Factors affecting the e-learning continuance during the COVID-19 pandemic

The breakout of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has brought about a seismic shift in the daily lives of people worldwide. Educational institutions have been temporarily closed and different types of lockdowns and social distancing approaches have been applied in countries around the world to delay the spread of the disease. This study is investigating the influential determinants of university students intentions and use of electronic learning technologies during the pandemic. Grounded mainly on Venkatesh et al.s (2003) model of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), a newly hybrid theoretical model will be developed by modifying the original classical UTAUT model to incorporate extra security-related constructs such as trust and perceived risk to investigate the intentions of Saudi Arabia university students to actually use e-learning platforms during the pandemic. The contribution of this study to the literature is the empirical testing of the proposed research model as well as the investigation and examination of the factors affecting the behavioral intention of Saudi Arabian students to use e-learning tools and techniques, the various e-learning tools and techniques and their utilization by Saudi students during the pandemic as well as the impact of students intensions on the use of e-learning tools and techniques. Although numerous studies have investigated the adoption and use of e-learning, this study supplements the extant literature regarding the significant determinants and challenges influencing the successful adoption and use of e-learning by students during the extraordinary circumstances of the pandemic lockdown and the enforcement of distance learning. Examination of the issues of the study is aiming at providing practical insights on how curriculum and pedagogy should be modified through adjustments of the learning standards and assessment tools. Moreover, these insights will be crucial and significant for policymakers, higher education leaders, as well as curriculum designers and developers in educational institutions.