Adopting Computer-Based Assessments: The Role of Perceived Value in Classroom Technology Acceptance

Computer based assessments (CBA) have increasingly become a popular tool for educators to test students’ knowledge of course material because of the many advantages it confers. However, research on its perceived value and satisfaction among students has found mixed results, with some test takers’ attitudes ranging from enthusiasm at being able to complete exams and retrieve test results whenever they want, to others actively disliking its use. As yet, the reasons for the same remain unclear. What is clear is that unmotivated or discontented students’ negative evaluations of CBA could overtime lead to a discontinuance of its usage in classrooms. Understanding the drivers of students’ continued usage of CBA is therefore key to the future use of this technological innovation and the goal of this research. To this end, the study utilized the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)—a model specifically built to understand the adoption of software technology—to the classroom adoption of technology context. Using quantitative survey data from 111 students who were assessed using CBAs, the study examined the role of the UTAUT constructs of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions in predicting students’ continuance intention for CBA. Findings found a direct effect of UTAUT’s core constructs of performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions on continuance CBA intention. Interestingly, students’ perceived value of CBA partially mediated the effect of these constructs on continuance intention. The results of the study, therefore, point to a single, new, global construct—perceived value of CBA— that predicts whether students prefer classroom technology.


Introduction
Thanks to global proliferation of the Internet, wide access of high-speed connectivity, and the availability of cheaper access devices, classrooms all over the world are rapidly adopting distance-based online education. Due to their invaluable source of information, computers have additionally played a significant role for feedback and assessment tools (McDonald, Teo(2009) incorporated facilitating conditions and social influence to explain teachers' attitudes towards computer use. Although UTAUT has not been used to examine CBA acceptance,it is reasonable to assume that the framework can be applied in examining students' preferences forCBA, based on findings in other forms of information technology.
Terzis and Economides (2011) who proposed the computer based assessment acceptance model, did not specifically utilize UTAUT to explain CBA acceptance, but instead incorporated constructs of the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), TAM and UTAUT.In that study, three constructs taken from UTAUT -perceived usefulness, facilitating conditions, and social influence -had indirect effects on intention to use CBA.
Previous studies have expanded on existing theories to explain continued usage of web-based learning technologies (e.g. Chiu, Hsu, Sun, Lin & Sun, 2005;Chiu, Sun, Sun &Ju, 2007;Lee, 2010, Limayem& Cheung, 2008Roca, Chiu & Martinez, 2006). In particular, Chiu and Wang (2008) extended UTAUT by incorporating the construct of subjective task value (Eccles et al., 1983) in their model of web-based learning. According to Wigfield and Eccles (2000), an individual's choice, persistence, and performance are based on their beliefs for performing a behavior and how much they value that behavior. Eccles et al. (1983) adapted the expectancy value model by focusing on subjective task value to predict students' motivations and intentions to continue enrollment in specific school subjects. According to Dickhauser and Steinsmeir-Pelster (2003), the higher a student's expectations of success and perceived value in an activity, the more likely a student is to choose that activity. This study thus builds upon UTAUT by incorporating students' subjective task value into the theoretical framework. Subjective task value, now referred to as CBA perceived value, will be defined as the amount of value students attribute to using CBA. circle would support their use of a specific technology. Social influence includes the effect of other people's opinions, superior influence, and peer influence (Taylor & Todd, 1995). Past research suggests that an individual's intent to perform a behavior is higher when those individuals in their social circle hold favorable opinions about that behavior (Ajzen, 1991).
Several technology acceptance studies have incorporated social influence in their models to explain behavioral intention (e.g. Agarwal & Karahanna, 2000;Karahanna & Straub;Lu et al., 2003;Venkatesh & Davis, 2000;Venkatesh et al., 2003) and Terzis and Economides (2011) suggest thatstudents who have never used CBA before may feel unsure about the technology, and will value the opinions of their close peers regarding CBA. Thus, students who believe that the strong ties within their social network will be supportive of the use of CBA will intent to continue with using CBA.
Facilitating conditions are the degree to which an individual believes that certain resources exist to support the use of a specific technology. Students should have access to available resources to help them with any issues they might experience while taking CBA. These resources may come in the form of an organizational staff or expert on the system (Bueno & Salmeron, 2008). Bergeron et al. (1990) statedthat usage of a technology will increase as technological barriers are removed due to the presence of help and support. According to Triandis (1980), behavior to continue using a particular system will not occur if there are any impediments to available facilitating conditions.Therefore, students are more likely to achieve goals they may not have been able to meet on their own when they receive the support of peers as well as their instructors (Grabinger & Dunlap, 2000). Under the current study, continuance intention to use CBA will be dependent on the available facilitating conditions within and outside of the Blackboard system. The following hypotheses are therefore proposed: H1a-d: Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions will be positively related to CBA continuance intention.
As discussed by Chiu and Wang (2008), an individual who thinks a technological innovation is less beneficial will be less likely to continue using that innovation. Eccles and Wigfield (2002) state that an individual's motivation for performing a specific behavior is influenced by their expectancy for success and its subjective task value. Various elements of subjective task value exist, including interest in the task, importance of the task, and usefulness of the Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies Volume: 7 -Issue: 4 October -2017 task (Eccles et al., 1983). Drawing upon previous work by Battle (1965,1966), we define values as the personal importance of doing well on a task. This is similar to attainment value described by Eccles et al. (1983). Under the current study, subjective task value towards CBA will be referred to as CBA perceived value. We predict that individual'sexpectancies or perceptions for successfully achieving a task are directly dependent on how important they believe that task is. If an individual does not value the task at hand, then their expectancies for performing that task should be reduced. These findings lead us to believe that the higher the importance that is placed on CBA, the higher the expectancies and positive beliefs individuals will havefor achieving goals associated with CBA.
H2a-d: CBA perceived valuewill be positively related to performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Since our hypothesized model predicts a positive relationship from CBA perceived value to key variables in UTAUT, which lead to continuance usage, it is useful to explore whether the key variables in UTAUT mediates the relationship between CBA perceived value and continuance usage. We predict that values held about CBA will lead to positive beliefs about CBA, which in turn results in a motivational increase in continuing CBA usage. Blackboard is a web-based learning management system that provides various educational tools, including CBA, for educators and students. Following completion of the exam, students were e-mailed a link to the survey and given one week to complete it. The survey questions were designed to measure students' perceptions of taking a CBA exam on Blackboard, as well as their likelihood to continue using CBA in the future.
The majority of constructs in the study were measured using 5-point Likert type scales ranging from 1 ('strongly disagree') to 5 ('strongly agree'), unless otherwise noted. Wherever possible, the scales used for the instrument were taken from previously validated measures, reworded, and designed to fit the context of the study. Both performance expectancy and effort expectancy were measured usingfour items previously created by Venkatesh et al.

Discriminant Validity
Tests for discriminant validity satisfied both criterion described by Chin (1998) andBhakar et al. (2012). All constructs had an AVE loading greater than 0.5 and all values reported in the table were significantly higher than the off-diagonal values in the corresponding rows and columns. The confirmation of both criteria lends evidence that the constructs vary adequately and distinctively. Discriminant validity results can be found in Table 2.

Structural Model Analysis
To Overall, the model predicted 58% of the variance in the dependent variable (continuance intention to use CBA). The variables explained for each of the endogenous variables were as followed: performance expectancy (R 2 = .534), effort expectancy (R 2 = .200), social influence (R 2 = .299), and facilitating conditions (R 2 = .124). The hypothesized relationships, their tvalues, path coefficients, and p-values can be found in Table 3.

Discussion
This study sought to explain students' intention to continue using computer-based assessments through the framework of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Our model successfully affirms the UTAUT framework and also confirms the role that value plays in predicting beliefs about CBA. Results support the structure of the model and support the key findings of H1a, H1c, H1d, H2a, H2b, H2c, H2d, H3a, H3c, and H3d: Performance expectancy predicted CBA continuance usage; social influence also predicted CBA continuance usage as did facilitating conditions; CBA perceived value students from Singapore. Therefore, future studies should consider using students from other countries as subjects. The information reported here could also be useful for a cross-cultural study down the road. Additionally, our study only utilized a single web-based learning system, the Blackboard. Future studies might consider using other web-based learning systems independently or in conjunction with Blackboard. Next, our results revealed that effort expectancy was not positively related to CBA continuance intention. It is most likely that our sample thus consisted of students who were already familiar with web-based systems and CBA. The results, therefore, might not reflect novice users who have different values and beliefs towards CBA. Future studies may consider examining students who have never used a web-based system or completed a CBA before. Finally, the administering of a P&P exam was not included in this study. It would be particularly informative to compare the grade scores of both types of assessments to garner any significant differences between them. Such comparisons will allow us to test if issues related to assessment, such as fairness, difficulty of exam, etc., are accounted and controlled for.
Overall, this study is noteworthy because it provides a framework for assessing CBA usage using a theoretical model. Most importantly, it extends the framework of UTAUT by incorporating the construct of perceived value to explain CBA usage. Future studies using UTAUT to explain technological educational assessments should consider the effect that perceived value has on continuance intention. Lastly, our research provides beneficial insight for educators who incorporate CBA into their course curriculum.
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies Volume: 7 -Issue: 4 October -2017