Using the technology acceptance model to measure the effects of usability attributes and demographic characteristics on student use of learning management systems in Saudi higher education

Learning management systems (LMS), which allow education at the student's choice of place and time, have been widely adopted in higher education worldwide. In the case of Saudi Arabia, LMS have been recently introduced in Saudi universities at the request of the Ministry of Education. The effectiveness of these systems ultimately depends on whether students use them. However, previous literature suggests that student utilisation of LMS remains low in some educational contexts. Addressing this problem, this thesis proposes and examines a theoretical framework that might help explain the factors affecting student use of LMS in higher education. More specifically, the proposed model was developed based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), previous literature on the perceived usability of education technology, and student demographic characteristics. Using the probability multi-stage cluster-sampling technique, quantitative online surveys were sent by email to 2,000 students at three public universities in Saudi Arabia: King Abdulaziz University, King Saud University, and Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. A total of 851 surveys were submitted by students, and 833 surveys were employed for data analysis. The data were coded, cleaned, and preliminarily analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) package. Furthermore, the proposed model and hypotheses were examined using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique and SmartPLS software. The results reveal the significant drivers of student use of LMS, the differences in the acceptance of LMS based on the student demographic characteristics (namely gender, age, education level, and experience), and the moderating effect of these demographics on the proposed relationships. This study is relevant for scholars, university leaders, and e-learning developers working to enhance student use of LMS, in particular where there is not yet widespread adoption.