Comparing the Use of Web-based Courseware in Volitional and Mandatory Settings

Abstract: Web-based courseware such as Blackboard and WebCT has been used widely as support for a traditional classroom format. This study compares the use of web-based courseware in volitional and mandatory settings. A volitional setting is where students perceive the system use to be a willful choice, while a mandatory setting is where students perceive the system use to be compulsory. Built on the technology acceptance model (TAM), which has been expensively tested in examining the use of various information systems in organizations, this study examines any differences in the relationships among the constructs of TAM under the two settings. It uses data collected from volitional as well as mandatory users of the same web-based courseware with the same functions and content. The results of the study will provide valuable insights into how the relationships among the constructs of TAM are expected to vary for volitional versus mandatory users of web-based courseware, and contribute to the understanding of TAM in the context of web-based courseware