Influencing Factors in MOOCs Adoption in Higher Education: A Meta-Analytic Path Analysis

Abstract

(1) Background: Due to the rapid growth of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), higher educational institutions across the world are investing heavily in MOOCs to support their traditional teaching, their students’ learning experience, and their performance. However, the success of MOOCs highly depends on several factors that influence their success in higher education. Prior studies have attempted to investigate and predict user acceptance of MOOCs in higher education by using a variety of theoretical viewpoints. Nonetheless, these studies have yielded conflicting findings and are inconclusive. (2) Purpose: This study aims to develop a model that integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), as well as the Task-Technology Fit (TTF) to explore the factors that influence the acceptance and use of MOOCs in higher education institutions, while synthesizing previous empirical findings in the field. (3) Methods: The model was tested using Meta-analytic Structural Equation Modelling (MASEM) based on the data gathered from 43 studies (k = 45 samples, n = 16,774). (4) Results: Effort expectancy (EE), attitude (ATT), performance expectancy (PE), and TTF—determined by several task and technology characteristics—were identified as the direct predictors of behavioral intention (BI) to continue using MOOCs. (5) Conclusions: This model provides a cohesive view of MOOCs’ acceptance in higher educational institutions, and it helps to identify potential research opportunities in this area. (6) Implications: Results from MASEM offer managerial guidance for the effective implementation of MOOCs and provide directions for further research, to augment current knowledge of MOOCs’ adoption, by higher education institutions.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Higher Education: A Bibliometric Analysis (2012-2022)

“…Indeed, MOOCs offer an open online course experience that allows participants from different countries to join universities around the world [46]. Due to the rapid growth of MOOCs, colleges and universities across the country are investing heavily in MOOCs to support teaching and learning processes, provide learning experiences, and improve student performance [47,48].…”

“…4. First, in the red cluster (n=14), there is a clear collaboration between Russian Federation (with 120 publications and 23 TLS) and Belgium (27,25); second, in the green cluster (n=12), we see the collaboration between Spain (216, 137), France (49,48), and Mexico (29,18). Germany, Taiwan, and Switzerland belong to the blue cluster (n=10).…”

Behavioral Intention on Islamic Crowdfunding Usage among Malaysian Bumiputera SMEs: Moderating effect of technology readiness

“…Besides that, despite being the best model to explain user acceptance (Zaremohzzabieh et al, 2022;Chen & Zhao, 2022;Sohn & Kwon, 2020), UTAUT also has its shortcomings such as rather than the private space, UTAUT model originally formed for user acceptance of technology in the work environment (Baum et al, 2022) which cause it to be missing individual perceptions such as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use constructs. Secondly, Venkatesh et al, (2003) suggested that extended constructs to be added in the original UTAUT model for further research in order to cater to the limitations of the original UTAUT model and to get a more comprehensive understanding of technology adoption and usage behavior.…”

Integrated TTF and self-determination theories in higher education: The role of actual use of the massive open online courses

“…Numerous studies ( Dalipi et al, 2018 ; Goopio and Cheung, 2021 ; Ghai and Tandon, 2022 ; Zaremohzzabieh et al, 2022 ) have been undertaken to determine the causes of attrition and lowering of retention rates in the case of MOOCs and for possible solutions. Moreover, Previous studies ( Watted and Barak, 2018 ; Abdullatif and Velázquez-Iturbide, 2020 ; Maya-Jariego et al, 2020 ; Chaveesuk et al, 2022 ) focused on a certain type of motivation in relation to MOOCs dropout.…”