Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness of Social Media for e-Learning in Libyan Higher Education: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

Abstract

Social networking media are becoming popular among students and teachers in higher education. Researchers have also started to explore the use of social networking media for teaching and learning in higher education. Social networking media have offered new opportunities for sharing, creating and interacting between students and teachers. However, to implement and adopt such technology, there is a need to investigate the factors that influence the acceptance of the students and the teachers using such technologies as a tool for learning and teaching. In this paper, a study based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which emphasizes on Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness together with Behavior Intention to use new technologies, is used to test the factors of using social networking media for e-learning in Libyan higher education. A quantitative research method was employed utilizing survey method. Research data was collected from a sample of teachers and students from four universities in the Libyan higher educational sector. Structural Equation Modeling was carried out to examine the predictive behaviour of the proposed factors of the research model. It was discovered from the study that the Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness are important factors for predicting a student's and teachers' behavioral intention to use social networking media for e-learning in Libyan higher education.