Effect of the student learning approach on social annotation activity in Diigo

Abstract

AbstractThe use of social annotation tools in higher education has attracted the attention of researchers with many studies having looked at student perceptions and attitudes to them. This paper investigates students’ activity and perceptions of the social annotation tool Diigo along with the extent to which they correlate with their approaches to learning. Quantitative analysis was conducted with year 1 Administration students as part of cross-curricular cooperation between the courses Basic Informatics and English for Specific Purposes. The revised two-factor study process questionnaire and a questionnaire about students’ attitudes to collaboration in Diigo were used, together with qualitative analysis of a learning achievement post-test. Spearman’s correlation coefficients, the Kruskal-Wallis H test and Dunn’s Test were used for statistical analysis. The empirical results reveal a positive attitude to collaboration in Diigo, and a connection between a deep learning approach and quantity of activity as well as a connection between a deep learning approach and positive perceptions of the experience. The results suggest that collaborative tasks in Diigo can be useful in cross-curricular cooperation, and that considering students’ different study approaches while forming groups can improve student activity and motivation.

Keywords

• social annotations tools
• Diigo
• learning approach
• perceptions of learning
• motivation
• higher education