Research Article

Utilisation of the Internet for Cyberloafing Activities among University Students

Rosemary Twum 1, Christopher Yarkwah 1, Ivy Kesewaa Nkrumah 1 *
More Detail
1 University of Cape Coast, GHANA* Corresponding Author
Journal of Digital Educational Technology, 1(1), 2021, ep2101, https://doi.org/10.21601/jdet/10912
Published: 16 May 2021
OPEN ACCESS   2433 Views   2345 Downloads
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

Cyberloafing, described as students use of the internet for non-class related purposes during the instructional period, has been shown to have significant negative influence on scholastic attainments (e.g., Wu, Mei & Ugrin, 2018). As the practice of cyberloafing becomes entrenched, students are likely to carry such behaviours to their workplaces, and subsequently affect performance and productivity of the labour force. This study explored cyberloafing activities among university students. The parameters of investigation were the frequency, kinds, gender issues and the factors that give birth to cyberloafing during the instructional period. The study employed the descriptive survey design and questionnaire was used for data collection. A total of 140 students randomly selected from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, participated in the study. The findings were that cyberloafing is pervasive among university students. However, student cyberloafing engagements are predominantly narrowed to specific activities such as online-chatting, listening to the news and sending and receiving emails. Respondents further indicated varied reinforcers of cyberloafing emerging from the actions of lecturers, learners, the course and the learning environment. It was recommended that the university, in collaboration with stakeholders adopt effective ways to curb the current phenomenon of cyberloafing in schools before they turn into unmanageable behaviours.
Keywords: cyberloafing, internet, distraction, multitasking

CITATION (APA)

Twum, R., Yarkwah, C., & Nkrumah, I. K. (2021). Utilisation of the Internet for Cyberloafing Activities among University Students. Journal of Digital Educational Technology, 1(1), ep2101. https://doi.org/10.21601/jdet/10912

REFERENCES

  1. Adeyanju, F. B. (2011). Women and sports in Nigeria: problems and prospects in the 21st century. Retrieved 27 December 2020 from http://www.onlinenigeria.com
  2. Adler, J. (2008) Social changes and women in African sports. Journal of Social Sciences. 2(1), 50-53.
  3. Askew, K. L. (2012). The relationship between cyberloafing task and performane and an examination of the theory of planned behavior as a model of cyberloafing (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Florida). https://www.google.com/search?q=Askew
  4. Baturay, M. H., & Toker, S. (2015). An investigation of the impact of demographics on cyberloafing from an educational setting angle. Computers in Human Behavior, 50, 358-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.03.081
  5. Boakye, K. B., & Banini, D. A. (2008). Teacher technology Readiness in Ghana. In K. Toure, T. M. S. Tchombe, & T. Karsenti (Eds.), Technology and Changing Mindsets in Education. Langaa; ERNWACA / ROCARE.
  6. Brubaker, A. T. (2006). Faculty perceptions of the impact of student laptop use in a Wireless internet environment on the classroom learning environment and teaching information and library science (Master Thesis), University of North Carolina, North Carolina.
  7. Chawinga, W. (2017). Taking social media to a university classroom: teaching and learning using twitter and blogs. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14, Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-017-0041-6
  8. Coskun, T. K., & Gokcearslan, S. (2019). Examination of cyberloafing studies in education: A content analysis. World Journal on Educational Technology: Current Issues, 11(1), 94-103. https://doi.org/10.18844/wjet.v11i1.4017
  9. Dursun, O. O., Donmez, O., & Akbulut, Y. (2018). Predictors of cyberloafing among preservice information technology teachers. Contemporary Educational Technology, 9(1), 22-41. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/6209
  10. Glass, A. L., & Kang, M. (2019). Dividing attention in the classroom reduces exam performance. Educational Psychology, 39(3), 395-408. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2018.1489046
  11. Goldhaber, D. (2002). The Mystery of Good Teaching. Education Next, 2(1), 50-55. https://www.educationnext.org/the-mystery-of-good-teaching/
  12. Hembrooke, H., & Gay, G. (2003). The laptop and the lecture: The effects of multitasking in learning environments. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 15, 46-64. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02940852
  13. Jandaghi, G., Alvani, S. M., Matin, H. Z., & Kozekanan, S. F. (2015). Cyberloafing Management in Organizations. Iranian Journal of Management Studies, 8(3), 335-349.
  14. Karaoglan Yilmaz, F. G., Yilmaz, R., Ozturk, H. T., Sezer, B., & Karademir, T. (2015). Cyberloafing as a barrier to successful integration and information and communication technologies into teaching and learning environments. Computers in Human Behaviour, 45, 290-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.023
  15. Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30, 607-610. https://doi.org/10.1177/001316447003000308
  16. Ladan, B. (2009). Psychology of women’s participation in competitive sports. Journal of Physical and Health Education, 8(4), 20-23.
  17. Lim, V. K. G., & Chen, D. J. Q. (2012). Cyberloafing at the workplace: Gain or drain on work? Behaviour and Information Technology, 31(4), 343-353. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290903353054
  18. Marshall, S. (2010). Change, technology and higher education: are universities capable of organisational change? ALT-J, 18(3), 179-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687769.2010.529107
  19. Nwakaego, F. O., & Angela, O. I. (2018). Influence of cyberloafing on library and information studies students at the university of ibadan, nigeria. Journal of Educational Research and Review, 6(3), 54-60. https://doi.org/10.30918/AERJ.63.18.039
  20. Ocansey, K. S., Ametepe, W., & Oduro, C. F. (2016). Impact on social media on the youth: the Ghanaian perspective. International Journal of Engineering Technology and Sciences, 6(1), 87-97. https://doi.org/10.15282/ijets.6.2016.1.12.1062
  21. Porter, A. C., & Brophy, J. (1988). Synthesis of research on good teaching: Insights from the work of the institute for research on teaching. Educational Leadership, 45(8), 74.
  22. Ragan, E. D., Jennings, S. R., Massey, J. D., & Doolittle, P. E. (2014). Unregulated use of laptops over time in large lecture classes. Computers & Education, 78, 78-86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.05.002
  23. Raja, R., & Nagasubramani, P. C. (2018). Impact of modern technology in education. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(SI), 33. https://doi.org/10.21839/jaar.2018.v3iS1.165
  24. Ravizza, S. M., Uitvlugt, M. G., & Fenn, K.M. (2017). Logged in and zoned out: how laptop internet use relates to classroom learning. Psychological Science, 28(2), 171-180. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797616677314
  25. Saritepeci, M. (2020) Predictors of cyberloafing among high school students: unauthorized access to school network, metacognitive awareness and smartphone addiction. Education and Information Technologies, 25, 2201-2219. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-10042-0
  26. Saroyan, A., Dagenais, J., & Zhou, Y. (2009). Graduate students’ conceptions of university teaching and learning: Formation for change. Instructional Science, 37(6), 579-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-008-9071-8
  27. Taneja, A., Fiore, V., & Fischer, B. (2015). Cyber-slacking in the classroom: Potential for digital distraction in the new age. Computers in Education, 82, 141-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2014.11.009
  28. Tutkun, O. F. (2011). Internet access, use and sharing levels among students during teaching-learning process. TOJET the Turkish Online Journal of Educational, 10(3), 152-160.
  29. Varol, F., & Yıldırım, E. (2019). Cyberloafing in higher education: Reasons and suggestions from students’ perspectives. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 24(1), 129-142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10758-017-9340-1
  30. Wu, J., Mei, W., & Ugrin, J. C. (2018). Student cyberloafing in and out of the classroom in china and the relationship with student performance. Cyberpsychology, Behaviour and Social Networking, 21(3), 199-204. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2017.0397
  31. Yasar, S., & Yurdugul, H. (2013). The investigation of relation between cyberloafing activities and cyberloafing behaviours in higher education. Procedia- Social and Behavioral Sciences, 83, 600-604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.06.114
  32. Yebowaah, F. A. (2018). Internet use and its effect on senior high school students in Wa Municipality of Ghana. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1817