scholarly journals Varying Student Behaviours Observed in the Library Prompt the Need for Further Research

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Melssen
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Single Observation ◽  
Student Activities ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Study Behaviour

Objective – To determine if the behaviours of students studying in the library are primarily study or non-study related, the extent to which these behaviours occur simultaneously, what types of study and non-study behaviours are most common, and if the time of day or use of social media have an effect on those behaviours. Design – Observational study. Setting – Two university libraries in New York. Subjects – A total of 730 university students. Methods – Two librarians at 2 separate university libraries observed and recorded the behaviours of 730 students. Observations were conducted over the course of several weeks during the Fall of 2011 in the designated study or quiet areas, reference room, and at computer terminals of the libraries. Observations were made by walking past the students or by observing them from a corner of the room for between 3 to 10 seconds per student. Student activities were recorded using a coding chart. The librarians also collected data on the perceived age, gender, and ethnicity of the students and whether the students were using a computer at the time of observation. If students displayed more than one behaviour during a single observation, such as talking on the phone while searching the library’s online catalogue, the first behaviour observed or the behaviour that was perceived by the observer to be the dominant behaviour was coded behaviour 1.The second behaviour was coded behaviour 2. Main Results – The behaviours of 730 students were observed and recorded. Two librarians at separate universities were responsible for data collection. Kappa statistical analysis was performed and inter-rater reliability was determined to be in agreement. Data was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS software. Over 90% of students observed were perceived to be under 25 years of age and 56% were women. The majority were perceived to be white (62%). Of the 730 observations, 59% (430) were study related and 37% (300) were non-study related. The most common study related behaviours included reading school-related print materials (18.8%) and typing/working on a document (12.3%). The most common non-study related behaviours included Facebook/social media (11.4%) and website/games (9.3%). The least common study related behaviour was using the school website (1.2%) and the least common non-study related behaviour was “other on the phone” (0.1%). Second behaviours were observed in 95 of the 730 students observed. Listening to music was the most common second behaviour (35.8%) and educational website was the least common (1.1%). Most study observations were made on Mondays and most non-study observations were made on Thursdays and Fridays. Throughout the entire day, study related behaviours were observed between 62-67% of the time regardless of the time of day. Students working on computers were more likely to be observed in engaging in non-study related behaviour (73%) than those not working on a computer (44%). Conclusion – Students display a variety of study and non-study behaviours throughout the day with the majority of the behaviours being study related. Students also blend study and non-study activities together, as evident in their switching between study and non-study related behaviours in a single observation and their ability to multitask. Data gathered from this study provides evidence that students view the library as not only a place for study but also a place for socialization. Several limitations of this study are acknowledged by the authors. First, behaviours that appear to be non-study related, such as watching videos on YouTube, could be study related. Many faculty members utilize social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to support their course content. A student observed watching YouTube videos could be watching a professor’s lecture, not a video for entertainment purposes only. This lack of knowing definitively why students are utilizing social media while in the library may have led the authors to mistake non-study behaviour for study behaviour. An additional limitation is the short duration of time spent observing the students as well as the proximity of the observer to the student. Observations lasting longer than 3 to 10 seconds and made at a closer range to the students could provide more accurate data regarding what type of behaviours students engage in and for how much time. In addition to the before mentioned limitations, the authors acknowledge that they had no way of knowing if the individuals being observed were actual students: the assumed students could have been faculty, staff, or visitors to the university. Due to the study’s limitations, further research is needed to determine in greater detail what students are doing while they are studying in the library. This data would allow librarians to justify the need to provide both study and non-study space to meet the diverse needs of students. Conducting a cohort study would allow researchers to observe student behaviour longitudinally. It would minimize the limitations of short-term student observation as well as the proximity of the observer to the student. Research on the use of mobile technologies by students, such as smart phones, to access study related material while they are in the library would also yield valuable data regarding student study behaviours.

Learner Autonomy Powered by Moodle: Do Language Students Really Want It?

10.47908/9/14 ◽  
2013 ◽  
pp. 251-264
Author(s):  
Maria Pree
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Student Activities ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Advanced Students ◽  
Language Students ◽  
Traditional Classroom Teaching ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The One

The study described in this article focuses on two major subject areas. On the one hand, different age groups of university language students at B2, B2+ and C1 level were asked to evaluate the opportunities of Moodle when studying English as an applied business language; on the other hand, the students’ disposition to use Moodle as a technological tool to foster learner autonomy was investigated. As Moodle provides social media features such as blogs, chats and quizzes, it seems to perfectly supplement traditional classroom teaching with student activities which can be performed without the supervision of the language instructor. One question of the survey among 138 applied business language students at the JKU (Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria) therefore attempted to establish how much the increasing use of social media has impacted on students’ needs for teacher-independent online learning. The results show a clear preference for ‘conservative’ language acquisition methods. Only 25% of the less advanced students (and even fewer of the more advanced ones) are interested in using social media features to direct their own learning progress and/or to create their own course content. The teacher still is - in the eyes of these students - very clearly the only person to provide content. This article will discuss the survey in detail and offer possible explanations for its results.

scholarly journals Perceptions And Uses Of Social Media Networking Systems By South African Students

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes A. Wiid ◽  
Michael C. Cant ◽  
Corinne E. Nell
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
South African ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
African Students ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Acceptance Model ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

The purpose of this study was to determine South African students perceptions and uses of social media networking systems. The study further determined whether students are making use of social media networking systems, the purpose of making use of social media networking systems, and whether the students believe that it can be an effective and easy tool to use in order to study the course content. The reason for this study was the fact that students now a days are more familiar with social media networking systems, as more technology mediums are available today to communicate on a more flexible and timely manner. The study made use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs in order to test the objectives. These constructs are; Perceive ease of use, Perceived usefulness, Attitude towards using, Intention to use, and System accessibility. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to students, and it was found that social media is mostly being used by students for social purposes rather than for educational purposes, and that Facebook is the most popular social media networking system to use.

Privacy and Identity Management in Social Media

2013 ◽  
pp. 304-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Smala ◽  
Saleh Al-Shehri
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Identity Management ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Political Views ◽  
Close Analysis ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Facebook Pages ◽  
Educational Potential

Social networking media are becoming more widespread as educational learning sites. For this reason, it is important to investigate how concerns about identity management can interfere with or influence the planned learning processes. This chapter engages initially with current research that investigates the use of social media with a particular focus on issues of identity management. It then provides a close analysis of identity management among student users of dedicated Facebook pages in tertiary education settings, as part of a larger study into contextual language learning and the educational potential of mobile technologies and social media. The study concludes that issues around publically sharing information with classmates (whom you might or might not “befriend” on social media sites), and the exposure that comes with sharing one’s background and potentially contentious political views are probably experienced by students worldwide.

Social dynamics of Twitter usage in London, Paris, and New York City

First Monday ◽  
2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Adnan ◽  
Paul A. Longley ◽  
Shariq M. Khan
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
New York City ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
York City ◽  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The penetration and use of social media services differs from city to city. This paper investigates the social dynamics of Twitter social media usage in three ethnically diverse cities — London, Paris, and New York City. We present a spatial analysis of Tweeting activity in the three cities, broken down by ethnicity and gender. We model the ethnic identity of Twitter users using their paired forenames and surnames. The geo–tagged Tweets provide an insight into the geography of their activity patterns across the three cities. The gender of each Twitter user is identified through classification of forenames, suggesting that, irrespective of the ethnic identity, the majority of Twitter users are male. Taken together, the results present a window on the activity patterns of different ethnic groups.

Up-and-Coming or Down-and-Out? Social Media Popularity as an Indicator of Neighborhood Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 0739456X2199844
Author(s):  
Constantine E. Kontokosta ◽  
Lance Freeman ◽  
Yuan Lai
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Neighborhood Change ◽  
Data Accessibility ◽  
Equity Issues ◽  
Neighborhood Studies ◽  
Real Estate Prices ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Twitter Activity ◽  
Media Data

By quantifying Twitter activity and sentiment for each of 274 neighborhood areas in New York City, this study introduces the Neighborhood Popularity Index and correlates changes in the index with real estate prices, a common measure of neighborhood change. Results show that social media provide both a near-real-time indicator of shifting attitudes toward neighborhoods and an early warning measure of future changes in neighborhood composition and demand. Although social media data provide an important complement to traditional data sources, the use of social media for neighborhood studies raises concerns regarding data accessibility and equity issues in data representativeness and bias.

scholarly journals Arabic Language Lifelong Learning (A3L) Tutorial Platform Using WhatsApp Messenger

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anggi Cecilia Safaningrum ◽  
A. R. Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Building Models ◽  
The Social ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Use Of Social Media

This study examined the use of WhatsApp Messenger as a tutorial platform for Arabic language lifelong learning (A3L) at the Velsuf Institute. An exploratory research design was adopted and the purposive sampling technique was used in selecting participants for the study. Specifically, the study comprises 40 Velsuf Institute A3L learners. The WhatsApp Messenger was used as a tutorial delivery tool for the learners. Two research questions were raised and analyzed qualitatively. The result of the analysis indicated that WhatsApp Messenger could be used as tutorial delivery tool for A3L following the prescribed steps and procedures. Twelve Arabic lessons were learned which include contents for learners, quizzes, feedbacks and learner supports. Based on the findings, it was recommended that researchers need to extensively respond to the growing need of a body of research in this area, especially building models and strategies that work for the use of social media for the improvement of A3L delivery. Additionally, the A3L facilitators should be equipped with the skills of using mobile technologies, particularly the social media for A3L enhancement.

scholarly journals Notes from the Field: Use of Social Media as a Communication Tool During a Mumps Outbreak — New York City, 2015

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (02) ◽  
pp. 60-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth M. Isaac ◽  
Jane R. Zucker ◽  
Jennifer MacGregor ◽  
Mekete Asfaw ◽  
Jennifer L. Rakeman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Media ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Use Of Social Media

scholarly journals ODL students and the use of social media networking systems as an educational tool: can lecturers stay connected

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 556-566
Author(s):  
Johannes Arnoldus Wiid ◽  
Michael Colin Cant
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Transfer Of Knowledge ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Tertiary Institution ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The use of technology in education is not a fad anymore- it is real and happening at a fast pace. Students are expecting lecturers to become more and more adept at using technology and to make use of the media available to transfer knowledge. Therefore, lecturers in all tertiary institutions have tobecome more and more adapted in the use of technology. In many instances there is a disconnection between the expectations of these two groups and the main aim of this study was to investigate lecturers’ perceptions on the use of social media networking systems in the transfer of knowledge, at an open distance learning (ODL) tertiary institution. The study also investigated whether lecturers feel at ease when using social media networking systems, whether they will be able to find information on these social media networking systems and whether they believe it will be an effective and easy way to present course content. These aspects were tested by making use of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs namely; ‘Perceived ease of use’, ‘Perceived usefulness’, ‘Attitude towards using’, and ‘System accessibility’. A survey was distributed to lecturers, and it was found that lecturers regarded ‘Perceived ease of use’ as being the most important factor to consider when they are using social media networking systems.

Encouraging Communication Through the Use of Educational Social Media Tools

2018 ◽  
pp. 153-164
Author(s):  
Melissa Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Classroom Environment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Social Trends ◽  
Language Communication ◽  
Social Media Tools ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Over the last decade, our society has embraced social networking and web-based and mobile technologies. In an attempt to stay current with social trends, educators have become increasingly interested in how best to harness social media tools to enhance their teaching practices. This paper will explore the use of social media tools, such as Edmodo and Glogster, with 30 Japanese high school exchange students in Sydney, Australia. Given that the classes were homogenous, the teachers' biggest challenge was to create a classroom environment that encouraged students to use English rather than Japanese to communicate with one another. By using social media tools, students were given the opportunity to embrace and explore different technologies while creating a space to communicate with their peers and teachers in English. This article will discuss the types of activities and tasks employed and student and teacher feedback. New technologies continue to emerge and evolve, shaping how our society communicates, works and learns. Educators, in particular, have attempted to harness various aspects of technology to enhance teaching and learning. Given that social networking and web-based and mobile technologies have become an integral part of young people's everyday lives, educators have become increasingly aware of the need to incorporate these social media tools in the learning process. The impetus for the action research presented in this paper was born from a desire to promote English language communication through introducing social media tools, such as Edmodo and Glogster. The aim was to explore how a variety of tasks and activities are employed and received by both students and teachers.

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