Acceptance and Use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE): Structural Equations Modeling of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology

Abstract

UTAUT 2 is a model designed to be a starting point for investigating IT adoption and can be used to identify the factors that influence the intention to use it, as well as to be adopted by an organization. The main objective of this research is to validate the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model by applying the questionnaire to students of a university that has gone through the process of implementing a virtual learning environment. The method is the quantitative one, through the survey strategy. As for the time horizon of the survey, a transversal cut was chosen. The techniques and procedures adopted were the modeling of structural equations with partial least squares in the Smart-PLS 3 software. The instrument used in this article is an adaptation of the questionnaire of Venkatesh et al (2012). The results point to evidence of converging and descriminating validity. This research contributes to the Unified Theory of Technology Acceptance and Use (UTAUT) as it is applied in different environments, evidencing characteristics that may allow its generalization. Finally, in the practical scope, it is possible to use this tool to evaluate and plan the acceptance of a new technology in the organizational scope.