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Social networking sites and apps (SNSAs) are being used more frequently across the world and yet the nature of this online environment and associated interactions are not fully understood. With no restrictions for SNSAs use related to specific geographical regions, language, age, gender, educational level, or any other factors, it is important to find a concept to describe and explain the components of this online environment and their relationships. This paper describes the environment of SNSAs use by Saudi postgraduate students from the perspective of second-generation activity theory (AT). The findings supported the theoretical framework of AT as a useful lens in understanding SNSAs use from the perspective of students, particularly in a cultural environment where physical communication has restrictions based on gender. A similar AT model can be drawn for the use of SNSAs, taking the perspective of different groups of academic users. The flexibility of the AT model appears at the level of SNSAs as technical and physical tools, and at the level of users' community, which was managed by the explicit and implicit rules relating to communication. This feature reveals the way in which this extended framework can be used to indicate pertinent features of SNSAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the use of smartphones vs. laptops influences students' engagement, behaviour and experience watching academic videos in a collaborative classroom. Experiments were run in authentic teaching sessions with a total of 483 first-year higher education students. The methodology applied is a quasi-experimental design with post-test-only, being the independent variable, the device used to visualise the academic videos. Results indicate that the use of laptops has provided better results in terms of student's engagement with the videos, their collaborative behaviour and satisfaction with the device. Hence, the findings of this research suggest that the type of mobile device used in activities that consider the use of videos in a collaborative class need to be carefully chosen to maximise the student's comfortability – and in consequence, their engagement with the video-based learning activity and their positive behaviour and experience within the collaborative context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to establish an accurate baseline for Facebook usage and to investigate its learning potential via biometric perspective. This was explored by asking college students to browse their own Facebook page and peruse the content while wearing a high-fidelity EEG headset to record brainwave activity they experienced. Their actions were then coded using the empirically based Interactive-Constructive-Active-Passive (ICAP) engagement model to identify elements that could potentially be leveraged for learning. Based on these results, Facebook does not seem to make an ideal learning platform, due to higher frustration levels during higher cognitive tasks compared to passively consuming personally relevant non-instructional content. However, it may have more positive impacts on learning as long as initial frustration level is transformed smoothly to engagement and motivation for some learning opportunities and activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to evaluate the level of accessibility knowledge by student website and app (WEB&APP) developers as well as the role of education in their perceptions and usage of accessibility guidelines. It proposes an integrative theoretical framework to understand the relationship among education, WEB&APP developer knowledge, and guideline usage. The present work with results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and an interview data analysis indicates that WEB&APP students have a low level of guideline familiarity and education plays an important role in their perceptions and usage of those guidelines. It emphasises the importance of accessibility guideline education, personal connection with people who have disabilities in the education process, need for empathy in accessible WEB&APP design and development, as well as business values of accessible WEB&APP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the role of positive performance feedback for information and communications technology (ICT) users, who could have either low or high levels of self-control. It could, moreover, explain the impact of that technological pressure on the users' performance, resulting in their achieving less. This study employs three techno-stressors, i.e. complexity, system errors, and work-overload in the experimental setting. By applying a contrast analysis, we confirm that the broaden-and-build theory explains that positive emotion can build the capabilities of ICTS users to cope with the pressured technostress. This research concludes that users with low self-control who receive positive feedback perform better than those who receive negative feedback. It implies that to succeed with the implementation of information systems and their applications. The users must undergo therapy to feel good in their cognitive flow and believe that this ICT cannot harm them. Likewise, the development managers could boost the users' positive emotions, so they have more trust and better engagement with the information systems and applications. This research finally infers that the users' cognition should be broadened and built with experiential values, improving their positive emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important determinants of managerial effectiveness in achieving organisational objectives is the success in influencing subordinates, lateral peers and supervisors through influence tactics. However, little attention has been paid to the use of a communication medium in the context of influence tactics. Our objective is to study the frequency of these dyadic influence tactics on diverse communication media. The study involves a questionnaire-based survey conducted on Spanish post-graduate students who had been working in medium-sized or large companies during the last 2 years or more. The results suggest that the richness of the medium explains most similarities and differences in the frequency of influence tactics for different communication media. Furthermore, in the study of hard influence tactics in communication media with similar richness, it is necessary to introduce social aspects and the level of surveillance in order to explain it fully. This study helps managers to understand the relationships between influence tactics and the use of communication media in order to improve their communication effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]