Search results

This study explores collaborative technology's effectiveness in facilitating learning in a hybrid (synchronous face-to-face and asynchronous virtual) context. In particular, the study explores the critical role of students' feeling-at-ease, including its drivers and impact on their perception of the technology.

The study included a classroom intervention in which a collaborative technology, i.e. VoiceThread, was implemented in a hybrid learning context. Online surveys, which included quantitative and qualitative components, were administered at the start and end of the semester to capture student perceptions and experiences with the technology.

Students who felt more at ease assessed the collaborative technology more positively. While extraversion was marginally associated with initial feeling at ease, technology anxiety was not. When using the technology to post content, students who felt more at ease preferred using audio or video over text. Students' perception of the importance of technology in facilitating their learning was a key mediator in the relationship between feeling less at ease and future intention to use the collaborative technology.

The paper investigates the implementation of a collaborative technology in a hybrid learning context, highlighting the critical role of feeling at ease in impacting its acceptance.

This study aims to investigate how online teaching of faculty members is affected by technological readiness (TR) of using online teaching platforms. The study sheds light on how many faculty members were ready to use different online platforms during COVID-19 period.

This study used TR measures to determine the impact of optimism regarding the perceived usefulness and ease of usage, impact of innovativeness in terms of perceived usability and ease of use, the influence of discomfort on perceived usefulness and ease of usage, the effect of uncertainty on perceived usefulness and ease of use and the influence of perceived usefulness and ease of use on behavior. An online questionnaire survey was conducted among 255 faculty members of different private universities of Bangladesh. The sample was chosen based on a convenience method. The responses were analyzed using partial least square (PLS) approach with the help of software Smart PLS 3.

The finding supported all of the hypotheses except that discomfort and insecurity have a positive relationship with ease of use and usefulness.

The study will help faculty members in developing their competency in using technologies in their pedagogy. Also, this study will provide some guidelines to the university management in developing adequate technological infrastructure to aid teaching.

The aim of the study was to investigate the faculty members' readiness level with respect to online teaching. The technology assessment model (TAM) was used to determine the readiness index. The study intended to validate the hypotheses regarding the extent to which the faculty members perceived that TAM factors affect Ease of Use and Usefulness of online teaching. Also, this research analyzed the perception of faculty members that Ease of Using online teaching affects its Usefulness. Lastly, the study examined how their perception of Ease of Use and Usefulness affect Intention to Use online as a mode of teaching. It was found from the study that each of the TAM factors, Optimism, Innovativeness, Insecurity and Discomfort has positive and significant contribution on the Ease of Use. On the other hand, Optimism, Innovativeness, Insecurity and Discomfort have positive and significant contributions on the Usefulness. The study also revealed that Ease of Use has positive and significant contribution on the Usefulness. Lastly, it was found that Ease of Use and Usefulness have positive and significant contribution on the Intention to use. Teaching remotely is still a novel concept, and it is more difficult for people who have not done it before. Many teachers became burned out as a result of trying to adjust to new teaching methods, especially after the lockdown began. They were having a difficult time since there was so much ambiguity. When a teacher is well-versed in communication tools, it can improve learning efficiency. When they are properly trained, deploying engaging features of virtual learning, such as audio-visual lessons, quizzes, and so on, becomes simple, and students become eager to learn more. Teachers can plan their classes, prepare and master technology and create innovative and stimulating discussion topics (Mishra et al., 2020). They need to utilize a variety of technological options. They can rehearse virtual classroom management with colleagues if they face any difficulty. All of the aforementioned abilities can be honed with the assistance of an integrated academic system. Teachers can be trained by educational institutions to ensure a smooth learning process through the use of ICT (information and communication technologies) (Scherer et al., 2021; Mishra et al., 2020). The training will assist teachers in efficiently taking online classes. Institutions should ensure that teachers are well-suited to teach online and are skilled at keeping students engaged during remote learning. To make every chapter engaging, aspects such as videos, slides, images and digital copies of books and workbooks can be used. This allows students to receive personalized support and counseling in order to maintain their motivation (Sahu et al., 2022; Lapitan et al., 2021). Every other day, group doubt resolution classes ensure that there are no gaps in learning (Lapitan et al., 2021). All teachers require is a digital mindset, the appropriate tools and a committed approach (Sahu et al., 2022). If teachers can hold their students' attention, they can easily deliver an effective learning experience (Lapitan et al., 2021).

This study was conducted to identify technological preparedness of faculty members of private universities in Bangladesh during COVID-19 period. Some studies were there to assess such kind of preparedness but none of those used TAM and technology readiness model either in isolation or in combination. Also, this paper focused on teachers' readiness in contrast to students' readiness specific to private universities.

Numerous academic institutions have embarked on the pursuit of hybrid learning as an alternative approach, catering to students who opt for replacing a fraction of their conventional in-person meeting schedule with remote teaching. However, these new remote learning patterns have brought forth new stands against students' expectations. The universities have come across immense challenges in devising efficacious strategies that encompass the delivery, effectiveness and acceptability of hybrid courses. Consequently, identifying pivotal determinants related to user acceptance of technology persists as a crucial matter. This study aims to shed light on the adoption of hybrid learning from students' perspectives.

Structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to scrutinise the proposed research model and hypotheses. A total sample of 444 students responded and partook in the survey. The data were analysed using AMOS software, a powerful tool for statistical analysis in the field of social sciences.

The findings of this study show that perceived service quality positively and significantly impacts the ease of use and usefulness of a hybrid learning system among students. In addition, the results demonstrate that ease of use and usefulness of the system positively and significantly influence students' favourable attitudes toward hybrid learning. Remarkably, the statistical analysis unveils the significant mediating effect of ease of use and usefulness in the relationship between perceived service quality and students' attitudes toward hybrid learning.

The findings suggest that the pervasive dependence on information systems and the quality of service from novel technologies continues to be a vital influence in the learning environment. The study has provided valuable insights into student perseverance learning strategies for higher education institutions.

This study's novelty lies in illuminating the crucial role of ease of use and usefulness as mediators, highlighting their criticality in enhancing students' attitudes towards hybrid learning. Notably, the study underscores that perceived service quality exerts a positive influence on ease of use and usefulness.

When organizations implement a new information system (IS), they often experience users' resistance behaviors. This study explored the effects of IS self-efficacy, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and anxiety on resistance to IS change within the hospitality domain. It also compared these relationships before and after completing e-learning courses for a new IS.

Survey responses were gathered from current and future hospitality employees. All hypotheses were tested via confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

The results demonstrated that (1) IS self-efficacy had significant effects on both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of IS; and (2) IS anxiety had a significant impact on resistance to IS change, both before and after completing the e-learning courses. The results also showed that self-efficacy had a significant effect on anxiety and, in turn, resistance to change, after completing the e-learning courses, but not prior to the training.

This study addressed the lack of theory-driven empirical research on predictors of user resistance to IS change, based on social cognitive theory, technology acceptance models, and user resistance research.

Based on the findings, hospitality operators and vendors can focus on improving factors influencing user adoption of a new IS when they design and implement it. Operators can design better change management strategies to reduce resistance to IS change.

Few investigations have been conducted to explain the relationships among the aforementioned factors, before and after completing e-learning for a hospitality IS.

Mobile apps represent an emergent self-service technology that has greatly contributed to the rise of mobile shopping. However, the existing services and marketing literature offer little insight on consumer app usage. Further, little is known about how this app usage might affect important outcomes such as consumers’ intentions to use and recommend an app, their channel preferences (in-store vs app), or their purchasing behavior with the app. Thus, the purpose of this research is to examine if, and how, consumers’ actual experiences using retailers’ apps affected these outcomes.

Data were collected from a series of online surveys of adult consumers based on their prior experiences with retailers’ apps. The hypothesized relationships were tested using regression analyses.

Results highlight perceived ease of use as a critical app attribute that fosters consumers’ personal connections to apps. These connections in turn influence their purchase channel preferences (app vs in-store) and actual purchasing behavior with the app, as well as their future intentions to purchase with the app and recommend it to others. App usage frequency is shown to moderate these effects.

The findings provide needed managerial insight into consumer usage of brick-and-click retailers’ apps. Specifically, the results inform service providers’ mobile commerce strategies – particularly with respect to app design, channel management and customer segmentation. Future opportunities exist to explore and compare consumer usage of other types of service providers’ apps, such as “pure play” providers that do not have physical stores.

This research moves beyond initial app adoption to instead focus on consumers’ actual app usage experiences and their implications. Of note, the findings suggest that firms may be paradoxically driving consumers away from their physical stores as they continue to devote considerable resources to creating and providing customers with easy-to-use mobile apps.

Given that smartphones are widely used as a key means for mobile commerce, the purpose of this paper is to provide in-depth understanding of determinants of the utilitarian value that customers seek to obtain from using smartphone-based mobile commerce. Drawing on the technology acceptance model (TAM), the study proposes that usefulness and ease of use are two typical factors representing utilitarian value and verifies their impacts on smartphone-based m-commerce use. Moreover, the paper expands the TAM by considering mobile-specific characteristics (i.e. service ubiquity and location-based service (LBS)) and a self-service technology (SST) characteristic (i.e. user control) as determinants of utilitarian value.

The study entailed conducting a survey, and analyses were conducted based on a total of 379 responses from undergraduate and graduate students who had experience using smartphones for mobile commerce. The analyses used structural equation modeling to test the research model and hypotheses.

First, in the context of the various technologies-involved m-commerce, TAM serves as a theoretical lens to predict user behavior. Second, usefulness is greatly increased by service ubiquity, LBS, and user control. Third, ease of use is enhanced by service ubiquity and user control. Finally, ease of use is a determinant of usefulness.

The findings imply that mobile-specific and SST characteristics are the key determinants of utilitarian value in performance-oriented mobile commerce, and utilitarian value is a key determinant of smartphone-based mobile commerce use.

This study explores food delivery app users and technology acceptance model as a theoretical underpinning. This study thus investigated the determinants of usefulness, ease of use and intention to use for food delivery app service.

The variables of delivery time, diverse menu, quarantine, review quality and ease of use are employed as determinants of usefulness. The antecedents of ease of use are easy registration and easy payment. This study also examined the association between ease of use, usefulness and intention to use. This study collected data using Amazon Mechanical Turk, and the number of valid observations for statistical analysis was 484. A structural equation model was used to test the hypotheses.

Regarding the results, usefulness was positively affected by delivery time, quarantine, review quality and ease of use. Additionally, ease of use was positively impacted by easy registration and easy payment. Finally, this study showed that ease of use positively affects both usefulness and intention to use, and usefulness is positively associated with intention to use.

This study contributes to the literature by ensuring the explanatory power of technology acceptance model for food delivery app.

Global digital payment transactions increase continuously. Due to the inconsistencies that occurred across the research findings, past researchers have called for further investigation to verify and empirically test the mobile payment acceptance model. The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrative model that is derived from the multiple technology acceptance models (TAM)’s a theoretical framework and past literature to understand how consumers decided to adopt mobile payment. By simultaneously testing mechanisms, namely, ease of use, usefulness and risk, the current study will be able to advance scholarly knowledge of the underlying consumer’s attitude and behavior that link social influence to intention to use.

A total of 370 valid responses were collected using self-administered questionnaires distributed via online platforms, a representative for Thai consumers. An ordinary least square regression and bootstrap analyzes were conducted through PROCESS Macro to analyze the moderated serial-multiple mediation model in the consecutive inducing of social influence, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and perceived risk toward the consumer’s intention to use mobile payment.

Within the context of consumers evaluating a mobile payment, statistics significant were found for the hypothesized direct and indirect effects of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness on an intention to use. The results showed that Thai consumers’ intention to use mobile payment was significantly affected by their attitudes in terms of usefulness and the less complication in using the applications. It is confirmed that social influence indirectly affects intention to use via the increase of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The study also found a significant interaction between perceived risk and perceived usefulness toward intention to use.

It is recommended to service providers to continue improving the user-friendliness, navigation, integrity and furnish the system with more value-added activities within the mobile payment application. It is also essential for the company to deliver tutorials and clear and easy-to-follow instructions to customers. At the same time, the marketer should develop marketing strategies to promote the usefulness and simplicity of using the applications to the consumers. When consumers experienced the easiness and usefulness of the applications, these could overcome the resistance feeling to use due to the concern on any potential risk.

The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on consumer usage behavior and TAM by integrating all important variables and developed a parsimony framework to explain consumers’ usage adoption on mobile payment. Moreover, the current study was the very first that proposed and tested a serial of multiple mediations of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, moderated by perceived risk, in the relationship between social influence and consumers’ intention to use mobile payment and discovered a moderating role of perceived risk toward the relationship between perceived usefulness and mobile payment usage intention.

The current research investigates the impact of persona‐system characteristics, technical backing, and computing skill on information systems (IS) usage by Malaysian small and medium firms (SMF) using the TAM. The study hypothesizes that persona‐system characteristics (such as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and usage of systems will be greater when there is greater computing skill and strong technical backing. A total of 177 firms responded to the survey and the results show that there is a positive relationship between computing skill and technical backing on one hand and IS usage directly, and indirectly via perceived usefulness and ease of use on the other. Usage is influenced directly by usefulness and indirectly (via usefulness) by ease of use. These findings are particularly crucial to system designers and vendors targeting SMF, as well as, to information systems management in SMF. Important theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to present recent work for optimizing the estimation of ease allowance of a garment using fuzzy logic and sensory evaluation.

The current method first generates a number of fuzzy models each corresponding to one specific key body part and one specific wearer's movement and then aggregates all the values of ease allowance generated from these fuzzy models using the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) operator. The aggregated ease allowance takes into account geometric measures on all representative human bodies, comfort sensations of wearers related to all movements or actions and different styles of trousers (tight, normal and loose). The weights of the OWA operator can be used to adjust the compromise between the style of garments and the comfort sensation of wearers. The related weights of the OWA operator are automatically determined according to designer's linguistic criteria characterizing the relationship between wearer's movements and the features of the garment to be designed.

Based on the optimized values of ease allowance generated from fuzzy models related to different key body positions and different wearer's movements, the authors obtain a personalized ease allowance, permitting to further improve the wearer's fitting perception of a garment. The effectiveness of the method has been validated in the design of trousers of jean type. It can also be applied for designing other types of garment.

Integration of wearer's body shapes and human comfort in the design of personalized garments.