发表期刊: Education and Information Technologies
Lee, J. C., & Xiong, L. (2023). Exploring learners’ continuous usage decisions regarding mobile-assisted language learning applications: A social support theory perspective. Education and Information Technologies, 1-27.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-023-11884-5
论文简介
Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) applications (apps) can provide users with personalized learning content to meet their learning needs. Besides, from the learner perspective, the apps can be regarded as ‘social’ individuals, like anthropomorphic instructors who offer social support to help them with language learning. However, the current literature lacks an investigation of the dominant technological feature of MALL, that is, personalization function influencing users’ assessments of social support and trust towards MALL and subsequently determining their continuous usage intention toward MALL. To address this gap, using stimulus-organism-response theory and social support theory, this study develops a research model by investigating how personalization (stimulus) affects social support in terms of information, emotional and appraisal support and trust (organism), which eventually influence users’ continuance intentions toward MALL apps (response). A total of 455 valid questionnaires were collected, and the data were analysed by the partial least squares (PLS) method. The results showed that personalization increases users’ information, emotional and appraisal support. Information, emotional and appraisal support enhance user’ trust when using MALL. Users’ trust fosters their continuous usage of MALL. Moreover, the mediation analysis revealed that information, emotional support and appraisal support fully mediate the relationship between personalization and trust. Trust acts as a full mediator between information, emotional and appraisal support and continuance usage intention. This study provides theoretical contributions to the existing literature and practical suggestions for practitioners to develop MALL apps. Finally, research limitations and future research directions are also discussed.
移动辅助语言学习(Mobile-assisted language learning, MALL)应用(app)可以为用户提供个性化的学习内容，满足用户的学习需求。此外，从学习者的角度来看，这些应用程序可以被视为“社会”个体，就像拟人化的教师一样，为他们提供社会支持，帮助他们学习语言。然而，目前的文献缺乏对MALL的主导技术特征的研究，即个性化功能影响用户对MALL的社会支持和信任评估，进而决定用户对MALL的持续使用意愿。针对这一不足，本研究运用刺激-机体-反应理论和社会支持理论，通过研究个性化(刺激)如何从信息、情感和评价支持和信任(机体)方面影响社会支持，最终影响用户对MALL应用的延续意愿(反应)，构建研究模型。共回收有效问卷455份，采用偏最小二乘法(PLS)对数据进行分析。结果表明，个性化增加了用户的信息支持、情感支持和评价支持。信息支持、情感支持和评价支持增强用户在使用MALL时的信任。用户的信任促使他们持续使用MALL。此外，信息、情感支持和评价支持对个性化与信任之间的关系具有充分的中介作用。信任在信息支持、情感支持和评价支持与继续使用意愿之间起完全中介作用。本研究为现有文献提供了理论贡献，并为从业者开发MALL应用提供了实践建议。最后，对研究的局限性和未来的研究方向进行了讨论。