Modelling the utilization of digital technology in education during the COVID-19 pandemic through an expert-based analytic tool

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has threatened the capability of academic institutions to continuously deliver quality education despite the worldwide lockdown implemented to curb the transmission of the dreaded disease. As a result, institutions are forced to take advantage of supplementary digital technology to support online learning. Recognizing that an expert-based approach is deemed necessary to carefully execute the decision-making process of utilizing digital technology, this paper provides a new perspective of assessing the constructs of digital technology utilization with the use of fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). Among the constructs considered, burnout (BO), technostress (TS), goal incongruence (GI), and reflexivity (RE) are found to be effects of other causal constructs. These findings offer crucial insights into the evolving literature of COVID-19 on education, particularly on informing the design of initiatives and measures to support the use of digital technologies as may be necessary.