Instructor and Peer Influence on College Student Use and Perceptions of Wikipedia

Instructor and Peer Influence on College Student Use and Perceptions of Wikipedia - scientific work related to Wikipedia quality published in 2018, written by John C. Garrison.

Overview

Purpose This study is an investigation of how undergraduate students are influenced by instructors and peers in the ways that they use and think about Wikipedia for academic work. It examines the positive (encouraging use of Wikipedia) and negative (discouraging use of Wikipedia) influences of others, and how these affect student behavior and attitudes. Design/methodology/approach Sixteen undergraduates each participated in two meetings with the principal investigator, each meeting consisting of a structured interview and a brief survey. Recorded interviews were analyzed by the investigator for patterns to compare participants’ responses. Findings Participants were more frequently and strongly influenced by instructors than by peers about Wikipedia, and this influence was for the most part perceived to be negative. However, the ways in which student behaviors and attitudes changed in response to this influence varied. Three categories or “influence types” emerged in the ways influence was manifested: 1) r...