Chris Evans

This study empirically tests and compares the influence of friends’ recommendations on social media and anonymous reviews on shopping websites in the context of online purchase intention. For this purpose, we analyse the impacts of these two platforms based on the components of information adoption model (IAM) which are borrowed as information quality, information credibility, information usefulness and information adoption. We conduct a survey and find anonymous reviews as more influential on consumer’ online purchase intentions than friends’ recommendations on social media. However, as this result was contrary to that expected, we conduct another study through in-depth interviews in order to enlighten our results found in the first study. In Study 2, we find the reasons why consumers prefer anonymous reviews rather than friends’ recommendations. Information quantity, information readiness, detailed information and dedicated information are factors which make shopping websites superior than social media in terms of the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Academic and managerial implications are discussed.

Can social media be used to enhance the process of learning by students in higher education? Social media have become widely adopted by students in their personal lives. However, the application of social media to teaching and learning remains to be fully explored. In this study, the use of the social media tool Twitter for teaching was considered. Undergraduate students in B usiness and M anagement ( n = 252) were encouraged to use T witter for communicating with their tutor and each other during a 12‐week course. Their involvement was evaluated using a survey considering amount of T witter usage and students' attitudes and experiences. The data were analysed using factor analyses, which revealed a single usage construct and three attitudinal factors. Three findings emerged. Firstly, a positive correlation was found between amount of T witter usage and student engagement in university‐associated activities including organising their social lives and sharing information. Secondly, course‐related tweeting was not related to interpersonal relationships between students and their tutor. Thirdly, T witter usage did not impact class attendance. The results are salient for educational practitioners wishing to introduce social media into their teaching.

This study considers the impact that different levels of interactivity have on the memory and understanding. In particular, it focuses in the use of interactive self-assessment questions (ISAQs) as a mechanism to help students learn better. An ISAQ is a computer-based multiple-choice or text-entry question that requires input from the learner, and provides feedback based on that input. This study extends some of Mayer’s (1990) multimedia design principles and considers their applicability in this context. The study also takes into account whether the incorporation of ISAQs has a measurable impact on learning as indicated by their performance in tests. The study considers three different types of ISAQs, designed to engage either memory or understanding, in an effort to determine which one is the most effective. It considers the effect of adding interactivity in the form of memory (retention) and understanding (transfer) self-assessment questions in a learning-object content management system used by undergraduate students at Brunel University in West London, UK. It was predicted that both types of ISAQ would increase the performance of learners in tests but with different degrees. The results indicate that transfer tests have a significant impact on retention.

Effectiveness of Interactivity for Enhanced Undergraduate Learning: 10.4018/978-1-61520-749-7.ch020: This study focuses on how Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) can best be used by Brunel University students to enhance their learning. The study considers the

This paper describes a comparative study into the use of audio versus text as a form of feedback on student assignments. Many educational institutions currently use typewritten feedback, but developments in technology now make the provision of feedback in audio form a feasible proposition. The study considers two experiments to investigate the hypothesis that the use of audio feedback enhances the feedback process for both tutors and learners. The results indicate that recording feedback in audio form can decrease the time it takes by 40-50%. Moreover, learners report that audio feedback is richer and more authentic.

Laboratory classes are commonplace and essential in biology departments but can sometimes be cumbersome, unreliable, and a drain on time and resources. As university intakes increase, pressure on budgets and staff time can often lead to reduction in practical class provision. Frequently, the ability to use laboratory equipment, mix solutions, and manipulate test animals are essential learning outcomes, and “wet” laboratory classes are thus appropriate. In others, however, interpretation and manipulation of the data are the primary learning outcomes, and here, computer-based simulations can provide a cheaper, easier, and less time- and labor-intensive alternative. We report the evaluation of two computer-based simulations of practical exercises: the first in chromosome analysis, the second in bioinformatics. Simulations can provide significant time savings to students (by a factor of four in our first case study) without affecting learning, as measured by performance in assessment. Moreover, under certain circumstances, performance can be improved by the use of simulations (by 7% in our second case study). We concluded that the introduction of these simulations can significantly enhance student learning where consideration of the learning outcomes indicates that it might be appropriate. In addition, they can offer significant benefits to teaching staff.