Learning with Social Media: Measurement Tools for Understanding Information Behavior in Technology Pervasive Environments of the 21st Century

Abstract

This research reports findings from a study on information behavior for technology pervasive information environments in the 21st century. Social media users (n=147) completed an online Learning Preference survey battery that included the Social Media Learning (SML) scale, the Technology Affinity Survey (TAS), the Computer Attitude Questionnaire (CAQ), and the Information and Communications Technology Learning (ICTL) survey. Findings revealed that 23% of the variance in information seeking behavior, as measured by the Information and Communications Technology Learning survey, can be explained by a linear regression model including the SML scale, creativity and school attitude scales (CAQ), and TAS. Participants with higher ICTL scores for Information Seeking had greater preference for learning with social media, more positive attitudes toward school, higher self-reported creative tendencies, and lower preferences for immersive/always-on attachments to, or affinity for, modern information and communication technologies. Implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.