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This paper examines the school-wide introduction of the tablet computer as a mobile learning tool in a secondary school in Belgium. Drawing upon the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior, we question during three waves of data collection which factors influence teachers' and students' acceptance and use of these devices for educational purposes. The first wave indicated that attitudes towards the rollout are generally positive. Teachers and students are intrinsically motivated, welcoming it as an instrumental, and for students enjoyable, learning tool. However students do report feelings of social pressure. While after three months, the prior expectations hold up for both stakeholders, results of the third wave show a different pattern. Teachers' acceptance seems to be related to attaining a positive attitude, social influence and the sense to master the new technology while regarding students' results; only behavioral control remains significant. These results challenge teaching practices and invite manifold areas for further research.

Background The vast differences in sampling techniques, cultural contexts between international studies, the differences in age groups of the samples and various definitions used to measure sexting make it hard to compare how sexting behaviour has evolved over the past years. This exploratory study aims to address this critical gap in the research by using two datasets of a biennial study on adolescents' media use. The first aim of this study is to compare the sexting prevalence and correlates (i.e. age, gender and smartphone ownership) of youth in 2015 and 2017. The second aim is to investigate the risk mitigation behaviours of youth who engage in sexting and to assess how their behaviours differ between the two time points.Methods: The data for cohort 1 were collected in October and November 2015 and comprise of 2663 students from 11 secondary schools in the Dutch-speaking community of Belgium. For the second cohort, the data were collected in October and November 2017 and comprise of 2681 students from 10 secondary schools. A weighing factor was implemented on the dataset.Results: The results show sexting behaviour has significantly increased between cohorts, with 8.3% of the respondents having sent a sext in the first cohort, compared with 12.1% in the second cohort. The sexting prevalence rates also significantly increased between cohorts when taking into account students who owned a smartphone. Furthermore, engagement in sexting was associated with being older, and no gender differences were found. In the second cohort, 36.8% of youth who had sent a sext were identifiable in those images. There were no differences between cohorts.Conclusion: The results indicate that other factors next to smartphone ownership may be associated with an increase in sexting prevalence. The findings also highlight the need for the development of age-appropriate sexting educational materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fitness wearables and apps provide users with quantified information about their exercise behaviour. Users often access this information on online fitness communities (OFCs) such as RunKeeper or Strava. These OFCs do not only provide feedback on the user's performance but also offer social features. To date, little is known about the extent to which the different features in OFCs answer to users' motivations to exercise. This study addresses this question, by examining (1) whether there are differences in motivations for running between OFC users and non-users and (2) whether the use of particular features is driven by particular running motivations. A survey study was conducted among 717 runners, of which 57% used an OFC to support running activities. Results demonstrate that OFC users are more achievement-oriented than non-OFC users, especially regarding the attainment of personal goals. OFC users with physical motivations (e.g. weight loss) use self-regulatory features more frequently, while runners with social motivations more often use features that afford them to share activities on social media. Achievement-oriented runners appreciate features that allow them to track their progress and interact with other OFC users. No relation was found between the use of OFC features and psychological motivations for running. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This mixed-method research focuses on the growing appropriation of multiple screen devices for audiovisual media consumption. Based on survey measures, we distinguish three patterns: (a) maintaining the status quo, by mainly drawing upon television, (b) broadening up the repertoire, by extending television with computers and mobile devices, or (c) even replacing television by a computer. Next, we draw upon insights from niche theory, rationalising media choices in terms of competing gratifications. This perspective is however too one-sided, as our results indicate that habit is a much stronger explanatory variable, especially when a broad range of devices are appropriated. In a follow-up qualitative study, based on Q-methodology, we found that the orientations towards what people seek in audiovisual technologies are only mildly contingent with specific technology appropriation. This problematises the very substance of niches in the audiovisual: as technologies are capable of the same benefits, their discriminating power is declining. Hence, in future applications of niche theory, gratifications and habits of communication modes (what people do with media technologies) should be taken into account, rather than media as tied to a specific technology. Niche theory's core remains, but its applications should be updated to theoretical insights matching the evolving media environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To a consumer, knowing how much energy you use is often a question mark. We get our energy bills and more often than not, they are surprisingly high. The coming of the smart grid and more specifically smart metering provides opportunities to create a better awareness on energy use among consumers. This research presents the user-centric development of a home energy management system. The focus of the research is not specifically on the functionalities per se, rather it lies on the inclusion of the energy end-user in the development process. Throughout the development, end-user research provided valuable input for the development of the system. Large quantitative surveys were alternated with small scale in-depth qualitative research. Each step generated the input for the next step in the research process, resulting in a system with functionalities tailored to the end-users needs and wants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Thanks to the massive success of mobile access devices such as netbooks or Apple’s iPhone 3G, Internet on the move has become one of the prominent features of today’s information society. With the emergence of wireless and mobile communication networks, the railroad industry is now catching up on this new technology in their battle with low-cost operators to bring more productivity and entertainment possibilities to its passengers. With millions of daily commuters as potential service users, this transport branch offers high business opportunities. However, while most field trials and research effort have mainly focused on the enabling technology, little research effort has been conducted to forecast the demand-side. This article tries to fill this gap by presenting original results gathered from a large-scale survey amongst 1324 regular train travellers. By means of the Product Specific Adoption Potential method, we predict the potential market penetration of wireless Internet services onboard trains and estimate the size and nature of five adopter segments in terms of socio-demographics, drivers and thresholds, willingness to pay, applications and quality of service. We will discuss the practical implications of these insights in order to develop viable business models, set up introduction strategies and build out user-driven infrastructure networks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: Gender minority adolescents, such as transgender, gender nonconforming, gender diverse and non-binary youth, may face unique challenges with regard to online sexual communication. They may be especially vulnerable for sexting-related risks. The aim of this study is to explore the sexting experiences of gender minority youth among a school-based sample.Methods: This brief exploratory study reports on a survey that was conducted among 1293 respondents with an average age of 14.79 years old (SD = 1.97) in the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium, and compares engagement in sexting experiences between cisgender and gender minority youth.Results: The results of our exploratory study show that gender minority adolescents were more likely to have ever been pressured to send a sexting image. There were no significant differences with regard to receiving sexts, or receiving forwarded sexts. None of the gender minority youth reported that they had forwarded a sexting image from someone else, as opposed to 9.3% of cisgender youth who had forwarded a sext.Conclusions: Despite the explorative nature of our study, the results suggest that gender minority youth may be at an increased risk to experience sexting-related pressure. Additional research is needed to investigate the sexting experiences of gender minority adolescents. Gender minority youth may benefit from education about safer sexting, and specifically ways to cope with sexting-related pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]