Mobile collaborative learning with social network awareness

Background: Social network awareness (SNA) enables students to know the online learning context of peers in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) and it has been used to improve peer interaction and participation in collaborative learning tasks. Mobile learning enables students to access learning content and discuss content with peers regardless of location or time. Because almost every college student has their own mobile device and social networks are ubiquitous in their daily lives, a mobile learning application with social networking is promising for promoting effective learning if students are willing to continually use the application. However, few studies have investigated this.Objectives: In this study, SNA was integrated into a mobile-based assessment (MBA-SNA). The study investigated whether students were willing to persist in the use of MBA-SNA and the factors influencing this intention.Methods: A 1-month experiment was conducted to investigate the research question on the basis of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).Results: The results demonstrated that (1) students were willing to continue using the MBA-SNA, (2) the incentives influencing behavioural intention (BI) in initial use and continual use differed, and (3) social influence (SI) and perceived playfulness (PP) were the two key determinants of continual use.Implications: The SNA increases the positive impact of SI and PP on MBA continual use so that continual use can be assured. Future research should integrate SNA into other mobile learning apps (e.g., mobile collaborative writing or discussion apps) to enhance continued system use and learning effectiveness.