Determinants of the Use of Technological Innovation in Distance Learning: A Study with Business School Instructors

Authors : Edvalda ARAÚJO LEAL, Alberto LUIZ ALBERTIN

Pages : 19-37

Doi:10.17718/tojde.70207

View : 15 | Download : 10

Publication Date : 2015-02-27

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study’s overall purpose is to identify the factors determining the use of technological innovation in Distance Learning insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(DL);, as perceived by instructors of Business Education programs. The theoretical basis for the study is the Innovation Diffusion Theory insert ignore into journalissuearticles values(IDT);. The study’s sample is made up of 436 instructors; we used a quantitative approach and applied Confirmatory Factor Analysis and multiple regression. We found that not all of the attributes selected for analysis as proposed by IDT showed a direct effect for the use of innovation for the instructors investigated. The identified attributes were: compatibility, which shows how consistent innovation is with their values, practices and needs; relative advantage, indicating an innovation’s perceived improvement from its predecessor; and demonstrated results, according to which instructors understand the tangible results obtained from the use of innovation.
Keywords : Instructors, Diffusion of Innovation Theory, Distance Learning