Factors that influence e-learning adoption by international students in Canada

Abstract

In recent years, the global higher education sector is increasingly adopting technology enhanced learning as part of the drive towards innovation in teaching and learning. In order to design and implement a successful e-learning environment, educational providers need to understand students' perceptions of e-learning. This pilot study examines the factors that affect students' intentions to adopt e-learning, namely individual user differences, perceived ease of use, perceived flexibility of use and student satisfaction. Data were collected from 151 international students studying in a Canadian public college via an online questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the best predictor of student satisfaction was perceived ease of use, while the best predictor of intention to adopt was perceived flexibility of use. An examination of individual user differences such as gender, age, education, frequency of use and previous e-learning experience revealed that only frequency of use emerged as a predictor of intention to adopt e-learning. The findings provide important insights for colleges and higher educational institutions that are interested in the design and delivery of e-learning courses that would lead to student satisfaction and higher e-learning adoption rates. Further discussion and implications are provided.