Students’ intentions to use PBWorks: a factor-based PLS-SEM approach

Purpose

Wikis, as one of the Web 2.0 tools, has been increasingly used to engage students to learn with others in a collaborative virtual environment. However, there are relatively few studies examining the application of wikis in secondary schools. Therefore, this study aims to investigate factors affecting the use of PBWorks (a popular wiki tool).

Design/methodology/approach

The aim was achieved by empirically examining an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) from a sample of 429 junior secondary students in Hong Kong. Specifically, relationships among six latent variables, which were school support, teacher support, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitudes towards use and the intention to use, were posited in the model. The more robust factor-based partial least squares structural equation modelling (factor-based PLS-SEM) was used to test the research model.

Findings

The results indicated that most of the hypotheses were supported, which suggested that the extended TAM could explain the rationale behind students’ intentions to use PBWorks for group projects.

Originality/value

This paper extended the original TAM by including two additional variables (school support and teacher support) for explaining behavioural intentions. Because of the increased use of e-learning platforms in secondary schools, more understanding of what motivates secondary school students’ e-learning intentions is necessary.

Identifying information need through storytelling

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of multicultural narratives from the website Humans of New York in a one credit information literacy course to teach concepts of information need with respect to cultural literacy and social justice.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study examines student responses to an in-class activity which used a problem-based learning approach. Students were asked to examine narratives and identify possible information access or use issues and to consider the cultural differences that may help or hinder information access or use.

Findings

Students’ writing samples show evidence of comprehension in the areas of cultural literacy and understanding information need and the development empathy with people of diverse racial, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. Students directly identified information need issues such as financial barriers, social stigma, lack of access to legal aid and the risk of physical harm. Students indirectly recognized concepts related to cultural literacy and social justice such as cultural norms, classism and structural racism.

Originality/value

While the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education has listed a number of social justice and cultural literacy concepts within the knowledge practices and disposition statements, the library literature has not yet studied these concepts in conjunction with teaching information need. This case study presents a lesson plan that could be applied in library classrooms to teach both cultural literacy and information need concepts.