Understanding the Technology Receptivity in Higher Education: Evidence From the UAE

Introduction

In the contemporary world, the learning process is becoming a vital factor in the development of business and in the socioeconomic growth of countries. In this scenario, customary instructional methods are found wanting in their ability to attract and motivate students for better learning. Education can play its role effectively if it is managed properly and is supported by technology. The convenience of using various devices, pooled with wireless implements and background sensitivity, makes them great potential learning tools, both in the traditional classrooms and in informal learning outdoors (Moreira & Ferreira, 2016). The dominant role of such technology is to help improve the process of instruction, learning, and research. In recent years, the world has experienced fast and eye-catching developments in the use of technology in the field of education and this has paved the ground for establishing new potential ways for linking students and classes across nations and institutions. For example, mobile learning and various other technologies are being utilized widely in the field of education (Gitsaki, Robby, Priest, Hamdan & Ben-Chabane, 2013). Information and communication technology improves both access to and effectiveness of learning in the form of e-learning systems (Ma & Yuen, 2011). The interactive environment between the instructors and the students has resulted in revolutionizing the traditional idea of the classroom (Akour, 2009). Students feel that exchanges with the instructors are essential in an educational environment as they are perceived by the students as experts in their respective subjects (Small, Dowell & Simmons, 2012).

Technology acceptance can be defined as a user’s willingness to employ technology for the tasks it is designed to support. Over the years, researchers (Nair, Ali & Leong, 2015) have become more interested in understanding the factors influencing the adoption of technologies in various settings. Literature shows that much research (Chatzoglou, Vraimaki, Diamantidis & Sarigiannidis, 2010; Ifinedo, 2011; Lin & Chang, 2011) has been done to understand the acceptance of technology in the business context. This is understandable, given the close relationship between the appropriate uses of technology and profit margins. In most acceptance studies, researchers have sought to identify and understand the forces that shape users’ acceptance so as to influence the design and implementation process in ways to avoid or minimize resistance or rejection when users interact with technology. In recent years, technology acceptance research has been reported with increasing frequency in education-related journals which explicitly shows its growing importance in the educational research field.