Factors Affecting Students’ Acceptance of E-Learning System in Higher Education Using UTAUT and Structural Equation Modeling Approaches

Abstract

One of the important revolutionary tools widely used and globally implemented by educational institutes and universities is none other than the electronic learning (E-learning system). The aim of this system is to deliver education. As a result, the users of an E-learning system can have enormous benefits. The developed countries are successfully implementing the E-learning system besides realization of its massive benefits. On the contrary, the developing countries have failed, either fully or partially, to implement the E-learning system. A main reason is that those countries do not have an absolute utilization and considered below the satisfactory level. For instance, in United Arab Emirate, one of the developing countries, a growing number of universities are investing for many years in E-learning systems in order to enhance the quality of student education. However, their utilization among students has not fulfilled the satisfactory level. Imagine the evidence that the behavior of user is mainly required for the successful use of these web-based tools, investigating the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) of E-learning system used in practical education is the basic aim of this research study. A survey on E-learning usage among 280 students was conducted and by using the given responses, the assumptions of the research resulting from this model have been practically validated. The partial least square method was employed to examine these responses. In predicting a student’s intention to use E-learning, the UTAUT model was strongly corroborated by the obtained results. In addition, the findings reveal that all important factors of behavioral intention to use E-learning system were reportedly found as the social influence, performance expectancy and facilitating conditions of learning. Remarkably, a significant impact on student intention towards E-learning system was not suggested by the effort expectancy. Consequently, The three key factors leading to successful E-Learning system are thought to be the good perception and encouraging university policy.