Acceptance of cloud services in face-to-face computer-supported collaborative learning: a comparison between single-user mode and multi-user mode

Abstract

Face-to-face computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) was used extensively to facilitate learning in classrooms. Cloud services not only allow a single user to edit a document, but they also enable multiple users to simultaneously edit a shared document. However, few researchers have compared student acceptance of such services in face-to-face CSCL between the single-user mode and the multi-user mode so as to explore which one is accepted by students more readily. Our findings indicate that students prefer to use the multi-user mode and further reveal that when the multi-user mode is used in face-to-face CSCL, (1) social influence plays a vital role related to students’ intention to use; (2) training and problem-solving assistance are helpful to familiarise students; (3) strategies for students engaging in the multi-user mode should be considered, otherwise each student has the authority to edit the shared file, which leads to it being difficult to reach a consensus.

Keywords:

• cloud services
• face-to-face
• CSCL
• single-user mode
• multi-user mode

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of China, Taiwan, for financially supporting this research under Contract No. MOST 102-2511-S-041-001-, 102-2511-S-041-004- and 102-2511-S-041-005-.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.