A new, international study highlights that personal values and cultural contexts significantly influence how learners engage with digital education technologies.
Researchers from Indian Institute of Management Lucknow and universities in the United States of America have conducted a multi-institutional study examining how human values shape the adoption of online learning technologies across cultures.
The study, carried out in collaboration with researchers from the University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Alabama, explored how cultural backgrounds and individual motivations influence the acceptance and continued use of digital learning resources such as e-books and online education platforms.
Published in the Journal of Global Information Technology Management, the research focused on users in India and the United States, described as two culturally distinct environments. The researchers developed a framework combining Schwartz’s Human Values Theory with the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to study technology adoption behaviour.
The study examined values such as Openness to Change and Self-enhancement alongside factors including social influence, effort expectancy and performance expectancy to understand their impact on e-book and online learning adoption. Researchers found that both technological considerations and personal value systems play a role in shaping engagement with digital learning platforms across countries.
Prof Arunabha Mukhopadhyay, Professor, Information Technology & Systems Area, IIM Lucknow, who was one of the researchers said, “Technology adoption in online learning cannot be understood only through usability or access... Our findings show that individual belief systems and personal values play an important role in shaping how learners engage with digital platforms across different cultural settings.”
The researchers said that the findings contribute to growing scholarship on digital education and cross-cultural technology adoption while offering practical insights for universities, edtech companies and policymakers seeking to improve engagement with online learning systems.
