Procrastination is the tendency to postpone an activity under one's control to the last possible minute, or even not to perform it at all. This study examines procrastination regarding completion of various parts of a task, each of which has a different deadline. Whereas from an attention economy perspective it may be better to complete all the parts at the earliest deadline, the human tendency to procrastinate results in a delay of the parts that have a later deadline. Data was collected at an online discussion board about the behavior of 120 MBA students. Their assignment included an individual part with a specific deadline for each student and a collaborative part that the students had to complete by the end of the semester. The findings suggest that usually students tended to perform their individual task on time, even when the assignment was voluntary. However, the collaborative part of the assignment was delayed to the last three weeks of the semester when the assignment was compulsory and was not completed at all when it was voluntary. The paper discusses the implications of the findings regarding effective time management of collaborative tasks in online environments.

Mobile and wireless devices and networks enable "any place, any time" use of information systems, providing advantages, such as productivity enhancement, flexibility, service improvements and information accuracy. These benefits can be nullified by using systems of insufficient quality. Mobile-wireless information systems face new kinds of problems: narrow bands, small devices, tiny screens, and diversity of users and devices. Information systems quality cannot be measured only by software faults absence; it must be broader, including characteristics to cover all aspects, life-cycle phases, and viewpoints. This research develops a methodology to define and quantify the quality components of such systems, merging two fields together: mobile-wireless applications and standards for product quality assurance. The research has developed a list of questions from which new quality metrics were defined and empirically validated, extending the ISO/IEC 9126 quality standard for mobile-wireless information systems. The paper describes the metrics development process and presents examples of metrics.

Originally, the Facebook network was meant for students' use on campus, but is it worthwhile for them? Facebook is a broad source of information for students, offering correspondence between students, providing files and information exchange, and allowing new acquaintances on campus. On the other hand, Facebook includes a variety of distractions, such as uploading pictures, viewing profiles, videos, and photos of friends, chatting with friends, and playing, which lead to procrastination and injures the learning process. The present study was conducted in order to examine the influence of Facebook on the students' learning process in undergraduate demanding faculties, such as engineering. In particular, it was aimed at identifying various costs and benefits associated with the students' use of Facebook and investigating the impact of the colleges/schools' Facebook pages on the students' use of Facebook for learning purposes. A questionnaire was filled in by undergraduate students, and Facebook pages of academic institutions were examined. Facebook was found to be particularly important among first year students, benefiting their social absorption in the campus and their learning sources, but these benefits were reduced for senior year students. However, it was found that social activities on Facebook consumed a significant amount of the students' time, during the surfing and even after, thus negatively affecting their learning process. Moreover, the majority of the examined Facebook pages that were opened on the initiative of academic institutions were mostly inactive, giving no benefits to students and no incentive to use them.

Aim/PurposeThis study examines how the use of a Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) application influences the learners' attitudes towards the process of learning, and more specifically in voluntary and mandatory environments. Background Mobile devices and applications, which have become an integral part of our lives, are used for different purposes, including educational objectives. Among others, they are used in the process of foreign language acquisition. The use of a MALL application to learn foreign languages has advantages and drawbacks, which are important to understand, in order to achieve better learning results, while improving the enjoyment of the process. MethodologyThe study population included people who participated in a foreign language course and used Duolingo application on a mobile device in parallel. One group consisted of high school pupils, who were obliged to use the application and filled in before and after questionnaires. The other group consisted of people who took face-to-face courses, and chose to use the same Duolingo application voluntarily, in order to assist their studies. The second group answered another questionnaire tailored to more experienced users. The findings were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22, and a model was examined with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Contribution This paper helps to understand the perceived advantages and drawbacks of using a MALL application by students both in mandatory and voluntary environments. FindingsMost of the participants found the MALL Duolingo application enhanced the learning process. The gamification characteristics, ease of use, ubiquity and selfLearning Foreign Languages Using Mobile Applications 302 learning facilities had a stimulating effect on the process of learning, and contributed to the willingness to continue using the application and to recommend it to others. However, some statistically significant differences were found between the groups, referring to the characteristics of the application, among them ubiquity, lack of human feedback and simplicity of use. Recommendations for PractitionersThe research findings can contribute to both teachers and students who conduct and participate in foreign language courses, by helping them examine the possibility of combining mobile learning with a traditional face-to-face course. Moreover, the findings can assist developers of mobile learning applications, in order to include gamification options in the process of learning. Recommendation for ResearchersResearchers in the fields of mobile applications and m-learning need to understand the factors enhancing the learning process, in order to develop the next generations of m-learning applications. Impact on Society Mobile devices have become an accessory that almost every person in the world uses. Its ubiquitous characteristics allow using it everywhere and anytime. This is an opportunity to facilitate education to people all around the world. Gamification of m-learning applications can promote an...

Aim/PurposeThis study examines how the use of a Mobile Assisted Language Learning (MALL) application influences the learners' attitudes towards the process of learning, and more specifically in voluntary and mandatory environments. Background Mobile devices and applications, which have become an integral part of our lives, are used for different purposes, including educational objectives. Among others, they are used in the process of foreign language acquisition. The use of a MALL application to learn foreign languages has advantages and drawbacks, which are important to understand, in order to achieve better learning results, while improving the enjoyment of the process. MethodologyThe study population included people who participated in a foreign language course and used Duolingo application on a mobile device in parallel. One group consisted of high school pupils, who were obliged to use the application and filled in before and after questionnaires. The other group consisted of people who took face-to-face courses, and chose to use the same Duolingo application voluntarily, in order to assist their studies. The second group answered another questionnaire tailored to more experienced users. The findings were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22, and a model was examined with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling. Contribution This paper helps to understand the perceived advantages and drawbacks of using a MALL application by students both in mandatory and voluntary environments. FindingsMost of the participants found the MALL Duolingo application enhanced the learning process. The gamification characteristics, ease of use, ubiquity and selfLearning Foreign Languages Using Mobile Applications 302 learning facilities had a stimulating effect on the process of learning, and contributed to the willingness to continue using the application and to recommend it to others. However, some statistically significant differences were found between the groups, referring to the characteristics of the application, among them ubiquity, lack of human feedback and simplicity of use. Recommendations for PractitionersThe research findings can contribute to both teachers and students who conduct and participate in foreign language courses, by helping them examine the possibility of combining mobile learning with a traditional face-to-face course. Moreover, the findings can assist developers of mobile learning applications, in order to include gamification options in the process of learning. Recommendation for ResearchersResearchers in the fields of mobile applications and m-learning need to understand the factors enhancing the learning process, in order to develop the next generations of m-learning applications. Impact on Society Mobile devices have become an accessory that almost every person in the world uses. Its ubiquitous characteristics allow using it everywhere and anytime. This is an opportunity to facilitate education to people all around the world. Gamification of m-learning applications can promote an...