Applying Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore Users’ Behavioral Intention to Adopt a Performance Assessment System for E-book Production

Abstract

With rapidly rising popularity of digital reading coupled with advancement in electronic book technology, there is a sense of urgency to cultivate qualified talent for the digital publishing industry. Based on results of an exploration identifying technical skills needed for the industry to produce electronic books, this study developed a web-based performance assessment system with 35 questions in its item bank regarding four dimensions of full-text e-book production. The study applied technology acceptance model (TAM) to explore the behavioral intention of students in technological colleges and universities and use a web-based performance assessment system as a tool to evaluate their technical proficiency in e-book production. This study also applied structural equation model as a vehicle to test the hypotheses and relationships in the research to verify external effects of “computer self-efficacy”. This research concludes that the technology acceptance model can be applied to explain users’ willingness to adopt a web-based assessment system.