Technology Induction in Education During COVID-19 is Recreation or a Curse? Integration of Technological and Behavioral Factors from the Students’ Perspective

Abstract

The current study attempts to identify and measure the role of technology induction during the COVID-19 pandemic as either recreation or curse in students’ learning. By integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) and innovation diffusion theory (IDT) the study tries to measure the student’s online learning experience as recreation or curse. Data was collected from 387 students through purposive sampling. The findings of the study confirm that introduction of technology in online learning plays a recreational and significant role in student’s online learning. However, computer self-efficacy and relative advantage were found to be a curse in online learning during the pandemic. The overall findings of the study imply that the shift of student’s learning from traditional to online learning has been through introduction of new technology and innovations, although the diffusion of innovation and technology among Pakistani students has been challenging because of a comparatively lower computer literacy level. The usefulness and ease of online learning have been the strongest predictive and recreational aspects in students’ online learning. Institutes and higher education commissions should further invest in enhancing the quality and effectiveness of these factors to improve the overall learning outcome of students through recreational technological induction in education.