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E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 99971

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Dr. Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, School of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM, Skudai 81310, Johor, Malaysia
Interests: e-learning; digital learning; digital communication used for education sustainability; big data analytics; education 4.0; human–computer interaction and informatics; communication and media; educational technology and computing; multimedia in education; online learning and ict in education; students’ interaction in online learning environment; learning analytics and massive open online courses (MOOCs); knowledge management; statistical data analysis (ibm spss, amos, nvivo and smartpls); computer in human behavior; computer and education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Qusay Al-Maatouk

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Guest Editor

School of Digital, Technologies and Arts, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent/Stafford, UK
Interests: e-learning; digital learning; and digital communication used for education sustainability; human-computer interaction and informatics; communication and media; educational technology and computing; multimedia in education; online learning and ict in education; students’ interaction in online learning environment; learning analytics and massive open online courses (moocs); e-learning knowledge management; computer in human behavior; computer & education
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Education is constantly developing; there are more and more online technologies and platforms that facilitate the learning process, making it more effective, interactive, and interesting for students. At the same time, teachers and the administration of schools and universities should successfully implement e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability, taking into account the labor market requirements, as well as the sustainable education principles. Education for sustainable development can be considered as education that encourages changes in knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors to enable a more sustainable society. Education should encourage the development of critical thinking, as well as such qualities that will enable one to predict the course of events in the future and make joint decisions. The latter requires new approaches to learning, the development of dynamic and environmentally friendly societies and economies, as well as the development of global citizenship. Highly effective educational management should be established, not only within a separate educational institution, but also in the whole educational system, at the state level. This Special Issue will consider the challenges of educational management in the context of education for sustainable development, while such challenges relate specifically to e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability. Computerized information systems (academic information systems) have become omnipresent to the point of invisibility in the education system, such as e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected the education system. Students, teachers, and managers have suddenly become confined to their homes. However, with varying degrees of success, classes have continued online. UNESCO asserts that education is one of the objectives for sustainable development and, at the same time, education is one of the most powerful tools that we have to fight for when it comes to sustainable development, the use of e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability. Higher education institutions play a crucial role in the achievement of sustainability goals, not only to implement actions for solving the problems inside institutions, but also to ensure that the students acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development beyond the educational context. You are invited to submit manuscripts to this Special Issue of “e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability”. While countries across the world are working to implement the 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development between 2015 and 2030, education is seen as crucial for achieving sustainable development goals and creating a more sustainable and fairer world. Sustainability education, often also referred to as education for sustainable development (ESD), is about acquiring the “e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability” that empower learners to become “sustainability change-makers” (UNESCO 2017, p. 7). E-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability have been a main feature of education for decades, allowing more flexible, innovative, and student-driven teaching pedagogies and practices. There is, however, a gap in the use and integration of e-learning, digital learning, and digital communication used for education sustainability in particular, how knowledge of sustainability issues is constructed, disseminated, and shared through digital technologies, and how digital technologies can help to promote the learning of skills, values, attitudes, and needs for sustainable societies. Thus, original research, review articles, and case studies related to the above topics are welcome.

We welcome research and conceptual papers on the link between education and sustainability challenges and the innovative use of digital technologies in that field. In particular, we are interested in how digital technologies facilitate (i) sustainability knowledge that leads to transformative changes towards sustainable futures; (ii) transnational and interdisciplinary partnerships in sustainability education; and (iii) wider access and empowerment for disengaged and disadvantaged peoples and communities in different countries.

Dr. Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi
Dr. Qusay Al-Maatouk
Guest Editors

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

e-learning use for education sustainability
digital learning use for education sustainability
digital communication use for education sustainability

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 813 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating and Prioritizing Barriers for Sustainable E-Learning Using Analytic Hierarchy Process-Group Decision Making

by Quadri Noorulhasan Naveed, Adel Ibrahim Qahmash, Muna Al-Razgan, Karishma M. Qureshi, Mohamed Rafik Noor Mohamed Qureshi and Ali A. Alwan

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 8973; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14158973 - 22 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2931

Abstract

E-Learning is a popular computer-based teaching–learning system that has been rapidly gaining global attention during and post COVID-19. The leaping changes in digital technology have enabled E-Learning to become more effective in recent years. It offers freedom from restrictions caused by geographical boundaries and provides time flexibility in the teaching–learning process. Apart from its numerous advantages, the success of E-Learning depends upon many critical success factors (CSFs) and barriers. If the barriers that lie in the way of successful E-Learning implementation are not addressed diligently, it will limit E-Learning success. It has been revealed through past research that these barriers are serious threats that need immediate attention in their redressal. This paper attempts to reveal sixteen barriers under four different dimensions by going through a comprehensive review of the literature and engaging decision makers. Furthermore, it uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process-Group Decision Making (AHP-GDM) methodology to evaluate and prioritize them. The results obtained show that barriers related to the Institutional Management Dimension (BIMD), Infrastructure and Technological Dimension (BITD), Student Dimension (BSD), and Instructor Dimension (BID) pose the greatest challenges in the successful implementation of E-Learning. The AHP-GDM methodologies reveal the comparative relationship among these barriers as BIMD > BITD > BSD > BID and further quantify their negative effects as 46.35%, 29.88%, 12.30%, and 11.4%, respectively, on successful E-Learning systems (‘>’ indicates comparative challenges). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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25 pages, 469 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Learning Outcomes of Educational Usage of Social Media: The Moderating Roles of Task–Technology Fit and Perceived Risk

by Nasser M. Sabah and Ali A. Altalbe

Sustainability 2022, 14(14), 8895; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148895 - 20 Jul 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7137

Abstract

This study aims to explore the moderating roles of task–technology fit (TTF) and perceived risk (PR) in the relationships between the educational usage of social media (SM) platforms and its use outcomes. This is to better understand the potential benefits of using SM for educational purposes and to provide thorough insights on how SM usage would influence students’ use outcomes. We conceptualize the potential use outcomes through three-dimensional factors: perceived satisfaction, perceived academic performance, and perceived impact on learning. We further hypothesize that TTF and PR have negative moderation effects on the relationships between SM usage and the variables of use outcomes. In addition, we examine gender differences using multi-group analysis. Data were collected from a state college in Palestine using a self-administered survey, and Smart-PLS was used for data analysis and model testing using partial least square–structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that TTF has significant negative effects on the relationships between SM usage and its outcomes, whereas PR has insignificant negative moderation effects. Despite the significant negative interaction effects of TTF, the educational usage of SM has a positive impact on use outcomes. Furthermore, the findings only indicate significant gender differences in three variables: information sharing, TTF, and PR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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12 pages, 667 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Collaborative Learning in the Flipped University Classroom: Identifying Team Process Factors

by Suhkyung Shin, Kyungbin Kwon and Jiyoon Jung

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7173; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127173 - 11 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3780

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how team process factors relate to students’ self-efficacy, attitude, and learning satisfaction in flipped learning. Since lone-wolf students tend to have little patience for the group work process and exhibit a lack of organizational commitment, this study also explores how students’ preferences for collaborative work or individual work affect their self-efficacy, attitude, and learning satisfaction in a flipped classroom. The participants were thirty-four undergraduate students enrolled in a consumer behavior course offered by a school of business at a university in Seoul, South Korea. Data were collected through surveys that measured team process, lone-wolf tendencies, self-efficacy, and attitude during the course. The results show the factor of team trust had a significant negative correlation with the lone-wolf measure but a positive correlation with responsibility, communication, cognitive and social competency, and self-efficacy. Moreover, communication and responsibility were positive predictors of self-efficacy and attitude. These results imply the usefulness of identifying critical variables of individual difference, such as lone-wolf tendencies, that could lead to both dysfunctional team process and low outcomes. Based on the results, this study provides implications for structuring and managing team projects in a higher education setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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20 pages, 6335 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Live Sharing of Learning Activities on E-Books for Enhanced Learning in Online Classes

by Yuta Taniguchi, Takuro Owatari, Tsubasa Minematsu, Fumiya Okubo and Atsushi Shimada

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 6946; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14126946 - 7 Jun 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2328

Abstract

While positive effects of imitating other learners have been reported, the recent increases in the number of online classes have seriously limited opportunities to learn how others are learning. Providing information about others’ learning activities through dashboards could be a solution, but few studies have targeted learning activities on e-textbook systems; it remains unclear what information representations would be useful and how they would affect learning. We developed a dashboard system that enables live sharing of students’ learning activities on e-textbooks. An experiment was conducted applying the dashboard in an online class to evaluate its impact. The results of questionnaires and quizzes were analyzed along with learning activities on the e-textbook system. From the questionnaire results, the most useful feedback types were identified. Regarding the impact on learning, the study found that a higher percentage of students who used the dashboard followed the progress of the class than those who did not. The study also found that students who used the dashboard were more likely to achieve higher quiz scores than those who did not. This study is the first to reveal what specific feedback is useful and to successfully investigate the impact of its use on learning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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12 pages, 702 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predict Students’ Attention in Online Learning Using EEG Data

by Abeer Al-Nafjan and Mashael Aldayel

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6553; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116553 - 27 May 2022

Cited by 49 | Viewed by 7825

Abstract

In education, it is critical to monitor students’ attention and measure the extents to which students participate and the differences in their levels and abilities. The overall goal of this study was to increase the quality of distance education. In particular, in order to craft an approach that will effectively augment online learning using objective measures of brain activity, we propose a brain–computer interface (BCI) system that aims to use electroencephalography (EEG) signals for the detection of student’s attention during online classes. This system will aid teachers to objectively assess student attention and engagement. To this end, experiments were conducted on a public dataset; we extracted power spectral density (PSD) features using used a fast Fourier transform. Different attention indexes were calculated. Then, we built three different classification algorithms: k-nearest neighbors (KNN), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF). Our proposed random forest classifier achieved a higher accuracy (96%) than KNN and SVM. Moreover, our results compared to state-of-the-art attention-detection systems with respect to the same dataset. Our findings revealed that the proposed RF approach can be used to effectively distinguish the attention state of a user. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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23 pages, 1651 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cybersecurity Skills among European High-School Students: A New Approach in the Design of Sustainable Educational Development in Cybersecurity

by Borka Jerman Blažič and Andrej Jerman Blažič

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4763; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084763 - 15 Apr 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5405

Abstract

Cybersecurity has increasingly become a headline feature in news media in recent years, generally prompted by spectacular security breaches in various information systems. The importance of cybersecurity awareness for the sustainable development of society is now recognized widely, but the problem of how to build an educational ecosystem which will include the most relevant target audiences that need to develop cybersecurity skills, is not yet solved. This paper elaborates the state of cybersecurity skills and knowledge in European high-school students by collecting data from the students, their teachers and parents by means of surveys and interviews in nine European countries. The analysis of the information collected has revealed the required topics from the area of cybersecurity that need to be introduced in high school educational programs and the most suitable delivery methods for educational content, such as videos and serious games. A selection of thirteen serious games related to cybersecurity was evaluated and then presented to a class of high-school students. The study of the collected data has shown that cybersecurity education at high school level requires innovative and interactive approaches that build the required skills for a more effective sustainable education and social development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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17 pages, 1514 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Online Communication Tools in Teaching Foreign Languages for Education Sustainability

by Nikita Martyushev, Anna Shutaleva, Elena Malushko, Zhanna Nikonova and Irina Savchenko

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 11127; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131911127 - 8 Oct 2021

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5099

Abstract

Higher education curricula are developed based on creating conditions for implementing many professional and universal competencies. In Russia, one of the significant competencies for a modern specialist is business communication in oral and written forms in the Russian language and a foreign language. Therefore, teaching students to write in a foreign language is one of the modern requirements for young specialists’ professional training. This article aimed to study the tools of online communication that are used in teaching foreign languages. The article presents the results of an empirical study and analysis of factors of application of online communication technologies in foreign languages teaching, synchronous and asynchronous means used in online learning, and the advantages of integrating online communication tools into the educational process of teaching a foreign language. The study of the advantages and disadvantages of educational platforms is based on an analysis of information and online communication technologies used in the educational process. Based on the example of teaching a foreign language, the article shows how online communication platforms are involved in the educational process. Furthermore, the teachers’ and students’ opinions are presented on how online platforms are convenient. The survey involved 928 first-year students and 76 foreign language teachers of Volgograd State University (Volgograd), Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod (Nizhny Novgorod), Tomsk Polytechnic University (Tomsk), Ural Federal University, named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin (Ekaterinburg). It was revealed that the integration of online communication tools has positive effects on the formation and development of written communication skills. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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16 pages, 1024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Learning Management System (LMS) during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Sustainable Acceptance Model of the Expansion Technology Approach

by Uthman Alturki and Ahmed Aldraiweesh

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10991; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910991 - 3 Oct 2021

Cited by 89 | Viewed by 14018

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of universities and colleges throughout the world, with the hope that public health officials’ suggestion of social distancing would help flatten the sickness curve and reduce overall mortality from the outbreak. However, the Learning Management System (LMS) is the perfect approach for fostering the dedication of students to content in education like sustainability. Previous studies have seldom investigated an integrated approach in the context of LMS in industrialized nations. In addition, this paper aims to include a literature analysis of recent research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in the area of LMS usage, as well as to investigate variables predicting the usage of LMS by higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic for students’ engagement. On the basis of LMS usage data obtained from an online survey, structural equation modeling (SEM) and route analysis were utilized to verify the research model, a survey consisting of student LMS users King Saud University. The findings showed that the desire of students to use LMS had beneficial effects during the COVID-19 pandemic on learning as sustainability engagement. Also, student-perceived closeness, peer references and subjective well-being are favorably associated with the perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, this, in turn, influences students’ intentions to utilize, which, in turn, effects the usage of LMS for student engagement during COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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18 pages, 1012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Perceived Satisfaction in Utilizing Learning Management System among Engineering Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Integrating Task Technology Fit and Extended Technology Acceptance Model

by Maricar M. Navarro, Yogi Tri Prasetyo, Michael Nayat Young, Reny Nadlifatin and Anak Agung Ngurah Perwira Redi

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10669; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910669 - 26 Sep 2021

Cited by 53 | Viewed by 12205

Abstract

Online education has become the norm for higher education institutions (HEIs) during this COVID-19 pandemics. HEIs are required to implement a fully online learning system that is structured and readily accessible with the assistance of a learning management system (LMS), including in developing countries such as the Philippines. This study aims to assess factors that positively influence the perceived satisfaction of engineering students when using the LMS during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Additionally, it aims to integrate two models: Task Technology Fit (TTF) and Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), with added variables such as the content of the learning management system, social presence, and social space. Upon deploying the convenience sampling, a total of 1011 engineering students responded in the online survey, which consisted of 81 questions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that the Task Technology Fit was positively influenced by technology, individual, and task characteristics. Moreover, behavioral intention to use LMS was positively influenced by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Furthermore, Task Technology Fit had a significant direct effect on behavioral intention to use LMS, which subsequently led to perceived satisfaction. This study is among the first to explore factors affecting perceived satisfaction among engineering students in using the LMS in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic. To evaluate the perceived satisfaction of students in using the learning management system, future works can be extended and the model can be applied in other countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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18 pages, 833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of an Algorithm for Automatic Grading of Forum Messages in MOOC Discussion Forums

by Raquel L. Pérez-Nicolás, Carlos Alario-Hoyos, Iria Estévez-Ayres, Pedro Manuel Moreno-Marcos, Pedro J. Muñoz-Merino and Carlos Delgado Kloos

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9364; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169364 - 20 Aug 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2882

Abstract

Discussion forums are a valuable source of information in educational platforms such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), as users can exchange opinions or even help other students in an asynchronous way, contributing to the sustainability of MOOCs even with low interaction from the instructor. Therefore, the use of the forum messages to get insights about students’ performance in a course is interesting. This article presents an automatic grading approach that can be used to assess learners through their interactions in the forum. The approach is based on the combination of three dimensions: (1) the quality of the content of the interactions, (2) the impact of the interactions, and (3) the user’s activity in the forum. The evaluation of the approach compares the assessment by experts with the automatic assessment obtaining a high accuracy of 0.8068 and Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) of 0.1799, which outperforms previous existing approaches. Future research work can try to improve the automatic grading by the training of the indicators of the approach depending on the MOOCs or the combination with text mining techniques. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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22 pages, 2463 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Factors Affecting Mobile Learning for Sustainability in Higher Education

by Ali Mugahed Al-Rahmi, Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi, Uthman Alturki, Ahmed Aldraiweesh, Sultan Almutairy and Ahmad Samed Al-Adwan

Sustainability 2021, 13(14), 7893; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13147893 - 14 Jul 2021

Cited by 114 | Viewed by 9870

Abstract

Mobile learning (M-learning) has become an important instructional technology component in higher education. The goal of this research is to determine how Malaysian university students use M-learning in higher education. The technology acceptance model (TAM) concept was used to construct a theoretical model of M-learning acceptability. In theory, five independent criteria were discovered as contributing to the actual usage of M-learning for educational sustainability by influencing students’ attitudes towards M-learning and their intention to use it. A questionnaire survey based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) was used as the primary data collection technique, with 200 students from UTHM University of Malaysia participating. The data were analyzed using SPSS and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM-Amos). The results of the students’ attitudes towards using M-learning and their behavioral intentions to use M-learning show a beneficial impact on the actual use of M-learning as well as the long-term sustainability of M-learning in higher education. In addition, both male and female students were satisfied with perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, attitude towards use, task-technology fit, behavioral intention to use, perceived resources and actual use of mobile learning for educational sustainability. This study contributes to the validation of the extended TAM for M-learning by demonstrating that the predicted model predicts students’ attitudes towards using M-learning and their behavioral intentions in Malaysian higher education. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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14 pages, 817 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) Acceptance: The Role of Task-Technology Fit (TTF) for Higher Education Sustainability

by Ibrahim Youssef Alyoussef

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7374; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137374 - 1 Jul 2021

Cited by 60 | Viewed by 6354

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to narrow the gap in the literature on the adoption of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and the role of task-technology fit (TTF), which influences student satisfaction, academic performance, and the long-term viability (sustainability) of MOOCs in higher education. While researchers have examined MOOC acceptance in a variety of contexts, the role of TTF as a mediating variable in evaluating education sustainability has not been explored using the technology acceptance model (TAM). As a result, the aim of this study was to create a new paradigm by combining two theories: TTF and TAM. Therefore, this study surveyed 277 university students from public universities using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to learn about their perceptions toward MOOCs as a method of achieving higher education sustainability. According to the findings, perceived ease of use had a positive impact on perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, and social influence, which in turn had a positive impact on task-technology fit and MOOCs use as a method of sustainability in higher education. Task-technology fit also had a positive impact on MOOC use as a method of sustainability. Finally, the role of task-technology fit and MOOCs in educational sustainability had a positive effect on students satisfaction and academic performance. As a result, the use of MOOCs in learning processes should be encouraged in higher education institutions to ensure their long-term viability (sustainability). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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19 pages, 2534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Information and Communications Technology Used in Higher Education: An Empirical Study on Digital Learning as Sustainability

by Amer Mutrik Sayaf, Mahdi Mohammed Alamri, Mohammed Ayid Alqahtani and Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 7074; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137074 - 23 Jun 2021

Cited by 101 | Viewed by 9254

Abstract

Teaching and learning are significantly influenced by information and communications technology (ICT). The goal of this study was to develop a new model and conduct confirmatory factor analysis to learn more about how students use ICT for digital learning as sustainability. The purpose of this research project was to investigate computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety, perceived enjoyment and acceptance of digital learning as sustainability at Saudi universities, based on students’ satisfaction with actual ICT usage for digital learning as sustainability. This research project made use of structural equation modelling with SEM-AMOS and an expanded variant of the technology acceptance model as the research model. A questionnaire based on the technology acceptance model and social cognitive theory was employed as the main data collection method and was distributed to 684 students from students at two universities. Students’ answers were categorized into seven categories and evaluated to determine how satisfied students were with ICT and how likely they were to continue using it for digital learning as sustainability. The findings revealed a connection between computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety and perceived enjoyment, factors which all played a significant role in perceived usefulness and ease of use. Perceived usefulness and ease of use also had an impact on students’ continued intention to use and satisfaction. This research-built model was effective in explaining students’ continued desire to use ICT and their satisfaction with it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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15 pages, 1364 KiB

Open AccessArticle

E-Learning Acceptance: The Role of Task–Technology Fit as Sustainability in Higher Education

by Ibrahim Youssef Alyoussef

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 6450; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116450 - 6 Jun 2021

Cited by 57 | Viewed by 7931

Abstract

The aim of this study was to fill the gap in the literature on e-learning acceptance and its role in the sustainability of learning and the role of task-technology fit (TTF), which influences student satisfaction and academic performance. While researchers have examined e-learning acceptance in a variety of contexts, the role of TTF as a mediating variable in measuring education sustainability has not been explored using the technology acceptance model (TAM). As a result, the goal of this study was to develop a new paradigm by combining two theories: TFF and the TAM. In total, 432 students and researchers from public universities participated in this study. We surveyed students using the structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to learn about their expectations with regard to e-learning adoption. According to the findings, perceived ease of use has a positive impact on perceived enjoyment and usefulness, which in turn has a positive impact on task–technology fit and e-learning use in higher education, resulting in a positive impact on student satisfaction and academic performance as well as sustainability. Finally, the role of task-technology fit and e-learning usage in education sustainability had a positive effect on student satisfaction and learning performance. As a result, the use of e-learning in learning processes should be encouraged as a long-term strategy in higher education institutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-learning, Digital Learning, and Digital Communication Used for Education Sustainability)

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