Article Gold Open Access 2023

Understanding intention and use of digital elements in higher education teaching

Education and Information Technologies
Journal · Vol. 28 · Issue 12 · pp. 15571-15597
Abstract

Digital elements are being increasingly used in higher education teaching, but the intention and their actual use vary depending on the lecturers. We used the reasoned action approach to understand the beliefs and intentions behind the use of digital elements in this context. We conducted a quantitative survey in which university lecturers shared their intention concerning the use of digital learning elements and indicated their actual use. The results confirm the influence of attitude, perceived norms, and perceived behavioral control on the intention to use digital learning elements. However, we also identified an intention–behavior gap: Only one-time effort to become familiar with digital elements has a significant impact on actual usage. We conclude that, above all, teachers must first be given the opportunity to become familiar with digital learning elements to be able to use them effectively. Understanding why such an intention–behavior gap exists should be the aim of future studies. © 2023, The Author(s).

Keywords

Author Keywords

Digital learning Higher education Intention beliefs Reasoned action approach Usage effort

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Business Administration, Universität Rostock, Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Working Group Digitalisation and Process Management, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Hessen, Germany, School of Management, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Funding & Acknowledgements
Universität Rostock
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