Sustainable Approaches in Professional Higher Education: The Role of Distance Learning, Integrity of Teaching Methodology, and Classroom Innovation

Abstract

The rapid digital transformation of higher education creates opportunities and challenges, particularly in professional programmes where students must balance academic learning with preparation for operational duties, such as in medicine, engineering, and defence. While digital technologies are widely used in higher education, their sustainable integration into professional contexts, especially security and defence education, remains underexplored. This study investigates the determinants of perceived e-learning usefulness among undergraduates (cadets) at the Lithuanian Military Academy, applying an adapted technology acceptance model framework. A structured questionnaire was used to measure constructs related to distance learning effectiveness, classroom innovation, security, sustainability of digital systems, and individual learning preferences, with hypotheses tested through mediation and moderated mediation models. The results indicate that the effectiveness of distance learning is the strongest factor influencing intention to use it, supported by the roles of classroom innovation and system security. Perceived usefulness further emerges as both a direct predictor of adoption and a conditional factor shaping the impact of pedagogical and infrastructural design on acceptance. These findings extend traditional technology acceptance frameworks and provide new insights into how sustainable digital teaching can be fostered in higher professional education, where academic quality and operational readiness must be aligned.