Promoting communication skills for information systems students in Australian and Portuguese higher education : action research study

This paper aims to examine the value of communication skills learn- ing process through various assessments in Information Systems (IS) postgrad- uate units in Australia and Portugal. Currently, communication skills are indispensable to students in expanding their social networks and their knowl- edge at university and in the future workplace, since businesses expect their employees to have strong communication and presentation skills. This paper provides empirical evidence based on the anonymous quantitative and qualita- tive data collected during 2 years from 126 postgraduate students, which were collected via formal and informal feedback. Various assessment methods were used in Information Systems units to promote and develop the communication skills; these assessments are: reflective journal, business plan and prototype, discussion forum, presentation, and final examination. A Communication skills model (CSM) was developed based on Action research principles to promote the assessments which will assist IS students to enhance their communication skills. The research outcomes indicated that integrating communication skills in the assessments will allow students to promote their communication skills and boost their self-esteem skills. Furthermore, this paper added a new theoretical and practical contribution to higher-education teaching and learning literature, especially the action research for teachers to promote and develop communica- tion skills among students. Finally, integrating these skills in the units should meet the objectives and aims of the units, Master’s degrees, universities, and businesses’ needs, and satisfy our student’s need

A Proposed Model

Rocha-Penedo, R., Cruz-Jesus, F., & Oliveira, T. (2021). Opposite Outcomes of Social Media Use: A Proposed Model. In S. K. Sharma, Y. K. Dwivedi, B. Metri, & N. P. Rana (Eds.), Re-imagining Diffusion and Adoption of Information Technology and Systems: A Continuing Conversation - IFIP WG 8.6 International Conference on Transfer and Diffusion of IT, TDIT 2020, Proceedings (pp. 524-537). (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology; Vol. 618). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64861-9_46Social media are probably one of the most influential and disruptive technology of the present times. It is ubiquitous and has the capability to influence virtually every aspect of one’s life while, at the same time, also influence the way firms and public organizations operate and communicate with individuals. Although there is a plethora of studies in the IS literature focused on SM adoption and outcomes, studies hypothesizing positive and negative outcomes together are scarce. We propose a comprehensive research model to shed light on SM positive and negative outcomes, and how these affect one’s happiness. We also explore how personality traits can influence these relationships.authorsversionpublishe

Distinct skill pathways to digital engagement

Digital literacy and inclusion have been two important, largely separate, areas of study that examine the relationships between Internet skills and engagement. This article brings together these areas of research by testing a model that assumes specific pathways to inclusion: specific sociodemographic factors predict specific digital skills and specific digital skills predict related types of engagement with the Internet. Analyses of nationally representative survey data of Internet use in Britain highlight considerable measurement and conceptual challenges that complicate digital literacy research. The findings suggest that linking literacy and exclusion frameworks allows for a more nuanced understanding of digital engagement. Different groups lacked different skills, which related to how their engagement with the Internet varied

Development and validation of the Internet Skills Scale (ISS)

Although a number of instruments have been used to measure Internet skills in nationally representative surveys, there are several challenges with the measures available: incompleteness and over-simplification, conceptual ambiguity, and the use of self-reports. Here, we aim to overcome these challenges by developing a set of reliable measures for use in research, practice, and policy evaluations based on a strong conceptual framework. To achieve this goal, we carried out a literature review of skills-related studies to develop the initial Internet skills framework and associated instrument. After the development of this instrument, we used a three-fold approach to test the validity and reliability of the latent skill constructs and the corresponding items. The first step consisted of cognitive interviews held in both the UK and the Netherlands. Based on the cognitive interview results, we made several amendments to the proposed skill items to improve clarity. The second step consisted of a pilot survey of digital skills, both in the UK and in the Netherlands. During the final step, we examined the consistency of the five Internet skill scales and their characteristics when measured in a representative sample survey of Dutch Internet users. The result is a theoretical, empirically and cross-nationally consistent instrument consisting of five types of Internet skills: operational, navigation information, social, creative, and mobile

A quantitative examination of explanations for reasons for internet nonuse

This article investigates patterns of reasons for digital disengagement of British adults. It adds a psychological dimension to research that is mostly sociological in nature in trying to separate out explanations for disengaging from the Internet by choice or by forced exclusion. The analysis of a nationally representative survey shows differences between the number of reasons and the most important reasons among different sociodemographic groups, but also among individuals with different psychological profiles. The findings suggest that ex-and nonusers do not have one simple reason for nonuse, but a multifaceted range of reasons, which often represent disadvantages at several levels. The range of often mentioned reasons, moreover, shows that motivations for disengagement cannot be measured by means of the most important reason, but that all reasons have to be taken into account and looked at concertedly