Adoption and use of eLearning platforms by universities in developing countries: Evidence from Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article examined the adoption and use of eLearning platforms by universities in Zimbabwe using the Delphi technique. Using the Delphi method, professionals in the area were asked for their in-depth opinions on how Zimbabwean institutions could embrace and utilise eLearning systems. ODeL specialists, academic consultants, university professors, and doctors made up a panel of 10 experts. When it came to the adoption and usage of eLearning platforms by institutions in Zimbabwe, four rounds of questionnaires were sent out one after the other to gain expert feedback. These questionnaires were derived from the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and the Theory of Planned Behavior. Latent variables and measurement items in these theories served as the basis for the questions. The main findings of this study were that although eLearning is highly valued and well-known in Zimbabwe, nothing much has been done to embrace and use eLearning systems by the nation’s universities. Major obstacles holding back Zimbabwean universities’ adoption and use of eLearning platforms include slow or nonexistent internet connection, high data costs, a lack of hardware and software options, and bad connectivity. Additionally, it has become abundantly evident that teachers and learners adopting and using eLearning systems is a planned behavior. This study intends to resolve various ambiguities and gaps in Zimbabwean universities’ adoption and use of eLearning while also informing policy design and implementation.