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While Generation Y may have embraced online social networking sites with gusto, a new study by UWA Business School researchers has found that university students are often reluctant to participate in university online learning forums.

The study, conducted by Associate Professor Sharon Purchase, Associate Professor Nick Letch, and Assistant Professor Doina Olaru, surveyed 196 Australian undergraduate and postgraduate students aged between 18 and 55. The researchers investigated the students' values and online behaviours in an attempt to gain an insight into why so many students seem reluctant to share knowledge online.

After using a three-step methodology to analyse the survey results, the researchers were able to place the students into three distinct groupings: reticents, individual contemplators, and e-collaborators.

E-collaborators, explains Dr Olaru, are more likely to share their knowledge within an online setting. ‘It appears that e-collaborators believe in the network interactions, are altruistic and do not need recognition for their contribution,' she says. ‘They value helping others, are motivated to exchange ideas, value the trust and social expectations built within these communities, and expect reciprocity from the participants engaged in online knowledge sharing. We can't make everybody an e-collaborator. Our e-collaborators have a significantly higher age, and so I think that it's about accumulated experience, growing and understanding the benefits of sharing knowledge that, in my view, contributes to their behaviour.'

As for the reticents and individual contemplators, the news isn't all bad. Individual contemplators value relational aspects of the online interaction - respect, prestige, and obligations - but are less nurturing and highly competitive, whilst reticents are concerned primarily about the freedom to express conflicting views or being censored. They are the youngest group and their voluntary participation is likely to increase as they perceive less barriers (such as moderation) in the online fora and come to the realisation that participation will enhance their own learning and self-efficacy. ‘Lurkers [who read but rarely post], were represented most strongly in these two groups, but are considered to become e-collaborators in time because they may need time to settle in, and experience the etiquette of the online community' explains Dr Olaru.

‘Within our individual contemplators group we had about 65% Asian students, so it may be a cultural element that we have to consider. Students may be asking themselves questions like: "Is my competitive advantage being diminished by the sharing of knowledge?", and "Will I learn more by sharing or by not sharing?"

Other issues that could affect online discussion board participation, says Dr Olaru, include the degree to which students identify with their cohort, their shared language and interests, their collectivist and individualist values, and their levels of nurturing behaviour.

Dr Olaru suggests ensuring that all three behavioural clusters - reticents, individual contemplators, and e-collaborators - gain the most from their university classes by offering them the opportunity to participate in both face-to-face and online methods of learning. She also suggests investigating the effects of using anonymous online discussion boards, and examining whether other methods of collaboration will motivate the individual contemplator grouping.

The research team will continue to refine their analysis and identify the main drivers for knowledge sharing and barriers that impede online sharing, and how to convert the ‘hidden assets' - or lurkers - in the online community into visible contributors, who will find tangible and intangible returns for their engagement.

Which group do you belong to?

The reticents, who made up roughly 30% of students, placed a high value on freedom of expression, were less nurturing, and placed less value on social capital (defined by the researchers as comprising such collectivist values as helping, knowledge sharing, reciprocity, trust, and adherence to social norms). The reticents were the youngest group, and spent the least amount of time engaging in online discussion.

The second group, individual contemplators, made up over 39% of students who, while valuing social capital, expressed extremely high levels of individualism. This group was the least likely to read, post, or reply to other posts on the discussion board.

The third group were the e-collaborators, who made up 31% of students and valued social capital, but placed less value on freedom of expression and individualism. Of the three groups, the e-collaborators contained the largest number of postgraduate students and spent the most time posting online.

Media references

Heather Merritt
Director, External Relations
UWA Business School
T: +618 6488 8171
E: [email protected]

Verity Chia
Communications Officer
UWA Business School
E: [email protected]