Acceptance of ICT: Applicability of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to South African Students

We are told that university students are Digital Natives and the diffusion of digital technologies into education holds prospective advantages. However, will students in Africa be prepared to engage with and accept the technology? This study aimed to determine the applicability of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model within a South African higher education setting and to clarify the factors that are influencing students’ intentions to make use of two digital technologies: an eBook and SLMS. 738 ICT students completed a questionnaire to gauge their responses to Performance expectancy (PEx), Effort expectancy (EfEx), Facilitating conditions (FC), Self-efficacy (SE), Anxiety (Anx), Attitude towards using technology (ATT) and Behavioural intention (BI). Statistical analysis was used to develop and assess a model of the factors that are affecting BI. Structural equation modelling was used and the goodness-of-fit test indicated that the model was supported by the data. PEx, FC and EfEx showed high practically significant relationships with BI. SE and ATT as mediators of the model are confirmed, however gender as moderator did not reflect the original findings of UTAUT

What Drives Students' Loyalty-Formation in Social Media Learning Within a Personal Learning Environment Approach? The Moderating Role of Need for Cognition

Our study analyzes an educational experience based on the integrated use of social media within a higher education course under a personal learning environment approach and investigates the factors that determine students' loyalty to social media learning. We examined the moderating role of need for cognition (NFC) in students' formation of attitudes, satisfaction, and loyalty toward this learning experience. The results indicate that NFC has an influence on these variables, significantly moderating how loyalty toward social media learning is formed. For high-NFC students, satisfaction with the learning experience is the most important variable to explain loyalty; whereas for low-NFC students, attitudes have a stronger effect. Different strategies are suggested, according to the learners' NFC levels, for increasing the use of social media in personal learning environments. Practical implications for improving the integration of such informal resources into formal education are discussed.Junta de Andalucía – Programa Andaluz de I + D P12 SEJ 259

Towards a Capability Maturity Framework: Adopting the universal elements of Digital Capability Maturity as an Organisational Strategy

As technology continues to evolve, there is a need for organisations to develop the ability to assess themselves and find ways to not only survive but also flourish in the dynamic economy. This paper reports part of the findings from a more extensive research work that aims to develop a Digital Capability Maturity (DCM) Framework for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Such a framework would allow organisations to leverage their capabilities for differential value. A systematic review was undertaken to uncover the key elements contributing to DCM, to stand as a baseline for the Maturity Framework. The objective of this paper is to report on the proposed standardisation for elements of DCM. A universal taxonomy is proposed suggesting these themes should be present in any organisational attempts to formalise digital initiatives. Furthermore, to maximise the impact of DCM on quality of output, the proposed framework must adopt the ecological systems perspective