Technology Acceptance Model
Introduction
The dynamic change and development of technology, the internet, and new ways of communication has enabled the rise of different e-learning platforms. Higher education institutions have not been left behind in the quickly changing technology. Students are the most active users of the internet and ICT. To facilitate their learning, different models were used by researchers. These theories include; Theory of reasoned action, Theory of planned behaviour, Technology Acceptance Model, and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Dumpit &Fernandez, 2017). This paper will focus on Technology Acceptance Model as a driver to change the educational setting.
TAM and its Components
TAM is one of the most popular research models that is used to explain the use and acceptance of information systems and technology by a user. There are two main factors in this model; perceived usefulness and perceived ease. Tam explains the relationship between beliefs and aims of a user. Perceived usefulness can be explained as the degree to which an individual trusts that using a particular application or system can enhance his performance at work. Perceived ease of use is defined as the degree to which a user expects the system to be free of effort (Nugroho et al., 2017). The most vital determinants of the actual use of this model are ease of use and perceived usefulness. These factors are influenced by external factors, namely; social factors, political factors and cultural factors. Political factors majorly are the effects of using technology for political gain or political crises. Social factors consist of language, skills and experiences, and different effective conditions (Dastderji, 2016). An attitude of use depends on the evaluation of an individual user and the desire to adopt a particular information system use.
How TAM impacts educational settings
TAM has vastly influenced technology learning-based systems and educational settings; both instructors and students.
Influence decisions
Different complex tasks need appropriate technology to match teaching methods. When adopting certain technology, it is important to consider both cognitive and effective methods. To be able to consider these methods, an educator must have self-efficacy; this is the personal belief in the capability to plan and achieve objectives (Joo et al., 2018). Self-efficacy of an instructor will enable him to plan and achieve their objectives, which is higher performance. Self-efficacy also promotes instructors use of information and communication technology, hence achieving their goal, which is, improving students’ performance (Aburub & Alnawas, 2019). The teachers should be able to master the technological and pedagogical knowledge. They should also be able to attend to their students’ needs efficiently.
Student attitudes of learning
The primary interest of a student in the subject matter evokes interest or feelings. In traditional classes, educators or instructors who give interesting talks are widely accepted by students. This means that educators from different fields are evaluated differently depending on the subject matter. Subjects vary in difficulty, and some subjects have better teachers. Students are inclined to rate and accept teachers differently depending on their attitudes, motivation, learning styles, and the perceptions of these subjects. In e-learning, the students’ experiences are influenced by the course learning materials, course design or the ease to use the e-course. The attitude of a student to use the e-course depends on the simplicity and ease to use.
Case study overview; the Role of Attitude in Relation to Technology acceptance Model in E-learning. Case study of Malaysia.
Due to the fast change of technology and demand for online learning in the higher institutions, the Malaysian government has given more consideration to E-learning. The effectiveness of E-learning is not well known, so there is a need to understand the students’ attitude on E-learning using the TAM. This research aimed to use the attitude, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use to understand the intentions of students’ to adopt and use E-learning.
A quantitative study was conducted on 151 students. These students were recruited through random sampling. The method of data collection used was a questionnaire. This study was conducted using a survey method. The questionnaire was based on the TAM and consisted of the profile of respondents and perceptions of E-learning like perceived usefulness and perceived ease to use, and attitude and behavioural intentions. Findings established that attitude is an important aspect of the intention of students to use E-learning.
Conclusion
Schools are adopting new ways of learning, which is mainly through information and communication technology as a supplement of traditional teaching. Developing countries have adopted and appreciated the technological innovation in the education systems. Developing countries, on the other hand, are striving to compete in the education system. Adopting technology and ICT use in education does not guarantee the success of the implementation. To ensure success, these institutions should understand the individual user acceptance. Using the technology acceptance model can facilitate end-user acceptance insights. Online learning can be made more effective if institutions adopt TAM. This model is important for both students and instructors as it can be used to explain certain behaviour in an information system.
Reference
Aburub, F., & Alnawas, I. (2019). A new integrated model to explore factors that influence adoption of mobile learning in higher education: An empirical investigation. Education and Information Technologies, 24(3), 2145-2158.
Dastjerdi, N. B. (2016). Factors Affecting ICT Adoption among Distance Education Students Based on the Technology Acceptance Model–A Case Study at a Distance Education University in Iran. International Education Studies, 9(2), 73-80.
Dumpit, D. Z., & Fernandez, C. J. (2017). Analysis of the use of social media in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) using the Technology Acceptance Model. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14(1), 5.
Hussein, Z. (2017). Leading to intention: The role of attitude in relation to technology acceptance model in e-learning. Procedia Computer Science, 105, 159-164.
Joo, Y. J., Park, S., & Lim, E. (2018). Factors influencing preservice teachers’ intention to use technology: TPACK, teacher self-efficacy, and technology acceptance model. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 21(3), 48-59.
Nugroho, A. H., Bakar, A., & Ali, A. (2017). Analysis of technology acceptance model: Case study of Traveloka. Arthatama, 1(1), 27-34.