Chris Jones book uniquely and thoroughly explores networked learning as a relational perspective between society, the individual learner, and most of the salient points in between. Everyone involved in higher education, should read and digest this book, not just students of the field. Though dense at times, this book offers an insightful view through a complex field!

This study examines relationships of instructional environments, learner traits, and learning outcomes in the context of an online university course in Korea which has an advanced information technology background and rich e-learning experiences. However, the educational heritage of the country adheres to directive instruction with little interaction in the classroom. Based on the literature review, specific research variables are as follows: the environmental variables include learner-learner interaction, learner-instructor interaction, and content/system quality. Regarding learner traits, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation and computer/academic self-efficacy were investigated. Academic achievement and class satisfaction were identified as potential determinants of online learning outcomes. A total of 937 valid responses from online university students were used to establish structural relationships among the variables. Most of the structural associations among the factors were significantly positive, although some variables reflected Korean cultural and educational contexts specifically. The findings suggest a need for a synthetic approach towards e-learning and that further research should be conducted concerning context-specific variables.

This paper examines the influence that student perceived quality of service (PSQ) has on continuance intention and willingness to recommend a course in a fully online university. A holistic view of the service provided by the university is taken. It is not only the effect of the teaching which is examined, but also that of the administrative services, the additional services, and the virtual learning environment (user interface). Through a survey completed by 1,870 students and the subsequent analysis using structural equations, we found that each of these services has a significant impact on the students' PSQ, their level of satisfaction, and, as a result, their loyalty and willingness to recommend the university. The study found that the perceived quality of the administrative services can have a comparatively higher impact on student satisfaction than the other services. PSQ is shown to have also a direct impact on student loyalty and recommendations. Moreover, as a whole, non-teaching services have a greater impact on loyalty and willingness to recommend than teaching service.

The peculiarities of the process of providing educational services in a virtual environment (such as the absence of face-to-face interaction between student and teacher and the lack of conventional tangible elements which act as benchmarks for quality of service) are well-known. The relationship established in the literature between the constructs of service quality, satisfaction, loyalty, and willingness to recommend the service in an offline environment can also be seen in this context.

The interconnection of factors proves to be more complex and interrelated than has been accounted for as yet in the scholarly literature. The findings of the survey are relevant to system concerns related to quality management and sustainability, both of which are increasingly important in today’s competitive educational postsecondary environment.

Mobile learning (M-learning) provides a new learning channel in which learners can access content and just in time information as required irrespective of the time and location. Even though M-learning is fast evolving in many regions of the world, research addressing the driving factors of M-learning adoption is in short supply. This article focuses on the driving factors in adoption of M-learning and the learner’s perceptions and willingness towards M-learning adoption. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been shown to be a valid and powerful model in mobile and other learning technologies research. Based on Technology Acceptance Model theory, this paper analyzes the influencing factors on M-learning adoption and measure the acceptance of M-learning in Oman. The data collected from 806 participants in 17 different Omani higher education institutions using a survey questionnaire. Some factors of perceived innovative characteristics, such as ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment, suitability, social, and economic were found to have more influence on learners’ adoption of M-learning which help to facilitate and promote future empirical research. This effort is part of funded research project that investigate the development, adoption, and dissemination of M-learning in Oman.

The impact of targeted professional development activities on teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy with mobile learning remains understudied. Power (2015a) used the Mobile Teacher’s Sense of Efficacy Scale (mTSES) survey instrument to measure the effects of a mobile learning themed professional development course on teachers’ confidence with and interest in mobile learning. The current study looks at changes in perceptions of self-efficacy amongst participants in another open course about mobile learning called Instructional Design for Mobile Learning (ID4ML), which took place from May 4 – June 6, 2015 (Power, Bartoletti & Kilgore, 2015). The purpose of this study is to verify the reliability and construct validity of the mTSES instrument developed by Power (2015a, 2015b) and Power, Cristol and Gimbert (2014), and to explore trends in self-efficacy changes amongst a more diversified participant population. This paper reports on the findings from the analysis of data collected using the mTSES tool. The findings provide useful feedback on the impacts of participating in the ID4ML course. They also provide further support for the utility of the mTSES instrument as a measure of perceptions of self-efficacy with mobile learning. These findings point to the potential utility of the mTSES as a tool for both planning and evaluating mLearning professional development training for teachers.