Factors affecting students' continued intention to use e-learning systems

E-learning is a method for designing, , editing, presenting, and evaluating education that utilizes electronic capabilities and facilities to aid learning that educational institutions and learners have welcomed over the past three decades. However, because of the COVID-19 epidemic, e-learning has become the focus of wider public and political attention. Therefore, the study of learners' behavior in confrontation with e-learning and its various dimensions have been taken into consideration. In this research, the authors investigate the factors affecting the user's continued use of e-learning by utilizing the Information Systems Success Model and Flow Theory.

The present study is descriptive-correlative in terms of data collection method and applied research in terms of purpose. The variables of this research have been studied using a standard questionnaire. Furthermore, in this study, sampling was done using designed questionnaires distributed and filled out both online and physically among virtual students admitted to three universities in 2019 and before that (Tehran, Allameh Tabatabai, and Alzahra) located in Tehran. Finally, about 450 questionnaires were distributed in person and electronically among the virtual courses’ students of these three universities among which 23 questionnaires were either not returned or returned without answers, and about 30 cases were deleted due to being incomplete. On the whole, data from 390 questionnaires were analyzed in this study. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS software.

The results of this study indicate complete confirmation of the four hypotheses and their significance (T-Value more than 1.96) and complete rejection of the four hypotheses (T-Value less than 1.96). Approved hypotheses include confirming the positive and significant effect of information quality on user satisfaction, service quality on user satisfaction, enjoyment on user satisfaction, user satisfaction on user, information quality on user intention, system quality on user intention, and enjoyment on user continues continuous intention to use e-learning systems. According to this analysis, the most influential factor in the user's continued intention to use e-learning systems is the user's enjoyment of using the e-learning system. In addition, enjoyment has the most significant impact on user satisfaction. The hypotheses that have not been confirmed include the effect of system quality on user satisfaction, the effect of concentration on user satisfaction, the effect of service quality on the user’s continued intention to use e-learning systems, and the effect of concentration on the user continued to use e-learning systems.

In this study, the researchers have evaluated and studied the main components affecting the subject of the study in the context of e-learning in Iran, specifically among students of virtual courses at three universities in Tehran. Researchers have identified satisfaction as the key factor influencing the user's continued intention to use e-learning systems. So, the researchers have have identified and studied the factors affecting user satisfaction in using e-learning. The satisfaction variable is considered as a mediating variable, and its impact on the user's continued intention to use e-learning systems has been examined. Among the factors affecting user satisfaction, information quality, service quality, system quality, enjoyment, and concentration have been studied. According to the results, system quality and concentration did not affect user satisfaction. Also, service quality and concentration on the user's continued intention to use e-learning systems have not been significant.