ERIC Number: EJ999220
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-6677
EISSN: N/A
Cognitive and Social Factors Affecting the Use of Wikipedia and Information Seeking
Chung, Siyoung
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, v38 n3 Fall 2012
Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, is the preferred choice among resources used by college students to meet their research needs. However, Wikipedia has been criticized for its low information quality, lack of accountability, inconsistency, and vulnerability to vandalism. Despite the warnings and concerns voiced by academia, online learning tools such as Wikipedia will continue their rise as major learning resource in today's classroom. Using a sample of 184 college students, the study proposed theoretical models to test the effects of internal beliefs, motivations, and social influences on Wikipedia use and information-seeking, and further empirically tested those models. The findings of this study suggested that Wikipedia use is driven by internal belief and peer pressure, whereas information-seeking is influenced by belief, motivation, and subjective norms. The implications of the findings for the research and practice are discussed. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Web Sites, Electronic Publishing, Web 2.0 Technologies, Computer Uses in Education, College Students, Usability, Online Surveys, Information Seeking, Models, Social Influences, Research Tools, Student Motivation, Beliefs, Information Sources, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Statistical Analysis
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: cnie-rcie@cnie-rcie.ca; Web site: http://www.cjlt.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Singapore
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A