Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A new study by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indore has suggested that e-learning, while initially a COVID-19 pandemic necessity, is not merely a temporary substitute but has the potential to serve as a transformative tool for education. The research, published in the International Journal of Educational Management, shed light on students’ intentions to continue using e-learning platforms in the post- Covid era.
The study by Prof Sabita Mahapatra and her co-author, explored the role of e-learning in fulfilling crucial academic tasks during the pandemic and assessed how students perceive its continued use beyond school-related activities. The researchers looked at how e-learning was used for important school tasks during the Covid-19 pandemic using the e-extended technology adoption model (eTAM) and how students felt about using e-learning for tasks outside of school.
“In this study, eTAM was used to analyze students’ engagement with e-learning during and after the pandemic, helping identify key drivers and barriers to its continued use in higher education. This research is particularly important in the post-Covid era, as educational institutions worldwide seek to balance traditional learning methods with digital advancements, ensuring long-term adaptability and resilience in the education sector,” Mahapatra said. The results showed that perceived ease of use and usefulness were important factors in e-learning.
This gives educational institutions direction to keep investing in user-friendly digital infrastructure to help students who want to pursue online learning. The study gave insights into using digital education in unavoidable situations like cyclones, heavy rain, air pollution and fog to keep academic activities going. The findings showed that perceived value affected students’ preference for continued use of e-learning after the pandemic.
“This value should be used to support inclusive education and expand e-learning applications beyond core subjects. National and international accreditation agencies should ask educational institutes to offer opportunities and provide certificates of merit to students who choose convenient, cost-effective international collaborative research, summer projects and exchange and immersion programmes through online platforms,” she said. Notably, the findings revealed that emotional cost had a greater influence on students’ perceived switching value compared to other switching costs like learning and reduced performance costs.
Interestingly, the study also found that learning support negatively influenced perceived ease of use and usefulness, suggesting that an overabundance of support may be perceived as intrusive rather than helpful. “The findings have important implications for educators, policymakers and institutions seeking to integrate digital learning tools into traditional education systems,” Mahapatra said. As investments in e-learning infrastructure surged during the pandemic, this study underscored the necessity of leveraging these platforms for a hybrid learning approach. The research recommended that universities and schools should implement policies that encouraged a blended learning environment, where students could seamlessly transition between in-person and online learning without concerns about switching costs.
