College students' readiness for connectivist learning: the development and validation of a scale

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the components of college students' readiness for connectivist learning in technology-enhanced learning environments through the development of the readiness for connectivist learning scale (RCLS). Design/methodology/approach After the constructs of the scale had been identified, their items were created based on the relevant literature. In order to ensure the content validity of the items, a sorting procedure was implemented and they were reviewed by experts in the field. The construct validity of the scale was tested using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with data from 718 students from a university in Turkey. Findings The findings of the current study indicated a four-factor solution, which includes information and communication technology (ICT) self-efficacy (seven items), autonomous learning (seven items), information literacy (eight items) and learning networks (five items). A significant, strong and positive correlation of students' scores on the RCLS with those of the online learning readiness scale (Hung et al., 2010) supported the criterion-related validity of the scale. The value of Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the RCLS showed good reliability for the scale. Originality/value With the assessment of college students' readiness level for connectivist learning, it is possible for them to anticipate their success in connectivist learning environments themselves and thereby to improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for their success in these environments.