. Data were gathered through an online questionnaire. After the administration of the questionnaire, the responses were codified by numerical values and then were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS version 24. Results suggested that the mean of all responses from both sides were over three, which indicated that, both teachers and students experienced certain barriers in distance learning education in Iraqi universities. The findings are discussed with regard to each barrier. The distance learning barriers were categorized as personal barriers, technical barriers, pedagogical barriers, organizational barriers and financial barriers

English and the Languages of Algeria: Suggestions towards a New Language Policy

Algeria has always been a multilingual country, due to its rich history of being colonized for centuries by different colonizers from the Romans to the Phoenicians to the French and many others. However, the French were the predominating colonizer in Algeria, since they adopted a nationalizing process to impose their language on the people. That has greatly influenced the spoken language in the country, and French was established for a long time as an official language in Algeria. The linguistic situation in Algeria has become quite complex, due to the mentioned reasons. As a result, many languages are spoken and coexist in the country. Standard Arabic, Algerian Arabic or as it is called “Darja”, Berber which is the language of the indigenous people of Algeria. It is also called Tamazight and is still spoken in many areas in the country. French, which coexists with all the spoken Algerian dialects, is heavily present in the Algerian territory and plays a significant role in the political, social, and educational sectors. The global spread of English around the world also reached Algeria, and an increasing interest in the language has been noticed during the recent years in the country. In this respect, the present study pursues the goal of defining the status of English while examining the linguistic situation of the country. Hence, the aim of the present research is to explore the sociolinguistic profile of Algeria and highlight the role of each of the existent languages in the main domains in the country. What is more, the study investigates the emergence of English as a competing language and explores the potential consequences it can have on the other languages and on the Algerians in general. The present research consists of seven chapters. The data were collected online using main Social Media platforms, in addition to a collection of photographs of the linguistic landscape of the country. (shops, street names, buildings ….). Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were selected to conduct the research, with a total of 494 survey respondents and 10 interviewees, and more than 100 photographs. The tools for research were a questionnaire of 27 questions and a concise questionnaire for the semi-structured interview. Photographs highlighting the visibility of English in shops and in the streets of Algeria were gathered to add information on the presence of the language in the country. The results of the study indicate the intensity of the linguistic situation in Algeria and the continuous conflicts between the different language groups. The research explores the consequences of this conflicted situation and the effects of the misused language policies on the Algerian individual and on society. Further analysis reveals the increasing rate of the use of English, the results exhibit a noticeable development and a growing interest in the language especially among the younger generation. The qualitative data acquired from the photographs and the interviews extended this view and provided a more insightful view on the role of the languages on the Algerians and the society and the meaning of the potential spread of the English language in Algeria. In conclusion, the research makes a few recommendations to policymakers and educationalists on how to moderate the linguistic atmosphere in Algeria by applying the needed reforms in key domains like education, and highlight the important role of well-planned language policies in improving the educational system and contributing to the development of the country

Youth Leadership in the Public Service Sector in Africa: Opportunities for Engagement?

The popular belief that the youth have not contributed much to national development in pre- and post-colonial Africa is grossly erroneous. As study has revealed that low level of active youth leadership on the continent is not due to lack of interest and effort on their part, but more because of the hostile political, economic and social environment, rigid structural barriers to youth mobility in politics and the economy in many West African countries. 'Harmful' cultural practices that require young people to defer to older ones make it hard for the youth to 'liberate' themselves (Sesay, 2014). Young people have also not been able to successfully organise themselves into workable pressure groups to effect positive political and economic change in their favour (Sesay, 2014).There is a direct link between the plight of Africa's youth and the prevailing governance systems on the continent. It is essential to convince the old political class that youth empowerment and inclusion in governance processes is a sine qua non for overall national development, peace, and security. The demographic picture of youth makes it patently evident that engaging youth fully in development is not a matter of choice, but rather an imperative for national development. In not-so straightforward circumstances of political leadership as has been observed in Africa, only some form of affirmative action can take us anywhere close to achieving democratic equity for the youth in matters of political leadership on the continent. Given the way power is exercised, the power to change these cultural contexts considerably rely on head of states who in a snap of their fingers could change the deal if they had the will; and the king-makers and advisers of both the former and the latter, who often are more influential than the head of states themselves.Equally, as today's old generation was yesterday's youth, it is imperative for young people to not become different as they grow older. Especially, as they experience the realities of power, they are encouraged not to become corrupt themselves and maintain integrity in order not to perpetuate the cycle. The youth must always remember Annan's saying: "you are never too young to lead, and you should never doubt your capacity to triumph where others have not.

If I Ruled the World: Putting Hip Hop on the Atlas

“If I Ruled the World: Putting Hip Hop on the Atlas” contends for a third wave of Global Hip Hop Studies that builds on the work of the first two waves, identifies Hip Hop as an African diasporic phenomenon, and aligns with Hip Hop where there are no boundaries between Hip Hop inside and outside of the United States. Joanna Daguirane Da Sylva adds to the cipha with her examination of Didier Awadi. Da Sylva\u27s excellent work reveals the ways in which Hip Hoppa Didier Awadi elevates Pan-Africanism and uses Hip Hop as a tool to decolonize the minds of African peoples. The interview by Tasha Iglesias and myself of members of Generation Hip Hop and the Universal Hip Hop Museum provides a primary source and highlights two Hip Hop organizations with chapters around the world. Mich Yonah Nyawalo’s Negotiating French Muslim Identities through Hip Hop details Hip Hop artists Médine and Diam’s, who are both French and Muslim, and whose self-identification can be understood as political strategies in response to the French Republic’s marginalization of Muslims. In “Configurations of Space and Identity in Hip Hop: Performing ’Global South’,” Igor Johannsen adds to this special issue an examination of the spatiality of the Global South and how Hip Hoppas in the Global South oppose global hegemony. The final essay, “‘I Got the Mics On, My People Speak’: On the Rise of Aboriginal Australian Hip Hop,” by Benjamin Kelly and Rhyan Clapham, provides a thorough analysis of Aboriginal Hip Hop and situates it within postcolonialism. Overall, the collection of these essays points to the multiple identities, political economies, cultures, and scholarly fields and disciplines that Hip Hop interacts with around the world

A Case Study: The Attitudes of a Teaching Assistant of French Toward Instructional Technology

Technology has shaped the personal experiences of Teaching Assistants (TAs) of French at the collegiate level in the United States (US), what they feel about the technology tools that are accessible in their work environment, and how they use these tools in their practice of teaching. Yet, there is limited research on the specific topic of the attitudes of TAs of French toward the instructional technologies that are available to them. This study sought to investigate the attitudes of a singular TA of French at a southern US university toward instructional technology (IT) by exploring the dynamics of IT use in the French courses that she taught during two consecutive semesters. Using an intrinsic case study design, the researcher considered how a TAs’ attitude toward IT affects the teaching and learning of the French language in college classrooms. Data was collected from interviews, direct observations, and documentation. A theoretical framework integrating Davis’ (1986) Technology acceptance model (TAM) explains the key factors, concepts, and variables that were studied and the presumed relationships among them. The three overarching themes that emerged from this investigation were (a) pedagogical goals, access, and digital readiness influenced the participant’s decision about how and when IT would be used, (b) the participant felt an intellectual and emotional attitude focused on student learning and making the TA’s job easier, and (c) Actual System Use was frequent and targeted toward pedagogical objectives in the French courses. Knowing the attitudes of a TA of French toward IT and exploring her use of IT helped determine the opinions and skills that shape TAs’ professional careers because the TAs of French of today represent the French language faculty members of tomorrow (Paradise & Bergstrom, 2005)