Applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to Understand Adaptation of e- learning in Alternative Higher Education Sector in Sir Lanka, Case Study: The Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education (SLIATE).

Abstract

The advancement of the Internet has led to remarkable changes in several aspects of our lives in this century. The field of education is one of them. It has made a paradigm shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered education. That offers unique advantages to both educators and students. Students have increasing opportunities to access and interact both with materials and classmates. Along with this paradigm shift, understanding of students’ e-learning behavioral intention is urgently needed for creating effective learner-centered education. Further higher educational institutions have made substantial investments in the adoption of e-learning to enhance their learning and teaching activities. However, these systems are not used by the students with their fullest capabilities. Therefore, understanding the critical factors behind the adoption and acceptance of technology is a prime concern in developing countries like Sri Lanka. The purpose of the study is to identify the determinants of students’ acceptance of online learning and to investigate how these determinants can shape students’ intention to use Learning Management Systems. A conceptual framework based on the TAM. Primary data collection is done by using a questionnaire. The sample is selected from the students in SLIATE according to Krejcie & Morgan table. The sample size was 254. The results reveal the relationship of alternative higher education students’ behavioral intention to use the LMS with attitude, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, self-efficacy, subjective norm and system accessibility. Among those factors attitude, self-efficacy, and subjective norms were identified to be significant. The findings of this study help to provide insights into the best ways to promote e-learning acceptance among students, which provides practical implications for policy makers, practitioners, and developers in successful e-learning systems implementation.