Second life virtual classroom for learning : a study on continuance decisions

Field: Computer Science (Physical Sciences)

Many education institutions are adopting and harnessing the potentials of virtual classroom, an E-learning tool, to enhance learning competence among their students. Several studies, however, have shown that the acceptance of this technology does not guarantee the success of its implementation. Thus, this paper explores the students’ continuance intentions to use Second Life Virtual Classroom (SLVC) as an E-learning tool to measure the success in implementing this technology to their studies. Factors that influence students’ intentions to continually use SLVC were investigated. Based on the literature review, the decomposed Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) model had been adopted to understand the relationship among factors such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease-of-use, perceived value and perceived information quality as confirmation to students’ usage satisfaction. The study had analysed the extent to which perceived usefulness had influenced students by specific factors such as awareness of SLVC capabilities, peer and tutor support, interaction, communication, reflection, sensibility. The study also covered the extent to which perceived ease-of-use had influenced students by SLVC self-efficacy, facilitating conditions, and flexibility. This study also determined the extent of SLVC quality like information quality, and system quality. And, lastly, the study also examined about the variable relation of cost and benefit, benefit discovery, and cost spent in comparison with the perceived value of SLVC. Three hundred sixty one (361) students who had attended SLVC at least twice served as respondents in the survey for data collection. The research revealed that perceived usefulness significantly influenced the continuance use of SLVC for learning purposes. Perceived usefulness itself was found to significantly influenced students because of determinant factors such as awareness of SLVC capabilities, peer and tutor support, and interaction, communication, reflection, and making sense variable. Other factors found that significantly contribute to SLVC perceived ease-of-use include self-efficacy and facilitating conditions. However, two flexibility factors (time management, quality time) did not significantly influence their continuance intentions. This could be attributed to students’ requirement to learn new concept that should adjust to their study schedules. The findings related to communication were also found not significant as a factor in influencing students’ perception of usefulness of the SLVC as an educational tool. The study had confirmed that the system interactivity had a strong influence on perceive usefulness. Relatively, the study proves that perceived usefulness had significant effect on students’ satisfaction. Students who found SLVC as useful in their learning were most likely be satisfied with SLVC as a learning tool. Finally, the findings showed the significant influence of perceived usefulness, perceived ease-of-use to satisfaction. It confirmed the significant influence of perceived value on disconfirmation, which leads to satisfaction. Similarly, it confirmed the perceived quality on quality disconfirmation that leads to satisfaction. Thus, the students reuse intention had been significantly influenced by the students’ satisfaction level. This study aims to contribute to research by extending the decomposed EDT model to examine the factors that influence students’ continuance intention of using SLVC as educational tool. The research had proposed cross-disciplinary model factors that could influence students’ intention to reuse SLVC for learning purposes. The survey had been participated by students of varying interests and majors. Requirements from virtual classrooms may vary according to group needs. Thus, a further research study for one particular group of students is highly recommended. And, where the actual use of SLVC has been employed in real-life class scenario, further studies may be conducted using objective measures instead of the self-reported measures used in this research.