Factors affecting student use of Web-based services. Application of UTAUT in the Pakistani context
| Date | 04 June 2018 |
| Published date | 04 June 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-06-2016-0129 |
| Pages | 518-534 |
| Author | Muhammad Arif,Kanwal Ameen,Muhammad Rafiq |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Factors aecting student use of
Web-based services
Application of UTAUT in the Pakistani context
Muhammad Arif
School of Information Management, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China, and
Kanwal Ameen and Muhammad Rafiq
Department of Information Management, University of the Punjab, Lahore,
Pakistan
Abstract
Purpose – The delivery of information services in higher education is increasingly relying on Web-based
systems. The low adoption and underutilization of information systems have been major problems for
developing countries such as Pakistan in terms of realizing their full benets. This study aims to investigate
factors affecting student use of Allama Iqbal Open University’s (AIOU) Web-based services by using the Unied
Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) from the perspective of Pakistani distance education.
Design/methodology/approach – This study has adopted quantitative research design with the
UTAUT model as a theoretical framework. A self-completion structured questionnaire-based survey has been
administered to 388 master’s level students, selected through systematic sampling from the target population.
The response rate was 82 per cent (318). All statistical tests have been performed using IBM SPSS (version
20.0) and Process macro for SPSS.
Findings – Findings of the model’s hypotheses reveal that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and
social inuence are signicant predictors of student behavioural intention to use AIOU Web-based services,
whereas actual student use is dependent on facilitating conditions and student behavioural intention to use.
The impact of moderating variables with respect to age, gender and experience did not inuence the actual
use of the Web services. However, the research model signicantly measured (62.1 per cent) the actual use of
AIOU Web-based services by the students.
Research limitations/implications – This study is delimited to the UTAUT model to investigate the
phenomena. Besides this, the context of the study is the voluntary instead of mandatory usage of Web
services. A study conducted in mandatory settings, in which students are bound to use Web services, may
have different results.
Originality/value – This is the rst attempt to apply the UTAUT model to investigate the factors
affecting student use of Web-based services from the perspective of distance education and the ndings prove
strong support for the model.
Keywords Pakistan, UTAUT, Web-based services, Distance education,
Allama Iqbal Open University
Paper type Research paper
Background of the study
During the past two decades, the application of information and communication
technologies (ICTs) has made digital technologies a part and parcel of both traditional and
distance education systems (Hrtonova et al., 2014; Nirban and Chasul, 2014). The use of
The authors thank the experts who provided valuable input to develop the study’s tool. At the same
time, they are also thankful to the respondents for lling the questionnaire on voluntarily bases.
EL
36,3
518
Received 9 June 2016
Revised 21 November 2016
21 February 2017
4 May 2017
19 May 2017
7 July 2017
7 August 2017
13 August 2017
Accepted 26 August 2017
The Electronic Library
Vol. 36 No. 3, 2018
pp. 518-534
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-06-2016-0129
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
technologies is a major factor behind the development and innovation of both developed and
developing countries (Talebian et al., 2014). An increasing trend to use digital media is also
visible in the higher education sector of Pakistan (Raq and Ameen, 2012). Consequently,
educational institutions are concentrating on offering efcient Web-based services to meet
the information and learning needs of their prospective users.
Several ICTs projects were initiated at the national level to improve the quality of higher
education and facilitate public services. Pakistan Federal Ministry of IT and Telecom tasked
the Information Technology Board to develop and maintain e-government services for the
Federal Government Ministries and their attached departments. Subsequently, many e-
government services, electronic ling of tax returns, online processing of travel applications,
telemedicine and so on were introduced in the country (Khan and Ahmad, 2015). However,
the demand for education cannot be met by the formal educational system due to various
factors in third world countries. While the higher education sector in Pakistan has been
revolutionized in recent years, it is still incapable of meeting the educational needs of the
population at large. Abedi and Badragheh (2011) pointed out that the cost of delivering
formal education is increasing and institutions nd that limited resources prevent them
from providing quality education. That is why distance learning is expanding and
increasing dramatically in Pakistan, as well as in other developing countries:
The realization of the magnitude, complexity and pressure of the problem has led more and more
countries to turn to distance education as one of the solutions to the situation [Allama Iqbal Open
University (AIOU), 2006, p. 3].
Owing to this situation, the Government of Pakistan encouraged distance education in the
country. Despite all these efforts, open and distance learning education cannot be provided
without student support services, especially Web-based services. Realizing the benets,
Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), the rst distance education university in South Asia,
relies heavily on Web-based services (Table I) to reach its distance user community.
Literature review
Research studies on Web-based services unanimously agree that to make Web services
more effective, there is a need to identify the factors which can have an impact on the use of
Table I.
AIOU Web-based
services
Sr. no. Web service
1 Access to Pakistan Higher Education Commission (HEC) digital library
2 Admission information for students
3 Complaint management system
4 Details about the faculties and administrative departments and their staff
5 Download admission, reading and examination material
6 Examinations services
7 Frequently asked questions
8 Information about regional campuses
9 Information about tutors’ allocation
10 Information about workshops
11 Job announcements
12 Latest news and events
13 Library Web-based services
14 Web radio
Source: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) (2013)
Web-based
services
519
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