Antecedents of Blackboard Adoption by Lecturers at a South African Higher Education Institution – Extending GETAMEL

Abstract

Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become central to the teaching and learning in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Despite several benefits identified in literature, the utilisation of LMS, especially in African countries' context, has remained low. The aim of this paper was to examine the effects of pre-identified factors on adoption of Blackboard LMS by lecturers at a selected HEI in South Africa, guided by an extended General Extended Technology Acceptance Model for E-Learning (GETAMEL). The study considered responses from lecturers who utilise the Blackboard LMS. A cross sectional electronic survey was carried out to obtain data from 101 lecturers, who were conveniently sampled to express their perceptions on the LMS. Structural equation modelling, utilising SmartPLS3, was used to analyse the collected data. The results confirmed that behavioural intention (BI) influenced actual use whilst BI in turn, was influenced by perceived usefulness (PU) and subjective norm (SN). Attitude was influenced by PU but had no significant effect on BI. The external factors that influenced perceived ease of use (PEOU) included perceived enjoyment (ENJOY), system self-efficacy (SE), and system anxiety (ANX) whilst PU was influenced by job relevance (JR) and PEOU. University management at the HEI under study should consider the determinants of SE, ENJOY and ANX if they are to improve adoption and utilisation of Blackboard by lecturers. The study findings imply that a LMS that is adopted and used, is one that is considered useful, otherwise users will be reluctant to use it. The findings can assist HEIs in preparing their lecturers before adopting e-learning systems, such as training and technical support, thus, enhancing LMS adoption and utilisation. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on factors influencing LMS adoption and use. In addition, it establishes the applicability of GETAMEL in a South African university context.