1. INTRODUCTION
With the ever-growing ubiquity of the Internet, newer channels through which people interact, communicate and access information have evolved. Online communities are now preferred platforms for communication and information exchange in many educational societies. According to Jones & Rafaeli (2000), online communities are online spaces that augment member-generated content integration and interpersonal relationships. Online communities advance the scope of traditional communities by overcoming barriers such as distance and cost. Thus, they allow the social aggregation of large and geographically dispersed community networks of learners (Li, 2015). Google Classroom, Moodle, and Sakai afford the creation of online spaces which can grow into online communities for various purposes including education. Indeed, many educational institutions continue to implement these tools because they see online communities as cost-effective approaches for facilitating learner interaction and participation (Alenezi & Yaiesh, 2018).
As a result, previous studies highlight varied elements that explain learner interaction patterns on online communities for education. Many of these studies have focused on group impetus and the personality traits of members. For instance, extant studies (Koranteng & Wiafe 2019; Koranteng, Wiafe, & Kuada 2019; Budu 2018; Li 2015; Chiu, Hsu, & Wang 2006) have explained learner behaviour (such as collaboration, knowledge sharing, engagement, and feedback provision) in online communities under the lenses of the social capital, social cognitive and social exchange theories. Only a few studies have explored the effect of system characteristics despite many established theories (e.g. DeLone & McLean 2002) highlighting the relevance of system features on user behaviour.
Specifically, studies that explore the influences of system characteristics in online communities for education are still limited. Aside from the traditional features enabled in systems to improve performance, contemporary systems are being upgraded with newer concepts to induce target behaviour. For instance, persuasive design principles have been integrated into online community platforms to encourage target behaviour (Wiafe et al., 2020). Moreover, other platforms such as 2channel thrive on anonymity to facilitate content sharing.
Yet, relevant investigations do not account for these integrated features. They have predominantly focused on traditional system qualities such as ease of use. Such findings become obsolete since they fail to align with contemporary system features. In this light, new research approaches that tackle the challenges in existing literature becomes paramount. In this paper, anonymity and persuasive design principles are integrated with relevant system features (system quality and information quality) which have been established to influence user behaviour to develop a research model. This model is applied to explain learners’ feedback provision in online learning communities, specifically, Google Classroom. The model is evaluated using quantitative data and techniques from Partial Least Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The analysis reveals that, contrary to previous studies, the higher the assurance of anonymity for learners on online learning, the better their system credibility and quality. Further, system characteristics such as aesthetics and perceived system quality predict feedback provision.
This paper continues with a review of the assumptions in previous relevant literature to point out areas that need further research. The literature review ends with a formulation of a research model and hypotheses. The next section presents the detailed methodology with respect to sampling technique, sample, data collection, and data analysis. This is followed by an assessment of the measurement model and assessment model towards accepting or rejecting the hypotheses. The last but one section presents the conclusion and implications for research and practice. The last section suggests new areas for future research.