Student name: Section: Rubric for Research Paper – TSEM 102 APA STYLE – Goal B – Gather and use academic resources effectively and according to the standards and rules of academic integrity General (1 pt. for each bullet) • 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font used throughout, including the running head • Entire paper is double spaced • Margins are 1" on all sides Student self-score Instructor score /3 /3 /4 /4 /4 /4 /8 /8 /19 /19 /3 /3 /8 /8 Total for APA STYLE - References /11 /11 Total for APA Style /30 /30 Title Page and Abstract (1 pt. for each bullet) • Title page formatted correctly • Abstract is page two, titled Abstract - it is centered, not underlined, not bolded, and not italicized • Abstract is 150 - 250 words, a summary of the paper • Paragraphs are not indented in abstract Body (1 pt. for each bullet) • Narrative begins on page 3, title of paper is centered • Descriptive section headings (left aligned-bolded) are used for each section (Definition of Topic; Background of Topic; Discussion of Research; Conclusion) • Narrative is a minimum of 8 FULL pages and a maximum of 14 pages (cover page and abstract are not included in the final page tally - the reference list is included). • Header is formatted per instructions In-text Citations ( 2 pts. for each bullet) • All reference sources and citations match. For example, if a source appears on the Reference page, it must be cited properly in your narrative, and vice versa. • Embedded citations are in proper APA style. • Citation is correctly incorporated into the sentence it supports • Page or paragraph number included for direct quotes and block quotes used for 40+ word verbatim quotes (double spaced, indent all lines ½ inch, no quote marks, cite at end) Total for APA Style - General References Page (1 pt. each bullet) • Page is titled References (centered, not underlined, not bolded, and not italicized) and appears at the end of the paper - References begin on new page from narrative • References appear alphabetically • Hanging indents and double spacing used - no numbering or bulleting Reference List • References are cited in the correct APA format for the type of citation they represent (newspaper, book, journal, webpage, etc.) 10 sources required CONTENT – Goal A – Present a compelling argument; Goal B – Use academic resources effectively; Goal C – Evaluate the nature and possible causes of topic; Goal D – Connect concepts and evidence logically Source Types (10 minimum) All sources must be cited in the body, or no credit • 1 source from the REFERENCE section of Cook Library or reference e-books in online databases - required -3 pts. • 4 journal or scholarly articles - required - 1 each @ 3 points = 12 pts. • Other sources can be websites, articles, or other scholarly articles -1 each @ 1 point = 5 pts. Student self-score Instructor score /20 /20 /10 /10 /30 /30 /8 /8 /10 /10 /10 /10 /28 /28 /12 /12 Total for CONTENT /70 /70 TOTAL /100 /100 Source Depth and Accuracy (2 pts. for each bullet) • All sources relevant to topic • Source variety reveals the complexity of the issue • Sources are appropriately current • Correct in-text parenthetical citations provide accurate evidence for statements • Citation for anything NOT common knowledge. Total for Content - Sources Research Question/Topic Statement –Clear, correct, concise - 3 pts. • Topic is appropriate for audience of educators with specific details (not vague generalizations) - 3 pts. • Lays foundation for the paper- 2 pts. Body/Narrative – • Introductory paragraph opens the paper - 2 pts. • Headings are descriptive of paragraph under discussion - 2 pts. • Transitions and topic sentences are used - 2 pts. • Definitions of terms are handled quickly, thoroughly and accurately - 2 pts. • Conclusion paragraph summarizes paper 2 pts. Grammar and Mechanics • Sentence structure - 2 pts. • Paragraph structure - 2 pts. • Spelling - 2 pts. • Punctuation - 2 pts. • Appropriate vocabulary/ NO use of 1st and 2nd case pronouns - 2 pts. Total for Content - Body Critical Thinking and Synthesis of Research Studies (2 pts. for each bullet) • Discussion goes beyond the book-report stage to explore controversy • Discussion goes beyond simply restating facts or quotes, sources are synthesized (re-told in writer’s words) to provide evidence for statements • Analysis or interpretation of the sources is shown • Depth of understanding of the source is evident • Issue explored fully, adequately presented and discussed • An informed conclusion is clearly based on the sources cited Running head: VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK Viral Videos: What Makes Them Work? 1 VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 2 Abstract With the recent trends of viral videos appearing frequently in everyday lives, many of individuals have been demanding a definition for the term “viral videos”. Along with what exactly a viral video is, people have also started to question: what makes a viral video work? Researchers have been conducting studies for years trying to determine factors and characteristics that viral videos tend to have in common. These studies closely look at how these common aspects of popular viral videos have an impact over how often they shared. Most studies have found that positive content is shared frequently; however, some studies also found that content provoking a strong emotional response is more likely to be shared than a weak emotional response. A positive video might not always be shared as often as a negative video if it provokes a stronger emotional response from the viewer. Viewers tend to share content they want their connections to see or be aware of. VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 3 What are Viral Videos and What Makes Them Work? Viral videos have recently emerged as a popular trend in today’s society. Increasing technological advancements have allowed for networks such as social media websites to rise. Through these social media websites, individuals have the ability to post and share content. Sharing is a key component to viral videos, because the amount of “shares” in a certain time period is how to measure if a video is actually viral. There are many factors that influence the success of a viral video, such as characteristics that can not only be emotional, but also technical. Research studies have been conducted to analyze which factors are the most influential in promoting viral content. To further the detail of the research, more specific studies analyzed the actual characteristics of popular viral videos in themselves. Definition of the Topic Social media is a way in which technology has enabled individuals to communicate digitally through networks (Cunningham, 2012). Social media provokes sharing information or content that the viewer is interested in because they are connected to individuals that the initial viewer would want the connections to see. This then leads to how social media is a huge impact over the ability for videos to go "viral". Those videos that are shared at an extremely rapid rate, accumulating around 5 million views in a 3-7 day, are considered “viral” videos, as according to Kevin Nalty, otherwise known as “Nalts, the Viral Video Genius,” (O’Neill, 2011). As social media networks grow larger, the definition of how many views required to be considered a “viral video” will continue to increase with the amount of users that are on these websites. Studies have been produced to determine the factors behind what makes a video become viral. Some of the studies mention aspects of an emotional response to the shared content. Emotional response refers to something that causes the viewer to feel strongly in a certain way after viewing the VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 4 video. Other studies focused on technical characteristics of videos, such as the length of a video, the length of the title name, and the presence of various elements. Background of Topic Even before the creation of YouTube, content was shared through email. Over time, viral videos became an internet phenomenon mainly through the production of social media websites. Users were able to upload their own content to share with their viewers and those viewers would often share it with their own audience on their profiles. Aside from sharing on social media websites, YouTube, created in May 2005, was a website used solely for uploading videos that anyone can watch (Fitzpatrick, 2010). Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim were the founders of this new website (Fitzpatrick, 2010). These websites were essentially being shared with millions of individuals who had access to the website. In September of 2005, just months after the website was launched, a Nike advertisement was the first to reach 1 million views (Dickey, 2013). This website grew fast, as did the number of users and the number of views acquired in a shorter period of time. Fast forward to 2015, present day YouTube is accumulating uploads of 300 hours of video per day onto the website (YouTube, 2015). With over 1 billion users, YouTube’s statistics report that the number of hours watched increases 50% each year (YouTube, 2015). There is a wide variety of videos accessible on YouTube. These videos can range from educational, funny, scary, sad, music videos, news, or sport clips. Some of these genres of video attract more viewers than other topics. Researchers conduct studies to try to analyze the factors that make certain genres more popular than others. This will help to develop a deeper understanding of what makes a video go viral and why. VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 5 Discussion of Research As viral content has been increasing with technology in today’s society, it has raised the question: what makes a video go viral? Studies have observed technical and emotional factors that influence the success of promoting viral videos. In a study done in 2011, 6,956 articles that appeared on the front page of New York Times between August 30 and November 30, 2008 were observed using a web crawler that recorded information every 15 minutes about articles on the homepage, as well as the most emailed list (Berger & Milkman, 2011). The researchers closely looked at the valence of the article meaning whether the article itself was positive or negative, and then they also observed the emotions that were provoked by the article (Berger & Milkman, 2011). Positive videos refers to those that influence a happy, excited, or funny emotional response from the viewer. Negative videos entice anger, anxiety, and sad emotions exhibited from the viewer. The valence results of the study indicate that content is more likely to become viral the more positive it is (Berger & Milkman, 2011). In addition, the article concluded that positive and negative articles are more viral than those that do not provoke an emotion in general (Berger & Milkman, 2011). To further detail their studies, they observed that the positive/negative emotions could incite arousal, or deactivation (Berger & Milkman, 2011). Examples of arousal would be awe, anxiety, and anger. An example of deactivation would be sadness. The study found that the most emailed list of New York Times articles had examples of arousal (Berger & Milkman, 2011). The researchers believed the most important elements of viral articles are positive, arousal elements. The arousal elements generate a stronger emotional response over the deactivation examples and people are apt to share a video if there is a strong emotional response, especially if it is positive (Berger & Milkman, 2011). VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 6 To further relate these viral articles to videos, Tyler West (2011) did a study that observed the top 20 viral videos that were labeled by Time Magazine’s most emailed list of 2009. Instead of paying attention to the details of the emotions provoked by these top videos, West focused on the more technical and objective facts of the videos. Combined with the other research studies, this provided more insight into how both emotional and technical factors are essential for producing a viral video. A combination of both factors will make viewers more apt to share the video, rather than it only possessing one of these qualities (West, 2011). West wanted to relate common characteristics of the videos that might be influential in the success of its going viral (West, 2011). Indicating patterns of common elements within popular viral videos can help answer the question regarding what makes a video go viral. West chose to analyze seven elements: name length of the video, time length of video, element of laughter, element of surprise, element of irony, minority presence, musical presence, youth element, and talent (West, 2011). The results found that 75% of videos had short names, 60% had short run time, 70% had no element of laughter, 50% had the element of surprise, 90% had the element of irony, 80% had minority presence, 60% had presence of musical qualities, 65% had a youth element, and 60% demonstrated talent (West, 2011). In conclusion, almost all of the viral videos possessed some sort of ironic element to them (West, 2011). A video could possess an ironic element by shocking its viewers when something unexpected happened. If the viewers were not expecting it, they would be shocked, and the video would be ironic because it is not what they thought it was. The next most frequent element was the presence of minority (West, 2011). The presence of minority is common in viral videos because people are often interested in areas they may not have much knowledge about. The minority presence might also increase the number of shares in VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 7 a video because it promotes diversity. All ethnic groups would celebrate this trait and feel more inclined to share the video with their peers (West, 2011). Multiple studies have tried to reduce viral videos down to a science, ultimately trying to observe what makes a video go “viral”. In a study conducted by Rosanna E. Guadagno, Daniel M. Rempala, Shannon Murphy, and Bradley Okdie (2013), 256 undergraduate psychology students took an online survey. This survey asked the participants to rate on a scale from 1-7 the likelihood of the participant to share the video (1 - not likely to share, 7 - very likely to share) (Guadagno, Rempala, Murphy, & Okdie, 2013). The next question had the members rate 1-7 how strongly they agreed with feeling four different categories while watching the video (1 strongly disagree, 7 - strongly agree) (Guadagno et al., 2013). The categories were labeled cute, funny, disgusting, and anger-inducing (Guadagno et al., 2013). The results found that the participants were more apt to share videos that were “Funny”. Grouped together, the study also concluded that participants would share funny and cute (positive emotions) at a much higher rate than they would anger and disgust (negative emotions) (Guadagno et al., 2013). This showed that positive videos are more likely to be shared than ones that provoke negative emotions from the viewer; however, an interesting part of the research demonstrated that the participants would rather share a negatively stimulated video, rather than the control video. This helped capture the concept that videos are shared when they produce a stronger emotion (positive or negative) rather than a slight emotional response. This would mean that an atrociously disgusting video would be shared before a moderately funny video would (Guadagno et al.,2013). The researchers indicate that videos are most likely to be positive when sharing with people one cares about (Guadagno et al., 2013). Individuals want their connections to share the VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 8 same experience as they did when viewing the video. Based on this statement, the researchers provide the suggestion that users should share friendly content to help brighten the day of their connections, who are usually friends and family. Individuals would tend not to share negative content that could potentially disrupt the day of their peers (Guadagno et al., 2013). Finally, after observing viral content, emotions of viral videos, and then technical characteristics of viral videos, the last study analyzed viral videos through social media, specifically YouTube. The previous studies have been more general and have worked down to the most detailed study of the four discussed. This study goes into depth by closely looking at only one specific widely popular viral video (Mohr, 2014). In a study conducted by Mohr (2014), the goal was to determine four critical factors of viral content: “of identifying key elements of successful viral campaigns, differences in variations in levels of success, the relationship between source and popularity of video, and the role/impact of the influencer in communication models,” (Mohr, 2014, p. 44). There was a single video in the study which allowed the researcher to observe and analyze it intently while paying attention to details of the video. The video was the Susan Boyle YouTube clip that Mohr used to observe the path it took to becoming an internet phenomenon (Mohr, 2014). In this YouTube video, Susan Boyle was a 48 year old contestant on “Britain’s Got Talent” where she performed “I Dreamed a Dream”. The crowd was blown away by her voice, and she was the headline in the news for weeks to come. Her audition video went viral. Susan Boyle’s performance resembled “deep emotional content that was unusual and highly memorable,” (Mohr, 2014, p. 44). Another reason why the performance was highly memorable was because “Britain’s Got Talent” is a popular show and “I Dreamed a Dream” is a popular song. The unusual aspect of the performance was because many viewers considered her VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 9 to be “frumpy”, but she received a standing ovation and a “yes” to continue onto the next round from all the judges (Mohr, 2014). The second factor considers the underlying digital network. The video was shared through the social network: YouTube, a popular site that is highly convenient to people in all areas of the world (Mohr, 2014). The third factor has to do with word of mouth pressure, from those influenced and those willing to share (Mohr, 2014). Susan Boyle became the centerpiece of many conversations. People were talking about how the performance really proved the point: don’t judge a book by its cover. In addition to that, Mohr also found that Susan Boyle’s performance and lifestyle caused a great deal of drama. Drama attracts the attention of individuals and is the centerpiece of most conversation; therefore, a presence of drama means that people are more likely to discuss/share the event. The fourth important factor refers to a concept called “seeding”, meaning who shares the video has a drastic impact over how often it is shared (Mohr, 2014). For example, Susan Boyle was shared by Ashton Kutcher who had 1,000,000 followers (Mohr, 2014). This audience was exposed to the video, and in turn, they continuously shared with their followers, and the cycle ran on (Mohr, 2014). Conclusion In conclusion, viral videos are promoted through both technical and emotional factors. Viral videos often provoke a strong emotional response, usually one that reflects positive emotions such as happiness. These videos should also possess an ironic element or minority presence. Both have been seen commonly within viral videos because an ironic element produces a shock factor and minority presence connects individuals from all ethnic groups and promotes diversity. Finally, it is vital to understand the path that videos take that influence their ability to become viral. A viral video will be most successful if it is shared by people that have a large audience and an immense number of connections. This research is important because it helps VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 10 analyze what individuals in society are attracted to. Understanding the science behind this can be beneficial to many industries, especially marketing and advertising. The marketing and advertising industry can use this research to identify key components of producing a viral video or commercial. If a company were able to produce a viral commercial or video, it will reach an immense amount of people and essentially, will promote their product, company, or service brand. It is essential to understand viral videos because they will be increasingly used along with viral marketing. Adolescents are the primary targets for viral marketing (Kaneav, 2007). This audience is the next generation of the future. Viral marketing will only to continue to incorporate itself into the everyday lives of people everywhere, especially as the younger generation starts to take over society. VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK References Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2011). What makes online content viral? Journal of Marketing Research, (1547-7193). 76-84. doi: 10.1509/jmr.10.035 Cunningham, C. (2012). Social media. In M. Kosut (Ed.), Encyclopedia of gender in media. (pp. 357-360). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781452218540.n148 Dickey, M. (2013, Feb 15). Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/keyturning-points-history-of-youtube-2013-2 Fitzpatrick, L. (2010, May 31). Time Magazine. Retrieved from http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1990787,00.html Guadagno, R.E., Rempala, D.M., Murphy, S. & Okdie, B.M. (2013, November). What makes a video go viral? An analysis of emotional contagion and internet memes. Computers in Human Behavior, 29(6). 2312-2316. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2013.04.016 Kaneva, N. (2007). Viral marketing. In Encyclopedia of children, adolescents, and the media. (pp. 868-869). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781412952606.n465 Mohr, I. (2014). Going viral: An analysis of YouTube videos. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 8(3). 43-48. Publisher’s URL: http://www.nabusinesspress.com/Journals.html O'Neill, M. (2011, May 9). AdWeek Blog Network. Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/what-makes-a-video-viral/62414 11 VIRAL VIDEOS: WHAT MAKES THEM WORK 12 West, T. (2011, November). Going viral: Factors that lead to videos to become internet phenomena. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 2(1). 76-84. Retrieved from:http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/academics/communications/research/vol2no1/08West.pdf YouTube. (2015). Statistics. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html Research Evaluation Form Number: 1 of 4 Author(s): Nassuora, Bassam Title of Document: Students acceptance of mobile learning for higher education in Saudi Arabia. Journal Title: American Academic & Scholarly Research Journal Date of Publication: 7th December 2012 Volume #: 4 Issue#: 2 Pages: 24-30 Bibliographic citation Nassuora, A. B. (2012). Students acceptance of mobile learning for higher education in Saudi Arabia. American Academic & Scholarly Research Journal,4(2), 24-30. 1. Is this a Qualitative (non-numbers-based) or a Quantitative (numbers-based) study? This is a quantitative study because it is based on the numerical values used to collect data. A sample of 80 students was used for this study. As well, hypotheses have been stated for this study. Quantitative studies are based on hypotheses. 2. Briefly describe what the researcher(s) was trying to find out with this study. Since Saudi Arabia is in the process of incorporating technology in learning, this study looks into the issue of the Saudi Arabian use of technology in learning by evaluating the student’s acceptance of m-learning. 3. What are the major hypotheses or research questions of the study? This study is based on various hypothesis that include: Performance, Social factors, Facilitating conditions and effort expectancy will have a positive influence on attitude towards behavior. Performance, Social factors, Facilitating conditions and effort expectancy will have a positive influence on behavior intention to use. The attitude that students have towards behavior will have a positive influence on behavior intention to use mobile phones for learning. 4. Who were the participants in the study? Briefly describe the demographic characteristics (age, gender, location of study, the number of participants involved). The participants of this study are 100 students from Al-Faisal University though only 80 respondents were a success.38.8% were female while 61.2% were male. Students were 21 to 23 years old. 5. What are instruments used to collect and measure data (i.e. test results, surveys, interviews, attendance records, etc.)? They collected data about the attitudes of the students by use of questionnaires. 100 questionnaires were issued at the university, and they only got a response of 80 questionnaires. 6. What are the findings of the study? The findings of this study are that students used mobile phones at 100% with 86.2 having experience in the use of mobile internet. However, more than half of the students from this study were not familiar with mobile learning. From the hypothesis test, students showed a great level of acceptance of m-learning through effort expectancy and facilitating conditions that will in turn make their learning easy. The key to the success of a strategy is greatly determined by the effort that one employs as well the conditions surrounding the strategy. As well, the results confirmed the hypothesis that positive attitude increases the behavior intention to use mobiles in learning that would further motivate them and make learning easier. A negative attitude would demoralize the students and lead them avoiding the use of mobiles in learning. Therefore, the hypothesis of effort expectancy and performance leads to a positive attitude to the behavior of use has been confirmed. Besides, the hypothesis on positive attitude leading to intention to use has also been confirmed. The success of m-learning was brought about by the university’s policy support strategy and good perception. 7. What suggestions/recommendations are made by the researcher(s) in terms of applying the findings of the study to society/culture? Concerning this study, the recommendations made is for the university administration to focus on the design of an m-learning system that has a good perception and positive attitude from students. 8. How does this study relate to your chosen topic for your research paper? This study is relevant to my research topic of the attitude of Saudi Arabian students towards the use of technology in learning because mobile phones are some of the devices that have greatly contributed in access of internet study materials. The acceptance of using mobile phones by students would reflect the acceptance of more technology like the use of computers. Research Evaluation Form Number: 2 of 4 Author(s): Al-Gahtani, Said Title of Document: Computer technology adoption in Saudi Arabia: Correlates of perceived innovation attributes Journal Title: Information Technology for Development Date of Publication: 2003 Volume #: 10 Issue#: 1 Pages: 57-69 Bibliographic citation Al-Gahtani, S. S. (2003). Computer technology adoption in Saudi Arabia: Correlates of perceived innovation attributes. Information Technology for Development, 10(1), 57-69. 1. Is this a Qualitative (non-numbers-based) or a Quantitative (numbers-based) study? This is a quantitative study because it is based on the numerical values used to collect data. A sample of 1200 people from 56 institutions was used for this study. As well, hypotheses have been stated for this study. Quantitative studies are based on hypotheses. 2. Briefly describe what the researcher(s) was trying to find out with this study. Saudi Arabia is in the process of incorporating technology in learning. Therefore, this study investigates the attributes of computer technology and how they contribute to its acceptance. 3. What are the major hypotheses or research questions of the study? This study is based on various hypothesis that include: The relative advantage of the systems will be positively associated with computer adoption in Saudi Arabia. Compatibility of the systems will be positively associated with computer adoption. The complexity of the systems will be negatively associated with computer adoption. Observability of the system components will be positively associated with computer adoption. Trialability results of the systems will be positively associated with computer adoption. 4. Who were the participants in the study? Briefly describe the demographic characteristics (age, gender, location of study, the number of participants involved). The participants of this study are 1200 individuals from different 56 organizations. Organizations include both large and medium. 5. What are instruments used to collect and measure data (i.e. test results, surveys, interviews, attendance records, etc.)? They collected data on the use of survey questionnaires in the various organizations. 6. What are the findings of the study? The findings of this study are that the perception of the relative advantage of innovation is positively associated with its adoption hence justifying the first hypothesis. The use of computers makes work easier as compared to manual work. Another finding of the study is that compatibility has a positive relation to the adoption of computer technology because people prefer the use of machine compatible to the intended work and easy to use hence justifying the second questionnaire. The perceived complexity of innovation was found to have a negative impact on its acceptability. A complex system is difficult to understand how it operates and; therefore, many people would not appreciate such. As well, trialability is positively related to its acceptance because the system will give the users a clear guideline on how the real system will work hence justifying the hypothesis. Observability has a positive impact on the acceptance of a system because a system whose components can be easily observed is easy to adopt. 7. What suggestions/recommendations are made by the researcher(s) in terms of applying the findings of the study to society/culture? Concerning this study, the recommendations made is that organizations should make trial ability the main concern when adopting a system at their risk. 8. How does this study relate to your chosen topic for your research paper? This study is relevant to my research topic of the attitude of Saudi Arabian students towards the use of technology in learning. The reason is that the general acceptance of the use of computers in organizations is the key determinant on whether such systems will be extended all over the country and even in schools. Research Evaluation Form Number: 3 of 4 Author(s): Alkhalaf, Ali Title of Document: Identifying mobile learning challenges at male high schools in Saudi Arabia from the teachers point of view Journal Title International Journal of Learning and Teaching Date of Publication: 2014 Volume #: 6 Issue#: 1 Pages: 30-37 Bibliographic citation Alkhalaf, A. (2014). Identifying mobile learning challenges at male high schools in Saudi Arabia from the teachers point of view. International Journal of Learning and Teaching, 6(1). 1. Is this a Qualitative (non-numbers-based) or a Quantitative (numbers-based) study? This is a quantitative study because it is based on the numerical values used to collect data. Survey emails were sent to 40 teachers, but only 6 responded. As well, hypotheses have been stated for this study. Quantitative studies are based on hypotheses. 2. Briefly describe what the researcher(s) was trying to find out with this study. The main objective of this study was to find out the challenges faced by male students regarding the use of mobile phones for learning. 3. What are the major hypotheses or research questions of the study? The main hypothesis of this study is: students face various challenges in mobile learning. 4. Who were the participants in the study? Briefly describe the demographic characteristics (age, gender, location of study, the number of participants involved). The participants of this study are 40 teachers, but only 6 responded. The study took place in a male high school in Arabia. 5. What are instruments used to collect and measure data (i.e. test results, surveys, interviews, attendance records, etc.)? They collected data by sending emails that had links to the survey question. Ie; survey monkey. 6. What are the findings of the study? The findings of this study are that students face various problems in the course of mobile learning. Among such challenges is the fact that unsaved information could be lost in the event where the device stops functioning. Such an occurrence means that the student will have to do the work again. Another challenge is that the mobile devices are of different models, and, therefore, some of the students and teachers find it hard in operating the devices. In turn, this could lead to a slowdown in the process of learning. As well, some of the course materials may not be available for mobile applications, and this renders the devices useless in that sector because students and teachers cannot access the particular materials. The schools are not ready for mobile learning due to the various challenges experienced and also, not everyone can afford those devices. This is a great challenge in schools whereby a larger portion of the population consists of less fortunate students. Besides, the available mobile technology is not much applicable for learning purposes due to the simple software used, and the student will mostly use the devices for other purposes such as the social media. As well, the lack of skill in presentation and discussion is a challenge faced by mobile users. Use of mobiles erode the social aspects of early education. 7. What suggestions/recommendations are made by the researcher(s) in terms of applying the findings of the study to society/culture? Concerning this study, the recommendations made is for schools to adopt ways of doing away with the challenges to ensure the diffusion of mobile learning. 8. How does this study relate to your chosen topic for your research paper? This study is relevant to my research topic of the attitude of Saudi Arabian students towards the use of technology in learning. The reason is that such challenges ought to be solved to encourage the continued incorporation of technology in studying. RESEARCH EVALUATION FORM. Number: 4 of 4 Author(s): Alfahad and Fahad Title of Document: Students' Attitudes and Perceptions towards the Effectiveness of Mobile Learning in King Saud University, Saudi Arabia Journal Title: _ Date of Publication: 2009 Volume #: 8 Issue#: 2 Pages: _ Bibliographic citation Al-Fahad, F. N. (2009). Students' Attitudes and Perceptions towards the Effectiveness of Mobile Learning in King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Online Submission, 8(2). file:///C:/Users/NOTEBOOK/Downloads/2015112000055642204482%20(5).pdf 1. Is this a Qualitative (non-numbers-based) or a Quantitative (numbers-based) study? This is a quantitative study because the analysis of data is based on the numbers obtained from the survey. It is also a qualitative study as evident from the survey questions. 2. Briefly describe what the researcher(s) was trying to find out with this study. The main objective of this study was to find out student’s perceptions and attitudes towards the use of mobile phones in learning. 3. What are the major hypotheses or research questions of the study? The main hypothesis of this study are: The extent to which students prefer mobile learning in distance education. The extent of use of mobile phones by distance learners. Perception and attitudes of students towards the effectiveness of mobile phones in learning. 4. Who were the participants in the study? Briefly describe the demographic characteristics (age, gender, location of study, the number of participants involved). The participants of this study are 186 undergraduate female students from King Saud University. 5. What are instruments used to collect and measure data (i.e. test results, surveys, interviews, attendance records, etc.)? They collected data by the use of questionnaires. 6. What are the findings of the study? The findings of this study are more than 50 % of the students who participated in the study have a strong support regarding the effectiveness of using mobile phones in learning because it provides timely information. As well, mobile phones tend to be somehow flexible hence allowing students to do their studies anytime. The study indicates that mobile phones ae available to many students and can, therefore, be implemented in the learning program. A high cost would be involved in the use of mobile phones, and as well, respondents reported apprehension concerning the available quality of networking. Around 25 % of the respondents were aware of mobile learning. 7. What suggestions/recommendations are made by the researcher(s) regarding applying the findings of the study to society/culture? Concerning this study, the recommendations made the university to offer mobile phones for learning so that they can retain the number of B.A and M.D students as well ensure effective learning. 8. How does this study relate to your chosen topic for your research paper? This study is relevant to my research topic of the attitude of Saudi Arabian students towards the use of technology in learning. The reason is perceptions of students will determine whether the use of mobiles will be an effective way of learning. Running head: A PERSONAL VIEW OF E-LEARNING IN SAUDI ARABIA A Personal View of e-Learning in Saudi Arabia 1 A PERSONAL VIEW OF E-LEARNING IN SAUDI ARABIA 2 APA Citation Bates, T. (2009). A personal view of e-learning in Saudi Arabia. Retrieved August, 13, 2010. http://www.tonybates.ca/2009/11/05/a-personal-view-of-e-learning-in-saudi-arabia/ A Personal View of e-Learning in Saudi Arabia In this article Tony Bates gives a report regarding his visit to various universities in Saudi Arabia for the purpose of offering e- Learning workshops. According to this report, most of the institutions visited did not have a policy regarding the learning management systems. Some of the faculties were using blackboards while others were using a system that is specifically designed for Arab countries. An example is the case of King Abdulaziz University whereby they are developing their learning management system. The Saudi government has set aside a lot of money for the purpose of catering for education issues in the country hence exhibiting a rapid growth in their university system. However, the universities lack enough qualified personnel that calls for them to hire individuals from Egypt and Pakistan. A well-funded e-learning center has been established in Riyadh which is made to encourage e-learning. Besides, the program is facing strong resistance from the accreditation agency and fully online distance education due to the quality of the education. The three universities have women’s faculties and the workshop arrangements varied from one university to the other. There is less professional support for e-learning in the three universities that Tony Bates visited. Educational theory is not a topic taught in Saud Arabian universities due to the lack of instructional designers. The focus of technology departments is media and production studies instead of e-learning. Therefore, most of the training regarding e-learning have to be done A PERSONAL VIEW OF E-LEARNING IN SAUDI ARABIA 3 by outside sources. According to Tony Bates, e-learning is like a driving in Saudi Arabia in that they have good technology, but the maximization of its use is rare. As well, there is a great determination by women to incorporate e-learning into the education system to make learning easier and fast. A good example is a leadership that is being provided by an e-learning program in King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. The information regarding the extent to which e-learning has been incorporated in some of the universities in Saudi Arabia is important to the research topic because it shows the level of acceptance of mobile learning. The article gives a clear outline regarding the use of e-learning in universities. In turn, the use of tutors from other countries is evidence as to the condition of mobile learning in the country such that they have to hire individuals from Egypt and Pakistan. As well, the government’s effort is playing a great role in encouraging individuals to incorporate e-learning in universities. Funding is the key element in such a situation and, therefore, such a contribution from the government will make the process easier. As a result, this article has sufficient information regarding my study. The determination of women in e-learning is a clear evidence to the extent in which students from the Saudi Arabian universities are willing to corporate in all matters regarding the use of mobile phones in learning. Besides, this research is important to my research because it has an outline regarding the contribution of various universities to effect e-learning. A good example is the leadership programming being offered by King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. Therefore, the information from this article is relevant to my study since it’s about the issue of e-learning in university.
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