Drivers and Barriers of Social Sustainable Development and Growth of Online Higher Education: The Roles of Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness

Online and distance learning classes have been touted for the last several years as an innovation in higher education that should help improve the entrepreneurial growth mindset of students. However, the reported negative online learning experience of many college students worldwide during the COVID-19 epidemic has shown that many opportunities remain to improve the sustainable development and growth of online visual instruction practices. In this study, we outline and investigate a set of hypotheses related to the perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use (from TAM) of online video instruction in higher education courses during the pandemic. We employ grounded theory using autoethnographic case studies as a data source. We found that (a) synchronous broadcast lectures improve participant attitude (H1) and motivation (H2) toward online instruction, (b) prerecorded video instruction increases participant perceived "ease of use" (H3) and perceived behavioral control (H4) of online instruction, but (c) indicators of recorded dates on pre-recorded video instruction decreases participant perceived "usefulness" (H5) and "certainty" (H6) of online instruction. We enrich the insights of popular motivation models for organizations and the higher education industry by outlining a set of emotional elements originating in neuroscience leadership research (SCARF) that might either amplify or diminish the perceived the ease of use and perceived usefulness to technology usage relationships when participations engage in online learning situations.

What Motivate Students to Continue Using Online Collaborative Tools: Post-Acceptance of Information System Approach

This paper aims to understand what motivates students at universities in Indonesia to continue using Online Collaborative Tools (OCTs) for their collaboration work. Utilising OCTs is crucial as the COVID-19 pandemic hit us in 2019 and forced all of us, particularly those who studied at university, to work online as precautionary measures. This research employs the Post-Acceptance Model of Information Systems (IS) approach to understand this issue. For an OCT to continue use, performance: effectivity, efficiency, and certainty is the key determinant, and perceived usability: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived enjoyment mediates confirmation and satisfaction and the intention to continue use. A total of 354 participants are involved in the data analysis employing Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). Our results revealed that while the relationship between confirmation and satisfaction is partially mediated by perceived ease of use and enjoyment, the relationship between confirmation and intention to continue use is also partially mediated by perceived usefulness and enjoyment, and satisfaction. We found that the intention to continue using the OCT can be determined by 67.9% (substantial) of the variance of the model. Our research contributes theoretically to the IS research in this context and practically to the OCT discourse. Limitations and future research directions are discussed © 2023, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning.All Rights Reserved.

A Cross-Sectional Survey on the Post-Pandemic Acceptability of Pharmacist-Delivered Telehealth Services Among HCV-HIV Patients.

The COVID-19 pandemic enhanced the use of telehealth as a means of delivering services to patients who required continued and uninterrupted care. This helped to reduce readmission to hospitals where COVID-19 hospitalization was prioritized. Patients with HCV and HIV and other chronic diseases require this type of care. This study evaluated the post-pandemic acceptability of pharmacist-delivered telehealth services among HCV and HIV monoinfected and coinfected patients in Washington DC. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a community pharmacy setting in Washington DC whose primary outcome was the acceptability of pharmacist-delivered telehealth services through a proposed platform(docsink). A validated questionnaire, borrowed from the literature was used to determine telehealth acceptability, measured as behavioral intention, among patients who receive care from this pharmacy. The study recruited 100 participants. Descriptive statistics were conducted as well as bivariable and multivariable analyses to assess predictors of telehealth acceptability. In the unadjusted model, PU/EM (OR 0.571, 95% confidence interval (0.45-0.73), P < .0001)), PEOU(OR 0.72, 95% confidence interval (0.61-0.85)) and IM(OR 0.733, 95% confidence interval (0.62-0.87), P = .0003)) were significant predictors of behavioral intention. Overall, the study found that lower Perceived Usefulness/Extrinsic Motivation scores decrease the odds of intending to use pharmacist-delivered telehealth (OR = 0.490, 95% confidence interval (0.29-0.83), P = .008). This study determined that the impact of perceived usefulness and extrinsic motivation was critical to the acceptance of pharmacist-delivered telehealth among a predominantly Black/African American study population.

The influence of organizational factors on the acceptance of online teaching among college faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationwide study in mainland China.

The outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) promoted online teaching on an unprecedented scale, raising researchers' attention to the importance of faculty's acceptance of this urgent teaching shift. This study aimed to explore the influence of organizational factors on faculty's acceptance of online teaching in terms of behavioral intention and perceived usefulness. A multilevel structural equation model was employed to analyze data on 209,058 faculty in 858 higher education institutions based on a nationwide survey conducted in mainland China. The results showed that three key organizational factors, namely strategic planning, leadership, and teaching quality monitoring, impacted faculty's acceptance of online teaching, although in different ways. Strategic planning had a direct impact on perceived usefulness, while leadership had a direct impact on behavioral intentions, and teaching quality monitoring had a direct impact on both perceived usefulness and behavioral intentions. In addition, an indirect effect was found between strategic planning and faculty's behavioral intentions through the mediation of the perceived usefulness of online teaching. The findings of this study have practical implications for college administrators and policymakers, which should effectively implement and promote online teaching and learning, and consider key organizational factors to increase faculty acceptance.

The Role of Perceived Usefulness and Confirmation in Influencing Student's Satisfaction on Online Distance Learning

Today's learning opportunities are immense in scale and bolstered by the support of technological advancements. Many universities in Malaysia have contributed to the trend of advancements in education and technology. It was recommended that online distance learning (ODL) and online teaching processes should be used at all levels of education during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the use of these technological advancements has encountered challenges, which were recognized during the initial application of ODL. Both students and academics faced many obstacles as first-time users of online education. This study explores students' expectations of ODL based on Expectation-confirmation theory (ECT). A survey was conducted with 579 university students to test the hypotheses of this study. The results of this questionnaire were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) AMOS mediation analysis. The results showed partial mediating effects between perceived usefulness, confirmation, and satisfaction with online distance learning. Furthermore, it was found that perceived usefulness has a significant influence on student satisfaction with and confirmation of ODL. To ensure that students of higher learning institutions are satisfied with ODL, it is vital for universities and colleges to make these students believe that the application of ODL is useful and can create significant value for them © 2023, Asian Journal of University Education.All Rights Reserved.

Gamification in Online Learning: A Case Study among University Students in Malaysia

Online learning has become compulsory when the world was facing the Covid 19 outbreak. Accordingly, students' engagement and participation during online learning have been a major concern among teachers. By adapting the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the present study is carried out to examine influential factors towards the intention to use gamification during online classes. With the use of judgmental sampling, 283 usable responses have been gathered from undergraduate students in Malaysia. Results revealed that ‘authentic' positively affects three mediating variables of perceived value (PEU), perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived enjoyment (PE). Additionally, PEU, PU and PE posit positive responses towards the intention to use gamification in online learning. Furthermore, all three mediators also present positive effects in the relationship between authentic and intention to use. Thus, this study affirms the usability of TAM in the online learning context with the extension of authenticity as the external factor and perceived enjoyment as the mediating factor. The results give implications for educators and higher learning institutions to modify their learning outcomes and course content to be more interesting with the usage of online gamification tools. Perhaps, this study gives further insight for future research to apply other external factors, such as knowledge and trust to enrich the study in gamification context © 2023, Asian Journal of University Education.All Rights Reserved.

The Influencing Factors of Learning Satisfaction in Blended Learning during Covid-19 in Chinese medical universities

By using a technology acceptance model (TAM) on survey results collected from medical universities of China, this paper aims to uncover the major factors that affect medical students' acceptance of blended learning during the Covid-19 period. 1238 medical students completed the study survey after experiencing 3 months of blended learning. The results show that the social influence (SIN) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) have positive impacts on perceived usefulness (PU);PU has positive impacts on learning motivation (LM);LM can moderately affect learning satisfaction (LS). There is also a positive relationship between SIN and LS. It is worth noting that SIN as an intermediary factor directly affects PEOU, PU and LS. In fact, SIN is considered the key factor that affect student satisfaction of blended learning during Covid-19. © 2022 IEEE.

Integrating the technology acceptance model on online learning effectiveness of emerging adult learners in Guangzhou, China

Due to the Zero-COVID policies implemented in China, students have accepted online education for curriculum learning for a considerable period of time. The objective of the current study was to determine the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, gender, and the online learning effectiveness of emerging adult learners in Guangzhou, China, who were enrolled in a continuing education program. The research framework was created in accordance with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The convenient sampling and snowball sampling methods were used to collect 123 respondents for the study. Findings revealed that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were positively associated with online learning effectiveness, but gender was not. The study recommended that school administrators enhance students' perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use to improve the online learning effectiveness. The findings of this study will provide scholars with insights for improving the investment effectiveness of adult education programs. In addition, because online learning tends to be more adaptable and economical than traditional classes, the increase in learning effectiveness can provide schools with justifications to continue utilizing online education even after the pandemic. © 2023 Conscientia Beam. All Rights Reserved.

Exploring cloud computing adoption: COVID era in academic institutions

Cloud computing (CC) is a revolution that can provide information technology (IT) as a service. CC offers infrastructure, platform, and software services, as demand peaks and surges. This paper aims to investigate how prospective adopters behave when external factors such as "Coronavirus Pandemic- COVID-19” impact their technology adoption decision-making. The study also explores how a prospective adopter behaves i.e., if his/her intention to adopt any new innovation increases in presence of stronger disruptive factors (COVID-19). This research empirically examines if the intent to adopt secured (online) services impacts actual CC adoption (CCA) in pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 eras. It also provides an idea of how prospective adopters behave when they face disruptions caused by the pandemic situation, and how the holistic relation is reflected in terms of its influence on academic performance. This study has used Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with sequential mediation effect of intent to adopt secured online services and CCA on Academic Performance (AP) using a sample of 867 students from 25 different Indian universities in Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. Using AMOS, a structural equation modelling was conducted to test the research model. The results highlight that there is a significant difference between the influence of perceived usefulness (PU) as well as perceived ease of use (PEOU) on CCA due to COVID-19. The results also provide empirical evidence of gender moderating the relationship of PU as well as PEOU with CCA. This is the first study that provides comparative results from pre-COVID and post-COVID era, this work provides a reference point to practitioners and academicians, especially when evaluating factors before making a final decision regarding any emerging technology's adoption. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.

Adoption of Cashless Transactions by MSME Sector of India

This study explored MSME's knowledge, usage, and preference of different Digital Technologies in business. This study will further reveal the preference of registered small business units between cash and cashless transaction. The researcher adopted the primary data collection method for this study. The owners/managers of the registered small business units were directly questioned. The data is collected from the Karkardooma complex area situated in the national capital of India i.e., Delhi. The information was gathered between December 2020 and February 2021. The findings of the study reveal that awareness among small business units about different digital payments and their advantages is high, but adoption is low. The result of the study indicates that the original TAM model i.e., perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness along with other factors i.e., subjective norm and selfefficiency has a significant impact on the behavioral intention of MSMEs. Further, demonetization and COVID-19 have forced many small businesses to opt for Cashless transactions but still, they prefer cash.

Acceptance of autonomous delivery robots in urban cities

Autonomous Delivery Robots (ADR), an innovative last-mile delivery method, can be seen as a sustainable solution for the distribution of goods in urban cities. This study combines the modified-TAM (encompassing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and threat elements of the health belief model) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) into the stimulus-organism-response framework to explain consumer intention to use ADRs. The responses of 500 respondents living in Singapore were collected via an online questionnaire, and the collected results were obtained using structural equation modelling. Using the modified-TAM and TPB constructs as the main conceptual framework for analysis, the results show significant results for consumers' ADR usage. Based on total effects analysis, attitude shows the largest effect on consumers' intention to use ADRs, followed by perceived usefulness, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived ease of use, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control. Overall, the findings give an extensive insight into the key determinants influencing consumers' intention to use ADRs and offer strategic policy recommendations to encourage the use of ADRs.

Factors related to tertiary education teachers' use of the Microsoft Teams platform

Previous research disclosed that teachers faced challenges while using different learning management systems during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study investigated teachers' perceptions of Microsoft Teams' functionalities and the extent to which they are related to teachers' time spent on it as well as the various factors associated with their syllabus coverage. Situated within human-computer interaction theory, 157 university teachers at Chouaib Doukkali University, Morocco, were administered a questionnaire that measured their perception of the functionalities offered by Microsoft Teams. Results indicated that teachers' perceptions of the functionalities offered by learning management systems also play an intervening variable in the deployment of these tools in teaching. Hence, this paper calls for an extension and re-adaptation of existing models such as the technology acceptance model and the system usability scale to include an evaluation of the functionalities offered by these tools.

Factors Impacting Online Learning Usage during Covid-19 Pandemic Among Sophomores in Sichuan Private Universities

Purpose: This study aims to examine factors impacting online learning usage among students in Sichuan private universities, China. The variables used to construct the conceptual framework are perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, information quality, system quality, service quality, attitude towards using, satisfaction, behavioral intention and actual use. Research design, data and methodology: The quantitative approach (n=500) was conducted via online questionnaire, using judgmental sampling, quota sampling and convenience sampling. Before processing the data collection, content validity was reserved by index of item objective congruence (IOC). Pilot study of 40 samples was approved by Cronbach's Alpha reliability test. Afterwards, the data was analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The results revealed that satisfaction had the strongest significant impact on behavioral intention, followed by perceived usefulness on attitude toward using, service quality on behavioral intention, behavioral intention on actual use, information quality on behavioral intention, perceived ease of use on attitude toward using and attitude toward using on behavioral intention. On the other hand, the relationship between system quality and behavioral intention was not significant. Conclusions: Academic practitioners were recommended to encourage online learning usage among students by developing better online learning system, technical support service and learning experience which led to successful adoption and learning effectiveness of students in higher education.

Curse or Blessing? Combining Personality Traits and Technology Acceptance to Investigate the Intention to Use of Digital Contact Tracing in Germany

In order to trace the transmission of COVID-19, digital contact tracing (DCT) provides an enormous value for the public health. However, the acceptance of the German contact tracing app, the Corona-Warn-App (CWA), falls short of the expected coverage in the general public. Accordingly, this study focuses on investigating the influencing factors on the CWA's acceptance to demystify the missing puzzle and to face future pandemics. To assess this objective comprehensively, we investigate personality traits (guiding perception and behavior), subjective norm (expressing social influence), and trust in technology on acceptance variables. Our empirical results emphasize that besides the personality traits conscientiousness and agreeableness, perceived usefulness, subjective norm, and trust in technology play a vital role for engagement with the CWA. Our research offers starting points for the use of mobile health solutions, particularly in early epidemic stages. © 2022 IEEE Computer Society. All rights reserved.

E-Learning Acceptance in Higher Education in Response to Outbreak of COVID-19: TAM2 Based Approach

The use of technological tools has robustly come to the forefront in form of e-learning with the onset of COVID-19. In the light of the accelerated shift to online classes by the educational institutions in response to the outbreak of the pandemic, the study aims to apply the technology acceptance model (TAM2) to examine the impact of students' social influence, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use on e-learning intention in higher education during COVID-19. Data collected from students of different universities from the Northern region of India were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results revealed that a significant relationship exists between social influence and perceived usefulness of e-learning behavioural intention. The study also confirms the mediation of perceived usefulness between social influence and e-learning behavioural intention and the mediation of perceived usefulness between perceived ease of use and e-learning behavioural intention. The study revealed that social influence and perceived usefulness are the key factors for the acceptance of e-learning in higher education during COVID-19 pandemic. The main contribution to the study is developing a better understanding of variables that influence the adoption and use of e-learning with special reference to an outbreak of COVID-19. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Exploring usage, expected benefits and perceived usefulness of social media in travel agencies: an empirical investigation in Italy

Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to investigate travel agencies' social media usage and its perceived effectiveness by small- and micro-Italian travel agencies;the pre-pandemic period is compared to the forecasts for the post-Covid-19 period and different characteristics of firms and entrepreneurs are considered. Furthermore, the study analyses the expected benefits in terms of marketing objectives, such as improving brand image and/or personalizing the offer. Design/methodology/approach: The research was developed through a questionnaire administered electronically to travel agents (282 respondents). The resulting data was analyzed by applying the McNemar test, a pairwise t-test and the multivariate analysis of variance. Findings: The results show that social media are strategically significant for travel agents, even though their adoption is influenced by different agency aims;the perceived effectiveness results are diversified according to varying agency typologies. Research limitations/implications: The two main limitations of the study are its focus on the Italian context only and the missing consideration of the consumer's point of view. The latter prevents an exhaustive assessment of future trends regarding the use of social media in the client–agency relationship. Originality/value: The study, which focuses on a little debated topic concerning the relationship between social media and SMEs, organically explores various dimensions related to the adoption of social media by small agencies, also considering the impact of the Covid-19 on the perception of travel agents. As a further element of originality, the research takes into consideration the main social platforms separately rather than the set of tools as a whole. © 2023, Simone Splendiani, Mauro Dini, Francesca Rivetti and Tonino Pencarelli.

Antecedents of Intention to Use E-Auction: An Empirical Study

Many public health organizations worldwide have used E-auctions to monitor, curtail, and improve the transmission of new coronavirus illnesses. However, user population size and acceptance of these technologies significantly impact their effectiveness. The current study's goal was to determine what factors influence customers' intent to use COVID-19 E-auctions by employing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to the Jordanian setting. This study empirically assessed 310 Jordanian respondents using a quantitative approach known as Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The research findings supported the majority of the proposed hypotheses, showing that behavioral intentions to use electronic bidding are highly influenced by perceived usability, perceived usefulness, trust in the government, social influence, and awareness. This research paper eventually contributes to the field of technology acceptance by developing a context-driven approach to the key pandemic components and features that influence different practices of technology acceptance. © 2023 by the authors.

The Intentions To Use E-Wallet Services During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons From Vietnam

This study analyses the dimensions of self-service technology that affect intentions of using e-wallets on mobile platforms. Our study is unique because the Covid-19 pandemic alters consumer intentions to use the E-wallet. We collect data from 307 Vietnamese users through online questionnaires and focus group interviews. We analyze the data sample by applying the Theory of Technology Acceptance and a part of Behavior Intention. Our findings indicate that Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Trust, Risk, and Personal Innovativeness in Information Technology increase the intention to use E-wallet services in Vietnam. Our findings extend the literature related to essential characteristics of mobile wallets that support the marketing of mobile wallet products. Our study also recommends increasing the attractiveness of using electronic payment via mobile wallets. © 2023, SRAC - Romanian Society for Quality. All rights reserved.

Awareness and use of online health information sites in the COVID-19 pandemic: a survey of postgraduate students in a Nigerian Theological Seminary

AJOL : The Internet has drastically improved access to health information for personal health care management causing a shift from traditional health information sources to online sources. Moreso the COVID-19 pandemic made many people adopt the use of online sources for health information and management. This study investigated the awareness and use of online health information sites (OHIS) by postgraduate students in the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, Nigeria. A survey research design was adopted. Total enumeration was used because of the small population of respondents. Findings revealed that the students had several health information needs, but there was a low level of awareness of OHIS, as well as the use of OHIS amongst them. A high percentage did not use OHIS due to some reasons. Health information needs, awareness of OHIS, perceived usefulness of information from OHIS, perceived ease of using OHIS, and trust in OHIS are factors that influenced the use of OHIS by the students. A high percentage intended to continue using OHIS, while the non-user had the intention of using the sites in the future. The study concluded that there was a low level of awareness and use of OHIS by postgraduate students in the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso. In addition, health information needs, awareness of OHIS, perceived usefulness of information from OHIS, perceived ease of using OHIS, and trust in OHIS are factors that influenced the use of OHIS by the students. These factors should be leveraged to promote the use and continuous use of OHIS

Students' continuance intention to use MOOCs: empirical evidence from India.

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in understanding the Massive open online courses (MOOCs) due to its gaining popularity. Even though the number of online platforms and programs has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a high rate of dropout and non-completion. In this work, the expectation-confirmation model is combined with MOOC features such as perceived openness, perceived reputation, and other factors i.e., perceived enjoyment, and perceived computer self-efficacy to investigate the learner's continued intention to use MOOC. A survey was undertaken and the data was collected from 383 students pursuing their degrees (undergraduate and post-graduate) in Karnataka state, India. The collected data were analyzed with structural equation modelling in Smart PLS 3. The study confirms a significant influence of confirmation and perceived usefulness on satisfaction, and direct significant influence of perceived computer self-efficacy, satisfaction, and perceived usefulness on continuance intention. Also, the results demonstrated the significant influence of confirmation on perceived enjoyment and usefulness and the effect of computer self-efficacy on usefulness. The findings in this study indicate that the MOOC platforms should focus on confirming learner expectations and the usefulness of courses to ensure student satisfaction and continuance of courses.