A Qualitative Study on the Usage of a Learning Management System by Allied Health Faculty

Learning management systems (LMSs) are available to faculty in many higher education institutions; however, not all faculty members take advantage of the tools LMSs offer in facilitating their face-to-face classes. To deepen understanding of this gap, this study explored faculty's experiences in LMS usage and factors that affected faculty's use of LMS to facilitate classroom learning. For this qualitative study, data were collected through interviews with various allied health faculty (n=10), and content analysis was used to identify themes. Two types of LMS user groups were identified in the study: high LMS users, who used three or more LMS tools, and low LMS users, who used fewer tools. Data analysis for the high LMS users identified four themes: adopted andragogy, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and enhances adopted andragogy. For low LMS users, five themes were developed: no adopted andragogy, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, work enhancement, and barriers for further use. Both groups had the themes of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use, but to various degrees. The emergent themes imply that high LMS users had an adopted andragogy framework from which they worked in designing their face-to-face courses, but low LMS users did not. Having an adopted andragogy appears to motivate faculty to use LMSs beyond the basic tools. The results of this qualitative study extended the technology acceptance model, an information systems theory explaining how users accept and use technology by adding a pivotal preceding construct, adopted andragogy, which is faculty embracing methods for teaching adult learners.