Can COVID-19 pandemic influence experience response in mobile learning?

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Pandemic Response in Education

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic forced widespread adoption of remote education, particularly mobile learning (m-learning), in higher education.
• Existing research lacks a comprehensive understanding of student learning experience responses in compulsory m-learning environments.
• There is a need to identify the key factors influencing student experience in mandatory m-learning programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the influence of pedagogical and technological factors on student experience response (ER) in compulsory m-learning.
• To extend the Mobile Technology Acceptance Model (MTAM) to understand learner ER during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• To explore the mechanisms driving student ER in emergency remote education settings.

Main Methods:

• An online self-administered questionnaire was employed to gather data from students.
• Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 3.2.9 for structural equation modeling.
• Importance-Performance Matrix Analysis (IPMA) was used as a post-hoc analysis to assess construct importance and performance.

Main Results:

• Perceptions of m-learning content quality, user interface, and system connectivity positively influence perceived mobile usefulness and ease of use.
• Perceived mobile usefulness and ease of use are significant predictors of the overall learner experience response (ER).
• The study validates the extended MTAM by integrating pedagogical and technological attributes in an emergency context.

Conclusions:

• Pedagogical and technological factors are crucial drivers of student experience in compulsory m-learning during crises.
• The extended MTAM provides a robust framework for understanding learner experience beyond behavioral intention.
• Findings offer insights for optimizing m-learning design and implementation in educational institutions facing similar emergencies.