Investigating the adoption of MOOCs : a technology-user-environment perspective

In spite of the potentials promised by MOOCs (massive open online courses), the adoption rate of MOOCs is still low, especially in developing countries. Research on the adoption of MOOCs in developing countries is also limited. To fill this research gap, this research aims to study the adoption of MOOCs by extending current research on innovation and technology adoption in order to promote the diffusion of MOOCs in developing countries. Here, a conceptual framework, technology–user–environment was proposed to identify influential drivers and barriers of MOOC adoption. Eight hundred and twenty‐seven individuals in a developing country, were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey. Data were analysed by hierarchical regression, and the results show that for the (a) technological characteristics, perceived usefulness has the most significant influence, followed by lack of accessibility and performance‐to‐cost value; for the (b)user factors, self‐regulation was the most significant predictor of MOOC adoption, and female learners showed higher willingness to adopt MOOCs; and for the (c) social environmental factors, tradition and social norms and lack of information about MOOCs were negatively associated with adoption of MOOCs. Implications and suggestions are discussed at the end of this paper.Accepted versio

Understanding the barriers to the use of MOOCs in a developing country : an innovation resistance perspective

Despite the promised benefits of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) to address the digital divide and promote equity in educational opportunities, the use of MOOCs is still lagging especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to investigate the barriers underlying the adoption of MOOCs in the context of a developing country. Drawing from the theoretical framework of innovation resistance theory, this study conducted focus group discussions with 69 college students in China, a major developing country in Asia. It was found that innovation resistance theory is plausible to explain the barriers to adopting MOOCs. Our results showed that the main barriers in the adoption of MOOCs encountered by students in a developing country are usage barrier, value barrier, and tradition barrier. Furthermore, to complement the perspective of innovation resistance theory, this study also conducted an inductive analysis to identify other types of obstacles hindering students' use of MOOCs. It was found that individual factors (e.g., self-control and attitude) as well as the environment (e.g., promotion and economical circumstance) are also barriers to the use of MOOCs. Implications and suggestions for practice are also discussed.Accepted versio

Drivers and barriers to MOOC adoption: perspectives from adopters and non-adopters

PurposeDespite the advantages of MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses), the adoption rate is still low, especially in less developed countries. The present study aims to investigate the drivers and barriers faced by adopters and non-adopters of MOOCs, and examine how these factors influence the intention of MOOC adoption.Design/methodology/approachA survey questionnaire was developed to measure how the identified factors may impact adopters and non-adopters' intention of using MOOCs. Through both offline and online channels, 1018 valid questionnaires were collected in China. Multiple regression analysis was applied to test the influential factors for adopters and non-adopters of MOOCs.FindingsThis study found that the drivers (i.e. perceived usefulness, performance-to-cost value, and self-regulation) have similar effects on both adopters and non-adopters on intention to adopt MOOCs. What differs between the two groups are the barriers to MOOC adoption. While adopters considered educational tradition and peers' impact as major barriers, non-adopters regarded lack of publicity and relevant information to be an obstacle. In addition, both adopters and non-adopters were hindered by the lack of accessibility and instructions.Research limitations/implicationsAs all the participants of this study were from one country in Asia, the findings may not be applicable to explain the situation of MOOC adoption in other countries with different social and cultural context.Originality/valueIn addition to the perceptions of adopters, this study also reveals the perceptions of non-adopters of MOOCs, which has seldom been investigated. In addition, this study focuses on the context of economically disadvantaged regions which have been neglected in previous studies of MOOC adoption.</jats:sec

Investigating the Use of MOOCs: An Innovation Adoption Perspective

MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses) are deemed to address the digital divide and promote equity in educational opportunities. However, the adoption rate of MOOCs is still low while the dropout rate is high, especially in developing countries. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to investigate what factors impact learners’ adoption of MOOCs in developing countries. Based on an innovation adoption perspective, potential drivers and barriers are derived the three dimensions – user characteristics, MOOC features, and the social environment. Eight hundred and thirteen individuals in a developing country were invited to participate in questionnaire survey. Data collected was analyzed by hierarchical regression method. It is found that self-regulation exerts the most significant impact on individuals’ adoption of MOOCs, followed by perceived usefulness, performance-tocost, and past experience. In terms of barriers, lack of access to MOOCs and lace of instructions are identified as main obstacles for adoption of MOOCs. In addition, the intention to adopt MOOCs is different between male and female. The implications and future research directions are discussed

News sharing in social media : the effect of gratifications and prior experience

Recent events indicate that sharing news in social media has become a phenomenon of increasing social, economic and political importance because individuals can now participate in news production and diffusion in large global virtual communities. Yet, knowledge about factors influencing news sharing in social media remains limited. Drawing from the uses and gratifications (U&G) and social cognitive theories (SCT), this study explored the influences of information seeking, socializing, entertainment, status seeking and prior social media sharing experience on news sharing intention. A survey was designed and administered to 203 students in a large local university. Results from structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis revealed that respondents who were driven by gratifications of information seeking, socializing, and status seeking were more likely to share news in social media platforms. Prior experience with social media was also a significant determinant of news sharing intention. Implications and directions for future work are discussed