Online Environment

This paper presents a model conceptual framework that is aimed at promoting trust in the online retailing environment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Despite rapid Internet growth, the development of online retailing in Saudi Arabia continues to progress very slowly compared to that of the developed and leading developing countries. To determine the reason behind the sluggish growth of online retailing in the KSA, a mixed methods study involving retailers and customers was conducted in four stages. The outcomes of the study point to distrust in the online retailing environment in Saudi Arabia as a key inhibitory factor for growth. As such, a five-part model is proposed to promote trust in the online shopping environment in the KSA.

Curriculum development in virtual mobility (VM) educational contexts requires from Higher Education teachers to think differently when facing paradigms such as (i) the development of a new teaching presence, (ii) the design of new curricula,
(iii) the design of learning materials adapted to different learning environments, (iv) the application of different learning strategies and (v) the development of new assessment approaches, models and tools. In this part of the chapter we aim to present a brief literature review related to the development of the curricula
for VM courses focusing on the above mentioned dimensions. We also discuss some principles for VM that are considered in the literature (Op de Beeck, Bijnens & Van Petegem, 2008) as very important for the development of curricula.

This exploratory study aims to analyse the nature of teacher feedback during a collaborative writing assignment, and to identify the possible effects feedback has on the revision of a text written by university students in an asynchronous online learning environment. Under analysis are three editions of a master's course in e-learning, during which, over a period of two weeks, the students (n = 83) divided into 16 work groups to carry out a co-evaluation assignment with the support of a technology tool. The results obtained indicate that, when teacher feedback includes suggestions and questions, instead of direct corrections, the students respond more constructively, they discuss the content they are working with, and, as a result, they effect significant changes in the arguments of the text they are revising.

The purpose of this study is to explore online consumers' experiential response towards visual user-generated content in online shopping environments for fashion online shopping. The Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework has been widely used online shopping environment studies to examine the effect of website attributes on online shoppers' internal affective and cognitive states, and shopping behaviour (Kawaf & Tagg, 2012). Recent literature in the field proposes a more holistic model of online experiences (e.g., Pentina, Amialchuk, & Taylor, 2011) which is conceptualise to mediate the relationship between website attributes and behavioural responses. Consumer experience is regarded a critical concept in consumer behaviour and marketing in order to understand consumers and create competitive advantage in online retailing (Schmitt, 2010). Building on existing online shopping environment research, the study conceptualises online experiences for fashion online. The explo...

This paper focuses on environmental disclosure on the Internet and empirically examines whether ownership structure and company characteristics have a significant association with the level of Internet environmental disclosure (IED) amongst Malaysian companies. Six variables – management ownership, government ownership, firm size, level of technology, industry type, and profitability – have been chosen to be examined in this study. Multiple regression analysis is used to examine these relationships by analysing the data of 201 online annual reports on the websites of Malaysian companies. The results indicate that government ownership, firm size, level of technology and industry type are positively and significantly associated with IED; management ownership is negatively and significantly associated with IED, and profitability did not show a significant relationship. The results of this paper can be used by regulators to enhance and regulate online environmental reports as it is still voluntary based.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate fashion user-generated social stimulus (UGSS) in online shopping environments. Research questions regarding consumers' perceptions, experiences and potential shopping outcomes are addressed. Theoretical background Environments can influence consumers' emotional states and shopping behaviour in the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory (Donovan and Rossiter, 1982). Online activities which involves engagement (Brodie et al., 2013) suggests factors in online environments can affect consumer experiences and their shopping behaviour online (Rose et al., 2012). Design/Methodology/Approach A methodology using in-depth interviews with photoelicitation techniques is proposed. The study seeks to explore female fashion consumers' perceptions of two forms of UGSS identified from the ASOS Fashion Finder website, and to understand consumers' stimulated experiences (Epstein et al., 2006) and shopping behaviour by the UGSS. Originality...

Öz Bu araştırmanın amacı Tseng ve Kuo (2014) tarafından geliştirilen Bilgi Paylaşma Davranışı Ölçeği'ni Türkçe'ye uyarlamak ve ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışma sonuçlarını ortaya koymaktır. Araştırma grubu 259 üniversite öğrencisinden oluşmaktadır. Ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışmaları için açımlayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri, iç tutarlılık katsayısı ve madde toplam korelasyonları hesaplanmıştır. Özgün ölçek bilgi alma ve bilgi verme olmak üzere iki faktörden oluşmaktadır. İlk olarak 10 maddelik ölçeğe açımlayıcı faktör analizi yapılmış ve faktör yükleri incelenerek bir madde ölçekten çıkarılmıştır. Sonrasında 9 maddelik ölçeğe doğrulayıcı faktör analizi uygulanmıştır. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda modelin iyi uyum gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Ölçekteki faktörlerin iç tutarlılık katsayıları ,91 ile ,87'dir. Ölçekteki maddelerin madde-toplam korelasyonları ,587 ile ,751 arasında hesaplanmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda, iki faktör altında yer alan 9 maddenin özgün formdaki faktörlerle aynı dağılım sergilediği görülmüştür. Analizler ölçeğin Türkçe formunun da geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olduğunu göstermiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Bilgi paylaşma davranışı, bilgi alma, bilgi verme, ölçek uyarlama, geçerlik, güvenirlik. Abstract The aim of this study is to adapt the Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale, which was developed by Tseng and Kuo (2014), and to execute the results of reliability and validity analyses of the scale. The sample of this study consisted of 259 under graduate students. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency coefficient and item correlations were calculated for validity and reliability. The original scale consists of two factors: knowledge giving and knowledge receiving. Firstly, exploratory factor analysis was conducted with 10 items scale. An item was removed from the scale because of its factor loading. After, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with 9 items scale. The results of confirmatory factor analysis were showed good fit. The internal consistency coefficients of factors were found to be .91 and .87. Item-total correlation of scale items varied between .587 and .751. The results of the study, 9 items has shown to exhibit two factors and same distribution to the original form. Findings indicate that the scale is reliable and valid for use in Turkish.

The ongoing study looks at the online behaviours of language teachers in the open access professional online environment YELL / TELL. The present paper focuses on how language teachers (from different backgrounds and experiences) carry out web searches and collaboratively tag and comment online open access, Open Educational Resources and user-generated resources in order to find and re-find them and make them more easily accessible to other colleagues. This allows teachers to exchange professional knowledge and practice giving colleagues suggestions on how resources can be used, re-contextualised, reused and become relevant for different teaching and learning contexts. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of their behaviour allowed researchers to create a new search interface to facilitate sharing resources and practices, personalising their digital environment while learning in the process.

Online social platforms, such as blogs, discussion forums, and social networking sites, are increasingly explored as venues for user-centred evaluations; in particular, for design feedback from users. We present a multi-case study providing needed knowledge on such evaluations. Our findings are based on analyses of the design feedback and post-factum data collections with development team representatives and users. The development team representatives reported as key benefits that the evaluations provided insight into users' needs and competencies, input into ongoing design discussions, and support for idea generation in the development team, but found the lack of direct contact and control with the users to be an important limitation. The users appreciated the opportunity to contribute to the design process, but the majority reported not to build on each other's contributions. Involving a relatively large number of users was found to be beneficial for generating constructive design suggestions. Practical implications and future research challenges are suggested. Research highlights • We studied design feedback from users through an online social platform. • Development teams saw the approach as particularly beneficial for early-phase feedback from users. • Users appreciated the approach as an opportunity to contribute needed insight to the design process. • Involving a larger number of users was beneficial for generating constructive design suggestions. • Users did not fully utilize the opportunity to build on each other's contributions. • Strengthening the interaction between participating users is an important future research challenge.

Sounding Underground is an online interactive sonic environment that links sound excerpts from the metros of London, Paris and Mexico City, as selected by commuters, as meaningful moments of sound from their commuting routine. Designed as a navigation structure, the environment draws on identifiable architectonic spaces such as entrances and corridors, but also incorporates more abstract ‘spaces’ based on memorable sounds that passengers had in common. The creation of the environment focused on the perception of social, political and symbolic experiences, and was derived from an iterative ethnographic and artistic practice which involved self-reflection, interviews, recordings of and listening to the journeys, and commuters' selections of sounds. This article describes the process of creation through the abstraction of a physical space, as well as the responses the work has evoked in the users and the academic community. It exemplifies the transdisciplinary nature of practice-based research involving the creative use of digital technologies.

This study investigated three aspects: how project-based collaborative learning facilitates cross-cultural understanding; how students perceive project-based collaborative learning implementation in a collaborative cyber community (3C) online environment; and what types of communication among students are used. A qualitative case study approach was applied to explore these aspects using a variety of data sources. First, students’ reflections were evaluated to determine their level of cross-cultural understanding. Second, students’ messages on the discussion board were analysed to explore their cross-cultural learning process and types of communication. Third, interviews were conducted with the students and their instructor to investigate their experiences and perceptions with respect to project-based cross-cultural learning. Results of this study show that cross-cultural learning took place in the 3C online environment. Folk games, learning activities, were interesting, drew students’ attention, and stimulated their motivation. The students and the instructor positively perceived the 3C online environment as it created an authentic learning environment by connecting students from different cultures. Educational, technical, and communicative types of communication in the 3C environment were derived; however, only communication of the educational type could facilitate cross-cultural understanding. Based on the results, this study provides implications and suggestions for the teaching and research community in the field.

Sounding Underground is an online interactive sonic environment that links sound excerpts from the metros of London, Paris and Mexico City, as selected by commuters, as meaningful moments of sound from their commuting routine. Designed as a navigation structure, the environment draws on identifiable architectonic spaces such as entrances and corridors, but also incorporates more abstract ‘spaces’ based on memorable sounds that passengers had in common. The creation of the environment focused on the perception of social, political and symbolic experiences, and was derived from an iterative ethnographic and artistic practice which involved self-reflection, interviews, recordings of and listening to the journeys, and commuters' selections of sounds. This article describes the process of creation through the abstraction of a physical space, as well as the responses the work has evoked in the users and the academic community. It exemplifies the transdisciplinary nature of practice-based research involving the creative use of digital technologies.

This chapter explores kindergarten children’s use of specific online applications such as WhatsApp and YouTube to maintain social relationships between each other and with their classroom teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Using Vygotskian theorisation of learning through interaction with more expert people (teachers and parents) and Leontev’s theory of functional organ, this study verifies that children often learned without an expert’s presence, using strategies such as trial and error and discussion, and through maintaining social relationships among themselves and with their teachers. Specifically, the study involved two Italian kindergartens (42 children) and six teachers. Analysis of the children’s work and of teacher interviews shows that, during the Italian lockdown, the pre-school children used applications as learning environments in the form of functional organs, and this proved useful for carrying on kindergarten activities and for maintaining social relatio...

Öz Bu araştırmanın amacı Tseng ve Kuo (2014) tarafından geliştirilen Bilgi Paylaşma Davranışı Ölçeği'ni Türkçe'ye uyarlamak ve ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışma sonuçlarını ortaya koymaktır. Araştırma grubu 259 üniversite öğrencisinden oluşmaktadır. Ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışmaları için açımlayıcı ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizleri, iç tutarlılık katsayısı ve madde toplam korelasyonları hesaplanmıştır. Özgün ölçek bilgi alma ve bilgi verme olmak üzere iki faktörden oluşmaktadır. İlk olarak 10 maddelik ölçeğe açımlayıcı faktör analizi yapılmış ve faktör yükleri incelenerek bir madde ölçekten çıkarılmıştır. Sonrasında 9 maddelik ölçeğe doğrulayıcı faktör analizi uygulanmıştır. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonucunda modelin iyi uyum gösterdiği bulunmuştur. Ölçekteki faktörlerin iç tutarlılık katsayıları ,91 ile ,87'dir. Ölçekteki maddelerin madde-toplam korelasyonları ,587 ile ,751 arasında hesaplanmıştır. Yapılan analizler sonucunda, iki faktör altında yer alan ...

The aim of this study is to adapt the Knowledge Sharing Behavior Scale, which was developed by Tseng and Kuo (2014), and to execute the results of reliability and validity analyses of the scale. The sample of this study consisted of 259 under graduate students. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency coefficient and item correlations were calculated for validity and reliability. The original scale consists of two factors: knowledge giving and knowledge receiving. Firstly, exploratory factor analysis was conducted with 10 items scale. An item was removed from the scale because of its factor loading. After, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with 9 items scale. The results of confirmatory factor analysis were showed good fit. The internal consistency coefficients of factors were found to be .91 and .87. Item-total correlation of scale items varied between .587 and .751. The results of the study, 9 items has shown to exhibit two factors and same d...

This chapter explores kindergarten children’s use of specific online applications such as WhatsApp and YouTube to maintain social relationships between each other and with their classroom teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Using Vygotskian theorisation of learning through interaction with more expert people (teachers and parents) and Leontev’s theory of functional organ, this study verifies that children often learned without an expert’s presence, using strategies such as trial and error and discussion, and through maintaining social relationships among themselves and with their teachers. Specifically, the study involved two Italian kindergartens (42 children) and six teachers. Analysis of the children’s work and of teacher interviews shows that, during the Italian lockdown, the pre-school children used applications as learning environments in the form of functional organs, and this proved useful for carrying on kindergarten activities and for maintaining social relatio...