Understanding YouTube Usage for Learning: The Social Cognitive Perspective

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Paper Session: Instructional and Developmental Communication Poster Session

Abstract

The prevalent use of social media has driven educational researchers and practitioners to
investigate the potential of social media to support learning. Among the social media platforms, YouTube is a video-sharing website that has been utilized widely for educational use. Yet, knowledge about factors influencing YouTube usage for learning remains limited. This study thus attempted to understand YouTube usage for learning from the social cognitive perspective, which emphasized the interactions among personal, behavioral, and environmental influences. Specifically, this study drew on the social cognitive perspective to investigate the interactions of learning outcome expectations and attitude towards learning on YouTube (person), the social features of YouTube (environment), and prior experience (behavior) and their influence on the usage of YouTube for learning. A survey was designed and administered to 150 YouTube users. The findings of this study revealed several interactions among personal factors, environment, and behavior. First, it was identified that personal factors, in terms of learning outcome expectations and attitude towards learning on YouTube, predicted YouTube usage for learning (person —> behavior). This study also found that the influence from the environment, in terms of the social features of YouTube, would lead to a positive attitude towards learning on YouTube (environment —> person), while the behavioral influence, in terms of prior experience of learning on YouTube, could have an impact on the learning outcome expectations of using YouTube (behavior —> person). The results also indicated that personal factors could act as mediators. Specifically, attitude towards learning on YouTube mediated the influence of social features of YouTube on YouTube usage for learning, while learning outcome expectations mediate the relationship between the prior experience and YouTube usage for learning. This article concluded by presenting implications, limitations, and future research directions.

Authors

• Quan Zhou, Nanyang Technological University

• Chei Sian Lee, Nanyang Technological U

• Sei-Ching Joanna Sin, Nanyang Technological U