Facilitating Conditions that Increase Faculty Perceived Usefulness of Learning Management Systems: A Multiple-Case Study

The purpose of this research study designed as a multiple-case study was to discover the facilitating conditions that led faculty at the higher education level to create activities using student-centered learning tools in the learning management systems (LMSs). The theories guiding this study were Davis’ technology acceptance model and two versions of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Both theories looked at how perceived ease of use (PEU) and perceived usefulness (PU) determine a user’s use of a technology. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology added facilitating conditions as a primary determiner of technology user behavior. This study focused on the facilitating conditions that increase PU and the use of active learning tools in LMSs. The study was designed as a multiple-case study and conducted at two different California community colleges. Participants were tenured or tenure track faculty members whose use of LMSs increased as a result of the pandemic. Documents were gathered to learn about the training and support offered at each college during the transition to online during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Faculty were interviewed individually and in focus groups about their experience with support and resources available during the transition to discover the most impactful practices. Seven themes emerged from the research: course design support, peer support, student engagement, the distance education infrastructure, technical support, pedagogical foundations, and more time. The results of this study indicated that faculty benefited from course design and peer support, but faculty need more pedagogical support and more time to use active learning tools in LMSs