Abstract:

Globalization and the development of internet technologies have encouraged the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in higher education institutions, leading to significant change in educational models and teachers’ skills. Universities have adapted new technologies and built and maintained their e-learning systems. The most popular learning platforms in higher education are Moodle and Blackboard. Moodle is a free and open access learning platform or course management system. Despite its importance in an educational context, universities are facing problems with limited Moodle usage among teachers and students.
The main goal of this experimental study is to analyse students' acceptance of Moodle’s web-based resources, such as virtual activities, educational videos and assessment questionnaires, using the technology acceptance model (TAM). A face-to-face survey method was used to collect research data from 403 participants. The questionnaire was composed of five variables and 36 questions. The data was tested using the partial least squares (PLS) method, a form of structural equation modelling (SEM) oriented to the prediction, instead of confirmation, of cause/effect relationships. The analysis of the PLS‐SEM corroborated the reliability of the proposed model.
The results indicated that the students considered Moodle to be an easy-to-use tool due to sharing similarities with other technological tools. The findings suggest that the Moodle TAM has predictive validity and that heterogeneity should be considered in a higher education institution context. This research applies new PLS developments focused on the benefit of fit, as well as on the predictive performance of the model. Moreover, unobserved heterogeneity was accounted for by measuring invariance testing, which is a fundamental requirement for a subsequent comparison of parameters across groups by means of a multigroup analysis.
The study offers valuable information for policymakers, researchers and teachers in understanding the factors that influence the implementation of Moodle. The outcomes obtained in this research encourage a variety of lines of investigation focused on the usage of TIC in the classroom.

Keywords:

Moodle, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Structural Equation Model (SEM), universities