An empirical study of learners’ acceptance of open Learner models in Malaysian higher education

Technology-based collaborative learning (TBCL) is a pedagogical approach that involves groups of learners working together to share their learning information through the adoption of collaborative technologies in learning. It has numerous benefits including developing learners’ social skills, fostering interpersonal relationships, enhancing self-management skills, promoting cooperation, and encouraging collaboration. These benefits of TBCL motivate Malaysian government to introduce various collaborative technologies including open learner models (OLMs) to facilitate collaborative learning in Malaysian higher education.

The tremendous benefits of OLMs in collaborative learning, however, have not been fully realized due to their low utilization. Existing studies try to address this issue with a focus on the technical aspects such as the presentation format and the type of interaction. Few studies have empirically investigated the adoption of OLMs from the perspective of learners, especially on learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards the adoption of OLMs in collaborative learning.

The objective of this research is to investigate learners’ attitudes and perceptions towards the adoption of OLMs in Malaysian higher education. Specifically, the research aims to (a) investigate the current adoption of OLMs in Malaysian higher education, (b) identify the critical factors for the adoption of OLMs in Malaysian higher education, (c) explore the relationship between learning styles of learners and their attitudes towards the acceptance of OLMs in collaborative learning, (d) examine the gender difference in attitudes towards the acceptance of OLMs, and (e) provide specific recommendations to the government of Malaysia for improving the utilisation of OLMs in Malaysian higher education.

A quantitative methodology consisting of scenario-based prototyping design and online surveys of learners are adopted in this study. An extensive review of related literature has been conducted. This leads to the development of a conceptual framework for evaluating the adoption of OLMs in collaborative learning. With the use of the survey data collected in Malaysian higher education, the conceptual framework is tested and validated using structural equation modelling techniques and other statistical data analysis methods.

The study shows that there is a positive relationship between the motivation, computer self-efficacy, system design, system adaptability, navigation and the adoption of OLMs in Malaysian higher education. Furthermore it reveals that the perceived usefulness, the perceived ease of use, and trust have indirect positive influence in the adoption of OLMs by affecting the information sharing intention of learners. This leads to the development of a revised framework for better understanding the adoption of OLMs in collaborative learning.

This study has made a major contribution to the OLM research from both the theoretical and practical perspectives. Theoretically, the study develops a validated conceptual model for better understanding the adoption of OLMs in Malaysian higher education. Practically, the study leads to several major findings which are valuable to various stakeholders in TBCL. Specifically those findings can provide Malaysian higher education institutions with useful information for facilitating the implementation of OLMs.