A study of the relationship between PEOU and PU in technology acceptance in e-learning

In models to study technology acceptance, the empirically validated path from perceived ease of use (PEOU) to perceived usefulness (PU) is usually rationalized by the argument that the less effort it is required to use a technology, the more useful the technology is. This argument is rather generic to fully account for the relationship between PEOU and PU. In this study we examine the effects of the common antecedents of PEOU and PU on their relationship. We first extensively reviewed the literature to identify the common antecedents of PEOU and PU. We then conducted a survey of users’ acceptance of some common e-learning forums such as ICQ, WebCT, and MSN. Based on variance analysis we found that user-interface design (UID) explains 43% of the relationship between PEOU and PU, and that learners consider UID very important in deciding whether to accept an e-learning forum for their learning and communication. This chapter contributes to research by identifying the factors that account for the relationship between PEOU and PU, and provides e-learning developers with managerial insights on how to leverage UID for business success.