Extending the Technology Acceptance Model to Understand Students’ Use of Learning Management Systems in Saudi Higher Education

Binyamin, Sami; Rutter, Malcolm; Smith, Sally

Abstract

Although learning management systems (LMS) have been widely adopted by higher educational institutions in many countries, they are considered an emerging technology in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, research has demonstrated that the students’ use of them is not always satisfactory. This quantitative study investigated the factors that affect the students use of LMS in higher education by extending the technology acceptance model (TAM) and adapting eight external variables. Based on the probability multi-stage cluster sampling technique, online surveys were sent by email to 2000 students registered in three public universities in Saudi Arabia. 851 responses were submitted by participants, and 833 responses were used for data analysis. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling (PLS-SEM), the results revealed that perceived ease of use is affected by six factors (content quality, system navigation, ease of access, system interactivity, instructional assessment and system learnability). The findings confirmed that perceived usefulness has five determinants (content quality, learning support, system interactivity, instructional assessment and perceived ease of use). This research is relevant to researchers, decision makers and e-learning systems designers working to enhance students’ use of e-learning systems in higher education, in particular where there is not yet widespread adoption.
Keywords: TAM, technology acceptance, usability, e-learning systems, LMS, Blackboard, PLS-SEM.

Citation

Binyamin, S., Rutter, M., & Smith, S. (2019). Extending the Technology Acceptance Model to Understand Students’ Use of Learning Management Systems in Saudi Higher Education. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning, 14(3), 4-21. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v14i03.9732

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 18, 2018
• Publication Date: 2019
• Deposit Date: Aug 22, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 22, 2019
• Electronic ISSN: 1863-0383
• Publisher: International Association of Online Engineering
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 4-21
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v14i03.9732
• Keywords: TAM, technology acceptance, usability, e-learning systems, LMS, Blackboard, PLS-SEM
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1617271
• Contract Date: Aug 22, 2019