Online Context Research Articles

(Techno)Paganism: An Exploration of Animistic Relations with the Digital

The aim of this paper is to examine and illustrate how the animistic ontology present in neopaganism allows embodied and sensuous interactions with virtual worlds. By considering animism as a strategy with which to rethink human cohabitation with the techno-digital otherness, I will show how neopagans who use computer technology for spiritual purposes experience the online context as an environment where lived religious practices can occur. To do so, I will particularly focus on religious practices taking place in digital games and 3D social virtual platforms due to their ability to induce immersive and interactive experiences. Because neopaganism recognizes the material living world as a central aspect of spiritual experiences, I will explore the ways that the spatial and material dimensions are articulated in neopagan’s online performances, the actions they make possible, and how they enable a more intimate relationship with virtual platforms. I will accompany the theoretical reflection with case studies and interviews with technopagan practitioners experiencing their religion with and within computer technology. This paper also aims to show how this new conception of animism connects to what Mikhail Bakhtin calls “dialogism”, a condition that recognizes the multiplicity of perspectives and voices and denies the possibility of not getting involved with the otherness. For such reasons, approaching the digital through an animistic ontology can help us acknowledge the convergence of humans with the techno-digital otherness and explore, on deeper levels, sensuous and embodied experiences taking place in the religious context.

How Does Studying Online Affect the Well-Being of Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities?

The current paper aimed to explore the impact of studying online during the coronavirus pandemic on the well-being of a sample of students (n=74) who were classified as students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in five Dubai-based schools. An online 18-item Likert scale survey was developed and distributed among participants; however, this resulted in no statistically significant findings. However, there was a slight negative trend, suggesting that the students’ well-being was somewhat affected by studying alone in an online context. Ultimately, the study recommended the need to provide counselling programs to improve the well-being of the students with SEND due to the circumstances imposed on them by the pandemic; and highlights the need for more support services for these students when they study online.

퍼포먼스 관점으로 본 온라인 교육드라마의 공간

This study aims to investigate how the spaces within online educational dramas are performed and how participants experience these spaces. The results indicate that the performance of educational drama spaces and the way participants experience these spaces have similar effects in both face-to-face and online contexts. Additionally, online educational drama spaces exhibit unique characteristics. The performance of these spaces, whether in face-to -face or online settings, ultimately provides participants with a specific cognitive frame through which they perceive events within those spaces as having special meaning. In conclusion, the performance of spaces in educational drama spaces provides participants with a specific cognitive frame, allowing them to perceive events within these spaces as having unique significance.

Profiles of fear of missing out and their social media use among young adults: A six-month longitudinal study

This longitudinal study used a person-centered approach to differentiate fear of missing out (FoMO) among subgroups of individuals using latent profile analysis (LPA). The subgroups were identified according to trait-FoMO (a specific predisposition) and state-FoMO (a specific cognition in the online context) items. Data were collected from 1125 participants (70.04 % female, age range 17–26 years, Mage = 20.52 years). The LPA showed five distinct profiles: highest FoMO, high trait-FoMO high state-FoMO, high trait-FoMO low state-FoMO, low trait-FoMO high state-FoMO, and low trait-FoMO low state-FoMO. We further explored how these profiles relate to social media use. The results revealed significant differences between profiles in terms of social media engagement, social media self-control failure, and problematic social media use and could be used to predict social media use behaviors of 437 participants (77.35 % female, age range 18–27 years, Mage = 20.60 years) six months later. Thus, the combination of high trait-FoMO and high state-FoMO may mean more frequent social media engagement and could be an important risk factor for social media self-control failure and problematic social media use. Additionally, state-FoMO should be considered in prevention and intervention strategies aimed at addressing young adults’ problematic social media use.

Digital Communication of Conscientious Brands: Case Studies

In the actual context, it is increasingly crucial for brands to act with a conscience and communicate their environmental and social commitments to gain social legitimacy from stakeholders. Despite the relevance of this issue, limited studies provide insight into conscientious communication. Specifically, there is a dearth of research in the conscientious brand literature on how conscience-driven brands can communicate in digital environments. Indeed, brands may benefit from digital touchpoints by increasing social acceptance. The proposed paper aims to provide a conscientious communication definition and explore requirements that conscientious brands can fulfil to communicate their conscientiousness to stakeholders in the online context. The findings emerging from secondary data-based case studies offer a preliminary definition of conscientious communication and initial answers to what conscientious brands communicate (main contents), to whom (main audience), for what objectives (functions), how (main principles) and where (main digital means and channels) they communicate. Furthermore, the paper provides a compass to orient managers and practitioners toward conscientious communication strategies and practices to achieve environmental, social, and governance goals. This study broadens the debate on conscientious brands and offers theoretical insights into social legitimacy. Finally, it paves the way for future research in this emerging field.

STUDENT PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The importance, traits, and methods of assessment in an online context are highlighted in this paper's discussion of assessment as an essential component of teaching. The paper aims to provide teachers with a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals, features, and methodologies of online assessment while also emphasizing the need for ongoing efforts to raise teachers' professional competence in order to ensure their successful integration into contemporary educational processes. The research sample comprises of pertinent literature that was gathered on the Google Academic and ResearchGate platforms, most of which is foreign due to the scarcity of studies on this topic in Serbia. Approximately 20 years' worth of publications have been chosen, taking into account the topic's current relevance. This paper was prepared largely with the aim of giving teachers more knowledge, influencing awareness-raising, and removing hurdles that teachers frequently have when it comes to online assessment. It was written utilizing the technique of content analysis. Since the past has demonstrated that the educational system is not immune to social difficulties, it is advised that teachers accept online assessment as a substitute for traditional methods of assessment and become familiar with its significance and potential implementation strategies.

Sharing peer advice: A case study of Chinese patients’ narratives in an online support group for mental health

Recent health communication studies have begun to look at online illness narratives, showing how narratives are used to report patients’ experience or to offer medical advice in various online contexts. However, few studies have sought to explore the communicative features of these online narratives in the Chinese context. Given the insufficient and uneven distribution of mental health resources and the intense stigma attached, an increasing number of Chinese patients with mental disorders are turning to online support groups (OSGs) for advice. We have limited understanding of Chinese patients’ lived experience or the potential of online illness narratives to be interpersonal tools for sharing advice. Drawing on computer-mediated discourse analysis, this study scrutinises narrative passages from a Chinese OSG to illustrate how individuals with mental illness interact in an online advisory context. The detailed analysis of narrative functions unpacks the potential of OSGs to provide storytelling opportunities for Chinese patients with mental disorders, allowing them to voice their concerns and experiences within the peer-to-peer network of relational understanding and support. This study also identifies a distinct feature of narrative activities in this online advisory context – the illness blog – and illustrates how its occurrence is related to the Chinese sociocultural values. This study can help raise awareness of illness narratives as a communication tool and facilitate culturally sensitive reactions of healthcare professionals towards patients’ narratives.

Trust but verify? Examining the role of trust in institutions in the spread of unverified information on social media

This study aims to investigate the association between trust in institutions and the reasons for sharing unverified information on social media. Specifically, this study explores the role of perceived self-efficacy in detecting misinformation and the motivation to authenticate information in online contexts. We draw on a sample of 2600 respondents, mainly Generation Z and Millennials (ages between 15 and 30). The findings show a blinding side of trust, revealing a positive association between trust in institutions on social media and reasons for sharing unverified information. Trust in institutions is positively associated with perceived self-efficacy in detecting misinformation. We suggest that the positive correlation between trust in institutions and perceived self-efficacy in detecting misinformation implies an overconfidence effect – i.e., individuals may overestimate their ability to assess information based on their belief that a source (institution) is trustworthy. This arguably represents a tendency to divert attention away from the accuracy of the information and explains the positive indirect association between trust and the likelihood of sharing unverified content. Moreover, trust is negatively associated with individuals' motivation to authenticate information, suggesting that individuals may rely on information utility rather than engage in critical thinking and verification. This study contributes to understanding the spread of misinformation on social media by highlighting the role of trust in institutions and its association with individuals' reasons for sharing unverified information. It also emphasizes the importance of perceived self-efficacy in detecting misinformation and the motivation to authenticate information as mediating mechanisms.

Teacher Autonomy Support Influence on Online Learning Engagement: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Self-Regulated Learning

Higher education faculty’s autonomous support of online teaching can promote students engagement in online context. This study collected 492 Chinese university students’ survey questionnaires and applied structural equation model to measure their teacher autonomy support, self-efficacy, self-regulated learning (SRL), and online learning engagement. This study adopted self-determination theory (SDT), systematically explored the relationship between teachers’ autonomy support and student learning engagement from the perspective of online contexts, and examined the mediating effects of students’ self-efficacy and self-regulated learning (SRL) in online contexts. This study found that teacher autonomy support had a significant effect on student engagement in online learning, and was mediated by self-efficacy. Teacher-directed support had a significant effect on student engagement in online learning mediated by SRL. Teacher-directed support had a significant impact on online learning with self-efficacy and SRL as the main mediating variables. Therefore, this study gave a fresh perspective to improve students’ online learning engagement, that is to say, teachers were encourage to improve students’ autonomy in practical teaching on the basis of giving students autonomy support. Students can promote online learning engagement by strengthening self-efficacy and self-regulation through organizational exchanges and mutual assistance and cooperation of students.

Optimizing Automatic Text Classification Approach in Adaptive Online Collaborative Discussion–A Perspective of Attention Mechanism-Based Bi-LSTM

A text semantic classification is an essential approach to recognising the verbal intention of online learners, empowering reliable understanding and inquiry for the regulations of knowledge construction amongst students. However, online learning is increasingly switching from static watching patterns to the collaborative discussion. The current deep learning models, such as CNN and RNN, are ineffective in classifying verbal content contextually. Moreover, the contribution of verbal elements to semantics is often considerably varied, requiring the attachment of weights to these elements to increase verbal recognition precision. The Bi-LSTM is considered to be an adaptive model to investigate semantic relations according to the context. Moreover, the attention mechanism in deep learning simulating human vision could assign weights to target texts effectively. This study proposed to construct a deep learning model combining Bi-LSTM and attention mechanism, in which Bi-LSTM obtained the verbal features and keywords, and the generated keywords were weighed in accordance with the attention mechanism. A total of 12,000 sentences generated in online collaborative discussion activities have been classified into six categories, namely statement, negotiation, question, management, emotion and others. Results showed that the classification accuracy of Attention-Bi-LSTM reached 81.50%, which is higher than that of the baseline Bi-LSTM model. This study theoretically uncovers the features of collaborative discussion of onliners and practically provides an effective approach to automatic behaviour analysis in an online context.

Belonging in Online Synchronous Classrooms: Experiences of Minoritized Students in Dutch Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education in many countries suddenly moved online. The sudden move to online education forced teachers to adapt their teaching to an online context. The concept of belonging has been described as the next evolution of, and a characteristic that is central to, inclusion. Many have argued that inclusion can never be truly achieved without the presence of belonging. In this paper we ask important questions, such as how does the move to online education, with its lack of personal cues and heightened anonymity, influence minoritized students’ sense of belonging? What is the role of the sense of belonging for inclusion in education? From our data about the minoritized student experiences of belonging in online classrooms, three patterns emerged. (1) The most dominant experience was that the lack of connection in online classrooms reduced students’ sense of belonging. (2) In a few instances, however, the lack of connection and the heightened anonymity of online classrooms led to an increased sense of belonging and safety in online classrooms. (3) However, not all students experienced the switch to online education as a major change.

INTERNET AND RELIGION

The internet has grown in importance as a platform for religious speech and practice, with some considering it a suitable medium for magical experimentation and rituals. Sects and religious meetings have also found a new home in digital networks. Some religious societies have opted to shift their activities online, resulting in digital religion and hyper-mediated religious experiences. The use of digital technology has also fueled religious imagination, notably in the context of animism. The use of digital technology for spiritual reasons, known as technoshamanism, is becoming increasingly popular among neopagans, occultists, and New Agers. As a result, the internet has become a haven for digital deities and technoshamanism, opening new avenues for religious expression and practice. With this context in mind, the research focuses on digital religion, with researchers discussing how digital deities and technoshamanism are changing our understanding of spirituality. The purpose of this research explores how the internet and religion are transformed in the move from offline to online contexts into digital deities and technoshamanism. The rise of digital deities and technoshamanism is altering our perception of spirituality. As a result, the influence of digital deities and technoshamanism on the nature of spirituality is still being explored and researched, with consequences for both conventional religious organizations and the larger cultural environment. The research method of this study is library research, to gather information from books, journals, and online libraries.

We Can’t Hear You – You’re on Mute: Findings From a Review of Evaluation Capacity Building (ECB) Practice Online

Background: In her presidential address to the American Evaluation Association (AEA) in 2007, Hallie Preskill (2008) highlighted the potential role of technology to promote learning from evaluation, noting the increased use of computers, the internet, and social media as untapped ways to facilitate evaluation. More than ten years later in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluators and evaluation capacity building (ECB) practitioners found themselves needing to shift to online modalities to conduct evaluation and build capacity. The COVID-19 pandemic, technological advancements, and the rapid shift to remote work have changed our way of working (Gratton, 2021; Kane et al., 2021). Building evaluation capacity is no exception to this trend. Purpose: This study aimed to examine ways that practitioners have built evaluation capacity online or have used technology to do so, to capture lessons learned that can be applied in a COVID and post-normal context. Setting: Findings from this study can be applied in online contexts for developing evaluation capacity. Intervention: Not applicable. Research Design: The study design consisted of a rapid review of the ECB literature published from 2000 to 2019 in eight academic journals focused on evaluation research and practice. Data Collection and Analysis: Twenty-nine case applications of ECB practice that: 1) mentioned use of technology as a strategy for building evaluation capacity or 2) noted that at least one component of the ECB intervention was carried out online or virtually were reviewed for this study. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were coded in MAXQDA using conventional content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005). Findings: More diverse online interventions have increased over time. Less than half (45%) of ECB interventions made use of both asynchronous and synchronous strategies for building capacity while more than one-third (38%) made use of asynchronous only strategies. Key barriers to implementing ECB strategies online included lack of social connections to other participants during the capacity building activity, technical malfunctions, lack of access to or familiarity with the technology in use, and limited resources for carrying out evaluation activities. Key facilitators for enhancing implementation included facilitating participant interaction and relationship-building both on and off-line, tailoring ECB activities to participant work contexts, and providing tutorials for accessing and using the technology in play.

Online versus in-person delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder: An examination of effectiveness.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) including exposure and response prevention is the first-line psychological treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Given changes in the clinical landscape, there are increasing efforts to evaluate its effectiveness in online contexts. Mirroring the traditional in-person delivery, few studies have assessed the role of therapist-guided, manual-based CBT for OCD delivered in real-time via videoconferencing methods. The present study sought to fill this gap by comparing in-person and online delivery of group-based CBT for the treatment of OCD. A convenience sample of participants with moderate to severe OCD (n = 144) were recruited from a naturalistic database from two large OCD specialty assessment and treatment centres. Patients received group-based CBT that was provided in-person (pre-COVID-19 pandemic; March 2018 to March 2020) or online via videoconferencing (during the COVID-19 pandemic; March 2020 to April 2021). In both delivery methods, treatment consisted of 2-h weekly sessions led by trained clinicians. Analyses revealed that, regardless of treatment modality, both in-person and online groups demonstrated significant, reliable, and statistically equivalent improvements in OCD symptoms post-treatment. Videoconferenced, clinician-led CBT may be a promising alternative to in-person delivery for those with moderate to severe OCD symptoms.

O.5.1-6 Bucking the mid-life inactivity trend: a study of 40–64-year-olds' participation in Zwift, a real-time online exercise community, through a social identity lens

Abstract Purpose Despite evidence suggesting a decline in the physical activity of middle-aged adults, 40–64-year-olds participation in group exercise is actually increasing. One potential reason for this increase in activity is the increase in a range of different online group exercise formats and contexts. Recent research suggests that people join, participate, and stay involved in, exercise groups that reflect who they are - a process of social identification. The purpose of this research is to qualitatively explore participants’ experiences and facilitators of social identification related to the online group exercise platform known as Zwift. Methods Zwift participants (n = 17) aged between 40-64 (midlife) (13 Men, 4 Women) were recruited into the study for three stages of data collection: (stage 1) an initial semi-structured interview exploring participant exercise history and use of Zwift, (stage 2) completing a two-week post exercise diary to capture their experiences of social identification after participation, (stage 3) a follow up final interview to explore topics raised over the first two data collection steps. This generated 23 hours of interviews, that were then transcribed and combined with the participant diaries resulting in 468 pages of data. Results Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the data. The results from this analysis indicate the following themes from the data: (1) Online exercise as an enabling facilitator of exercise identity; (2). Online exercise provides exercise identity continuity or exercise identity creation depending on the exercisers, exercise history; (3) Online exercise identification via communities goes through phases of identification; (4) Two-way communication contributes to perceptions of identification phases of identification; and (5) Social identity leadership is demonstrated by online exercisers norms, behaviours and beliefs Conclusions Overall, this research highlights three key suggestions for mid-life physical activity promotion: (1) That facilitators and processes of social identification may be context specific; (2) That social identification processes should be considered in the design of online exercise; and (3) That online exercise that enables social identification should be considered as a vehicle of maintaining/ increasing exercise participation Funding The study was funded by the researcher.

Online Sexual Harassment in Adolescence: A Scoping Review

Abstract Introduction Sexual harassment is a complex behavior to study since it is characterized by various dimensions and definitions. Analyzing the characteristics and manifestations of this behavior in the online context, at such a vulnerable time as adolescence, is important to fully understand its nature, characteristics, and consequences. Aims and Method This work aims to systematize the information available in the literature, identify labels used to refer to online sexual harassment in the adolescent population, describe the definition of online sexual harassment taking into consideration specific criteria that emerge from the studies, and describe the operationalization of online sexual harassment. The literature search was conducted in November 2021 through four scientific databases: Scopus, PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science. The initial search led to 20958 results: after eliminating duplicates, screening, and reading of full-texts, 65 papers were included in the review. Results The type of relationship between aggressor and victim, the use of abusive connotations, and the time frame of occurring behaviors are investigated in included studies. Moreover, different typologies of abuse have been described, by differentiating between studies that focus on the victim's point of view and studies that focus on the perpetrator’s point of view. Conclusion Online sexual harassment covers a wide range of behaviors using digital content (images, videos, posts, messages). Through this scoping review, it is possible to identify some key characteristics of this phenomenon: online sexual harassment has an abusive connotation, as it is perceived as unwanted by the victim, it can occur in three main typologies (verbal, visual, cybersex) and even a single episode is enough to experience victimization. In terms of relational behaviors, online sexual harassment includes unwanted sexual solicitations and non-consensual sharing.

Avatar taxonomy: a new technological tool to enhance the consumer-brand relationships

PurposeAvatars, which are used as a technology and marketing tactic, can embody consumer-facing employees and mimic their real-life roles on companies' websites, thereby playing a key role in enhancing the relationships between consumers and brands in the online environment. Academics and practitioners have increasingly acknowledged the significance of the consumer-brand relationship in both traditional and online contexts. However, the impersonal nature of the online environment is considered to be a hindrance to the development of these relationships. Despite the importance of this technology, little attention has been paid to the investigation of the avatar concept from a marketing perspective. This paper explores the nature of the avatar concept, including its main characteristics, dimensions, and conditions as well as the attitudinal and behavioural consequences of avatar users.Design/methodology/approachAdopting the qualitative design, a taxonomy was developed from interviews. In total, 42 interviews were conducted with current university students. 30 participants participated in the exploratory interviews. A total of 12 interviews were conducted during the in-depth stage based on findings in the preceding research.FindingsBased on the qualitative data analysis, a taxonomy was developed. The idea of the taxonomy is summarized in that different dimensions of the avatar are considered the main base (first phase) of the taxonomy. There are consequential three parts: the attitudinal consequences related to the website; the attitudinal consequences related to the brand; the behaviours towards the brand. These behaviours represent the final phase of the taxonomy.Originality/valueBy developing a taxonomy of using avatars on brands' websites, the authors advance the understanding consumer-brands relationships. Using avatars' verbal interactions helps in shaping consumers' cognitive, affective, attitudinal and behavioural responses and add vital empirical evidence to the increasing body of research and practices involving avatar usage in the interactive marketing area.

Athletes’ Perceptions of Developing Relationships Through Adult-Oriented Coaching in Online Contexts

Online coaching has grown in popularity, in which the coach and athlete work together using Internet-based platforms, without meeting in person. Kettlebell lifting has been using the online format for some time. The majority of Kettlebell lifters are Masters Athletes (MAs), over the age of 35 years, and competing in registered events around the world. Adult-oriented psychosocial coaching approaches that prioritize relationship development have proven to be successful when coaching MAs. While the coach–athlete relationship has been extensively examined, it is not known how the coach–athlete relationship is created and maintained in an online-only environment. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of MAs’ relationships with their online coaches. Five kettlebell lifters were interviewed to explore their experiences of having online coaches. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, the lifters’ individual experiences within the online coaching environment were examined. Three higher order themes suggest (a) initial relationship building involves the coach selection by the MA, as well as developing closeness and complementary behaviors; (b) progressing in the relationship through communication; and (c) coach programming that is adaptable and negotiated. The coach–athlete relationship for mature adults in an online-only platform can be fostered through adult-oriented approaches.

Learner Readiness and Efficiency of Learning English in Online Higher Education Context: Voices of Turkish EFL Learners

Today, online education has become indispensable for many learning environments, including those designated for teaching and learning languages, becoming widespread and revolutionizing how students access education and language learning resources. This shift to online platforms has opened up numerous opportunities for learners, breaking down barriers of distance and time constraints. However, it also brings challenges, especially in the Turkish context. From this perspective, this study aimed to determine the online readiness of Turkish learners of English and the factors affecting the (in)efficiency of their online language education in their universities. In this study, the online learning readiness of 409 EFL learners at the university level in different parts of Türkiye was identified using the questionnaire by Hung et al. (2010), adapted to the Turkish context by İlhan and Çetin (2013). The (in)efficiency of online learning was explored by interviewing 40 EFL learners about their experiences before and after taking online English courses. Results indicated that learners seemed relatively ready for online education. However, they reported several factors for the inefficiency of online learning, such as a lack of real class environment and technical problems, for efficiency, such as learning in the comfort of their homes and having more time for self-development. They also mentioned several challenges and provided some suggestions for improving online learning.

Online Consumer Stickiness: A Systematic Review

Despite the growing interest of researchers and practitioners in figuring out why users stick to some websites and not others, the resulting scholarly work is still divergent, partial, and fragmented. Online stickiness plays a vertical role in consumer decision-making, so this research domain is still developing, and a comprehensive and critical overview of existing research on this topic is sorely needed. This paper seeks to establish a scientific foundation for future research on the subject matter by conducting a thorough evaluation of the literature on online consumer stickiness via publications in peer-reviewed academic journals in various domains. A systematic analysis of 53 articles from 32 journals listed in the Association of Business Schools (ABS) or Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) reveals a lack of consistent conceptual consistency and a conflict between stickiness’s antecedents and consequences in the online context.