Dissertation Defense Conference Call

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Dissertation Defense Conference Call

• Mark Moran
• Doctoral Candidate

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Dissertation Title

• College Students Acceptance
• of
• Tablet Personal Computerss
• a Modification of the
• Unified Theory of Acceptance
• and Use of Technology Model

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Agenda

• Why the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
  Technology (UTAUT) Model.
• The Survey Tool.
• Hypotheses.
• Changes
• Data Sample
• PLS Model
• Discussion Conclusions

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Sample

• 263 valid responses were captured in the survey
  database.
• Basic statistics for the data is summarized below
  for the significant groups.

• Class Status
• 127 freshman, 66 sophomore, 49 juniors, 16
  seniors
• First Computer Use
• 96 in elementary, 97 in middle school, 37 in high
  school, 33 in college.

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Graphical Representation
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Significant Data Findings

• There were statistically significant difference
  found in two population groups.
• The participants who classified themselves as
  freshman had significant difference with the
  other classifications.
• There were also significant differences based on
  first computer use among participants.

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T-test p-value resultsfor grade declaration

• Comparison Groups T-stat p-value
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------------
• Freshman vs. sophomore 1.67 0.04
• Freshman vs. junior 1.45 0.07
• Freshman vs. senior 1.59 0.06

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T-test p-value resultsfor first computer use
declaration

• Comparison Groups T-stat p-value
• --------------------------------------------------
  -------------
• Elementary vs. college 1.79 0.05
• Middle School vs. high school 1.47 0.07
• Middle School vs. college 1.84 0.04

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Agenda

• Why the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
  Technology (UTAUT) Model.
• The Survey Tool.
• Hypotheses.
• Changes
• Data Sample
• PLS Model
• Discussion Conclusions

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PLS-Graph of Dissertation Model

• The next three slides show the PLS-Graph analysis
  of all the participants.
• Just the declared freshman participants.
• Just the junior senior participants.

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All participants
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Explanation

• The numbers in the middle of the arrows represent
  the contribution of each independent construct to
  the dependent constructs.
• The number below the dependent constructs is the
  percent of variation of that construct explained
  by the model.

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Freshman only (N 127)
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Juniors Senior Participants
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PLS Findings

• Behavioral Use
• Model Intent Behavior Total
• _______________________________________
• All 55 11 66
• Freshman 63 22 85
• Upper Class 49 7 56

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Agenda

• Why the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
  Technology (UTAUT) Model.
• The Survey Tool.
• Hypotheses.
• Data Sample
• PLS Model
• Discussion Conclusions

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Discussion

• The dissertation model supports five of the six
  hypotheses as discussed in the slides to follow.
• This whole process has been extremely rewarding
  as it opened a new world of behavioral research
  for this researcher.
• Although this is a very narrow topic the area has
  many problems to analyze.

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• This experience has opened the area of web based
  survey that will be highly valuable for future
  research.
• The statistically analysis and PLS-Graph
  knowledge gained will benefit both the student
  and his research in the future.
• The process has changed the way the research
  thinks about addressing a problem.
• The learning experience is about the journey not
  the destination.

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University students, in this environment, accept
the tablet PC.

• All participant groups have positive behavioral
  intent and use behavior and most construct have a
  positive contribution to the dependent variables.
• Group Behavioral Intent Use behavior
• --------------------------------------------------
  ---------
• All 55 11
• Freshman 63 22
• Upper Class 49 7

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The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
Technology (UTAUT) does predict the successful
acceptance of the Tablet PC.

• All constructs used in UTAUT have a positive
  correlation to behavioral intent.
• Anxiety (- 7) is not part of UTAUT it was added
  to this study to support investigative vigor with
  attitude toward using technology (47) and self
  efficacy (12).

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The constructs of the UTAUT will demonstrate an
effect on user acceptance of the Tablet PC.

• Supported by the same data as the previous
  alternative hypothesis.

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Computer self efficacy does have an impact
students acceptance of the Tablet PC.

• The dissertation model re-introduced this
  construct and found that in the research
  environment this variable does impact acceptance.
• Group Self Efficacy Contribution
• --------------------------------------------------
  ---------
• All 12
• Freshman 10
• Upper Class minus 2

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• The contribution of self efficacy will be studied
  more in depth in subsequent research with a K12
  one-on-one study that will be conducted in South
  Dakota with 30 pilot schools.

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Anxiety about computer use does have an impact on
students acceptance of the Tablet PC.

• The negative contribution of anxiety indicate
  that there is not a contribution to the dependent
  construct behavioral intent.
• Contribution is -7 for the whole population and
  -12 for both the freshman and upper class groups.

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Students use of the Tablet PC does impact
students acceptance of the device.

• Initially I thought that the positive outcome of
  the dissertation model indicated support for this
  statement, but after learning more about the
  PLS-Graph tool I learned that you could reverse
  the arrow of effect and when I did that for use
  behavior I found that it did not have a positive
  contribution to behavioral intent.

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The influence of use behavior

• Reversal of the link between the two dependent
  constructs indicated in the dissertation model
  that use does not contribute to behavioral
  intent.
• The freshman and upper classmen model does
  indicate a contribution at 7 16 percent
  respectively.
• This phenomena should be further studied.

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Future Research

• The research for this dissertation has opened my
  perceptions of all the possible applications of
  adoption research.
• There are many opportunities to pursue this type
  of behavioral research and grant opportunities
  should be available.
• Initially I will be collaborating with Dr. Hawkes
  on the K12 project in South Dakota and publishing
  the dissertation results with Dr. El-Gayar at the
  DSI meeting in San Antonio this fall.

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• With the time now, and knowledge, now available
  to me I will be pursuing grant opportunities and
  plan to be active in publishing the findings of
  my research in the next three years.
• The K12 study with have two data samples, one
  before the pilot study begins and a follow-up
  survey after one year of use in the K12 pilot of
  thirty schools. Approximately 250 teachers will
  be involved and we hope for more than 50
  participation in the survey.

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Concluding remarks

• During the dissertation process I have learned
  much more than I thought I might.
• Technology acceptance is fundamentally about
  about two features of technology ease of use and
  usefulness. Initially they seem the same but they
  are not!

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• Ease of use is an interface issue and can be
  changed pretty easily.
• Usefulness is based on company requirements and
  is very hard to change once a project gets to the
  users.
• The perception of these characteristics can make
  or break a project.
• Measurement of these before project
  implementation can alert the organization to
  possible problems that can be averted.

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• These are multistable preceptions users can
  rarely recognize both but project success
  requires both so management needs to be aware
  before it is too late!

Usefulness
Ease of Use