Factors of E-Learning Adoption - Assignment Example

FACTORS OF E-LEARNING ADOPTION Implementing two models and frameworks to get the high level of understanding of e-Learning in terms of system development Abstract E-Learning is the current trend in education all over the world and it has been the subject of many studies concerning technology acceptance or adoption. This is in the reality that regardless of the proliferation of technology, many countries are still incredulous and indisposed to accept the e-Learning education strategy. Technology acceptance and factors surrounding e-Learning adoption is still a big issue particularly in a country where culture and technology is inseparable. The need to enhance e-Learning adoption took us to the different models of technology acceptance such as Technology Acceptance Model (TM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and studies the different determinants or factors affecting technology acceptance. It includes the establishment of the relationship between e-Learning adoption and Information Systems Development and the application of the human value systems of emerging ISD. Furthermore, we conduct a literature review of the level of acceptance of major university students in Saudi Arabia and the assessment of overall technology acceptance of the country. Finally, we put forth a proposal for e-learning adoption initiative using the various models of acceptance and facts provided by literature to enhance e-learning and e-learning adoption in Saudi Arabia. Table of Contents Topic Page # 1. Introduction ------ 4 2. Objective ------ 5 3. Scope ------ 6 4. Method of Research ------ 6 5. Literature Review ------ 7 5.1. Factors of E-Learning Adoption ------ 7 5.1.1. Technology Acceptance Model 7 5.1.2. Theory of Planned Behaviour 8-9 5.1.3. Theory of Innovation Diffusion 10 5.1.4. e-Learning Adoption and Information Systems Development 10-13 5.1.5. Cultural Issues in Information Technology Acceptance 13-14 5.1.6. e-Learning Adoption in Saudi Arabia 14-15 5.1.7. Students Perception and Acceptance of Technology 15-19 6. Proposed e-Learning Adoption Initiatives 20-22 7. Conclusion ------ 23 8. Bibliography ------ 24 1. Introduction E-Learning is present in a number of educational programs around the world and the instructive merit of e-Learning that came from its inherent distance and time insensitivity, shared learning, encouraging practical methods, and more, have contributed to the rising popularity of this form of learning today. Adoption to this mode of learning is normally modelled to integrate advanced technologies into the conservative on-campus teaching systems in a complementary manner. Integration of new technologies such as e-Learning could provide universities with the opportunity to advance and enhance their teaching through learning materials in the form of electronic media, computer simulations, access to knowledge databases, incessant link with instructor and peers, and better utilization of lessons for discussion and amplification. However, E-Learning like any other new technology has some uncertainties predominantly in the area of adoption as there is a sound consensus that e-Learning itself has a few things of its own to learn. The more frequent reason for non-adoption is the reality of document security online, the lack of academic standards of on-line courses, student’s technological needs, and the advantage of face-to-face interaction, cultural issues, and poor grades for e-learners. Another important issue is between e-Learning adoption and information systems development, which the later on its own has to deal with the controversial human value system imposed by the emerging ISD. “Information Systems can only add value to the organization if they are accepted and used” (Keller 2006:3). It is therefore necessary to understand the social, cultural, technical, organization, and individual factors that drive adoption intention to make this mode of learning more acceptable in certain part of the world particularly Saudi Arabia. 2. Objective Our study will focus on the development of a model using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and promote e-Learning use through better understanding of different factors affecting adoption. In addition, there is also a need to combine these new technologies for students use in terms of system development since it is essential to incorporate human value systems into the focus of system development. This is in the belief that Saudi Arabia is capable and has the technology to enhance our conventional method of learning though the introduction of e-Learning in every educational institution in the country. However, because e-Learning in Saudi Arabia is not fully understand and accepted, we need to develop an e-Learning system using human value models that can enhance perception and acceptance of Information Technology particularly the various factors and characteristics correlated with culture. The paper will try to give light to emerging Information Systems Development issues specifically the incorporation of human value systems in ISD. More importantly, we will discuss the relationship between the factors of e-Learning adoption and information systems development and attempt to provide some useful information on the important factors needed to achieve success in e-Learning. A review and discussions on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Theory Planned Behaviour (TPB), and the Theory of Innovation Diffusion will follow and in the later part, we will include an investigation on the level of e-Learning adoption in Saudi Arabia. In relation, discussions on the level of understanding of e-Learning among Saudi Arabian students and conclude with the overall assessment of our topic. 3. Scope The paper will going to discuss the various factors related to e-Learning adoption such as Technology Acceptance Model, Theory of Planned Behaviour, and the Theory of Innovation Diffusion. Discuss the relationship of e-Learning adoption to Information Systems Development and the various factors affecting technology acceptance including culture and gender. It will briefly discuss the current trend in e-Learning adoption in Saudi Arabia and present a review of student’s technology acceptance level. Finally, it will conclude with an e-Learning adoption initiative proposal and overall assessment of the topic presented. 4. Method of Research Our preferred method of research is through literature review using the most relevant sources possible. The paper will use published books, journals, articles, and web site contents applicable to our topic. 5. Literature Review 5.1. Factors of E-Learning Adoption 5.1.1. The Technology Acceptance Model The Technology Acceptance Model or TAM has been around for years and it is widely use to predict user acceptance and use based on perceived usefulness and ease of use. TAM is a brainchild of Davis (1989) using the Theory of Reasoned Action or TRA to acquire the knowledge of causal chain linking external variables to IT usage intention and actual use in a workplace. In the mid-1980’s when TAM was developed under IBM Canada, it was used to evaluate the market potential for a variety of emerging PC-based applications in the area of multimedia, image processing, and pen-based computing to guide investments in the product development. Since then many Information Technology studies copied TAM and use it as an instrument to investigate a range of issues in the area of user acceptance. Davis theorised a list of external variables that includes objective system design characteristics, training, user involvement in design, and the nature of the implementation process. He believes that these variables will somehow influence the behavioural intention to use and actual usage indirectly through their influence on “perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use (Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:243). “Perceived usefulness” is the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her productivity while the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free of effort is “perceived ease of use” (Davis 1989:320). 5.1.2. The Theory Planned Behaviour The Theory of Planned Behaviour better known as TPB is similarly popular and has been broadly applied across a range of disciplines including marketing for consumer behaviour, leisure behaviour, and medicine. More importantly, organization psychologist also applied TPB to study adoption of new technologies. However, TPB in general defines relationships between attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioural control as determinants of intentions and behaviour. “Intention” on the other hand is not necessarily a part of the model although it was in the original conceptualization. The reason for allowing the omission of “intention” is the possibility that the effects can be studied directly using available objective measures of behaviour. The theoretical model’s key determinants include “Attitude Towards Behaviour” which is the “degree to which a person has a favourable or unfavourable evaluation or appraisal of the behaviour in question”. However, in the technology adoption context, the key behaviour of interest is “use” of the system thus attitude towards behaviour is a potential user’ affective evaluation of the cost and benefits of using the new technology (Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:243-244). According to Davis (1989), there are considerable evidence to suggest that the most critical belief underlying a person’s attitude towards the behaviour of adopting a new technology in the workplace is her/his perceptions about the usefulness of technology. Subjective “norms” which refer to the perceived social pressure to perform or not to perform the behaviour has manifested itself as peer influence and superior influence in the context of technology usage. This is from the notion that intention to adopt technology such as e-Learning is closely linked to the extent users can be influence and respond to informational input from their course leaders, school authority, and adopting peers. Finally, Perceived Behavioural Control or PBC is people’s perception of the ease or difficulty of performing the behaviour of interest. Previous research on technology adoption and usage, found it related primarily to the constraints of the technology usage predominantly the ease/difficulty. This therefore indicates that perceived difficulty particularly as it is related to internal constraints, is the most significant factor underlying perceived behavioural control (Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:243-244). The framework of the study is in Figure 1.0 below. 5.1.3. Theory of Innovation Diffusion The Theory of Innovation Diffusion’s intention is to provide information in the manner in which innovation “move from the stage of new invention to a stage of use” (Raitoharju 2007:26). The theory explains the innovation decision process that determines the rate of adoption in various categories of adopters. It suggests that individuals can be classified according to their speed of uptake of innovation. Among these categories, which are assumed normally distributed, are innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards. It also hypothesizes four innovation characteristics that affect the diffusion. These are relative advantage, complexity, trialability, and observability. Relative advantage is the degree in which innovation offsets improvement over currently used tools while complexity is the ease of use of learning of the innovation. Trialability and observability refers to the opportunity to try or observe the innovation before making the decision of use (Raitoharju 2007:27). 5.1.4. E-Learning Adoption and Information Systems Development Education and training providers use progressively advanced methods to offer their services as new e-Learning technologies are developed. In the past, improving technology acceptance was through the development of better user interface. However, an e-Learning platform could never be designed as “simple” system and therefore needs to have better strategy to improve user acceptance through better understanding of user perceptions. User perceptions were instrumental in explaining a substantial proportion of the variance in both current use and future user intentions and regardless of emerging technologies there is a need to keep the people oriented nature of e-Learning (Khosrowpour 2004:339). Learning the different variables of TAM and determinants of intentions and behaviours with TPB can help system developers build people oriented software that is more likely accepted rapidly by users. For instance, Davis theory of external variables that includes “objective system” and “user involvement in design’ is an indication that it will somehow influence the behavioural intention to use. More importantly, the advantage of knowing the nature of the implementation process can positively affect actual usage as user’s “perceived usefulness and perceived ease of user” will be more favourable (Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:243). Another is the user’s affective evaluation of the cost and benefits of using new technology and attitude towards the behaviour of adopting them in terms of usefulness or the ease and difficulty of technology (Davis 1989; Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:243-244). Developers cannot also ignore the theory of innovation diffusion that clearly classifies individual users according to their rate of adoption. For instance, a developer may think of early adopters as a minor problem of adoption but the large number of the late majority and the laggards will surely affect his system’s acceptance. One of the main innovation characteristic he should bear in mind is complexity since this would severely contradict the user’s “perceived ease of use” (Raitoharju 2007:26). Furthermore, since e-Learning is a global technology transcending boundaries and cultures, it is only fair to consider culture as an important factor in system development. Culture on the other hand may sometimes serve as barrier in e-Learning thus developers must realize the various aspects of a particular to at least minimize rejection and increase technology acceptance. For instance, TPB’s subjective norm where social pressure to perform or not to perform is subject to external influence thus a persons level of acceptance depends on how strong this influence is (Davis 1989). Using TAM and TPB to enhance technology acceptance maybe feasible since both of them are good predictors. Although the coefficient of the TAM dimension contribute more significantly than those of TPB in a survey conducted by (Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:246), its still need some further investigation whether these dimensions contribute equally to the variations in adoption intentions. However, the fact that they are both good predictors is enough reason to use them as we are not after the comparison but near accurate prediction. Implementing these two models to enhance understanding of e-Learning in terms of system development may yield favourable results since they could work in various organization setting. According to Raitoharju (2007:30), the construct of the different approaches is combinable and the basic logic behind each of these theoretical approaches does not vary largely. In addition, between TAM and TPB, the later explain behaviour intention slightly better than TAM. However, there was no variation in the explanation rates of actual usage behaviour. More importantly, TAM’s determinants PU (Perceived Usefulness) and PEOU (Perceived Ease of Use) are not context-specific and are therefore more convenient to apply to different user context than TPB. In the cultural and social perspective, TPB outsmart TAM as it does not have any social determinants thus the social variables of TPB seems to provide more accurate explanation of user intention than TAM. In general, TAM is a parsimonious model and more suitable for various research setting and user population but lack the social aspects of Information Technology acceptance model (Raitoharju 2007:31). For this reason, we can therefore use TAM for general explanation of user intention and employ a particular the determinants of TPB in dealing with social and cultural issues. 5.1.5. Cultural Issues in Information Technology Acceptance The variations across culture could lead to differing perception in information systems development (Leidner and Kayworth 2006:357-399). For instance, national culture has been found to affect the reporting of failure in information systems development processes in such a way that a more individualistic culture was more predisposed to report bad news than collectivistic cultures (Tan et. al. 2003:65-77). The most popular approach within Information Systems cultural studies is to explore the impact of culture on Information Technology adoption and diffusion. The general idea within this type of research has been that uncertainty avoidance is a significant determinant of adoption and diffusion of Information Technology as it is assumed to be “inherently risky to implement IT” (Leidner and Kayworth 2006:357-399). Uncertainty avoidance is the extents to which members of the culture feel threaten by uncertain or unknown situations. One major result of this study reveals that Information Technology is more favourably perceived in countries with lower power distance and uncertainty avoidance than in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance and power distance. Power distance for better comprehension is the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions or organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally (Raitoharju 2007:34). In general, the findings of Information Systems cultural research reveal that natural culture indeed impact Information Technology acceptance on the degree of “perceived use” (PU), usage and “perceived ease of use” (PEOU), and the impacts of these constructs to each other. A considerable difference between nations such as U.S. and South Africa (Gefen et. al. 2005:54-78), UK and Korea (Kim et. al. 2005:49-66), Singapore and Mauritius, and others were found. More importantly, vision clarity and knowledge culture do have correlation with system success and it is therefore clear that cultural similarity may create trust which in turn affects the behaviour (Raitoharju 2007:40). In this regard, we may pursue our research using the two models (TAM and TB giving more emphasis on culture. It is also necessary to investigate the current trend beforehand and find out the level of understanding and acceptance of a country such as Saudi Arabia. 5.1.6. E-Learning Adoption in Saudi Arabia Since the Internet technology came to in Saudi Arabia in 1994, the country experienced the rapid of growth of technology predominantly when the public started to use it 1999. The number of people who use the internet daily has increased from around 200,000 users in 2000 to 4.8 million in 2006 and it is expected to reach 5.6 million at the end of 2007 (Internet @SA 2007). Today, there are an enormous number of educational institutions and organizations such as universities and private sectors use the technology daily as part of their work. In addition, the number of higher educational institutions such as universities and teacher's colleges using the technology increased along with the number of students enrolled in these institutions. However, aside from King Abdulaziz University, very few universities have adopted and established the distance-Learning model in their courses (King Abdulaziz University 2007). Similarly, we have to learn the significant factors of adoption and their predictive power in order to diffuse e-Learning (Ndubisi 2006) particularly in Saudi Arabia where e-Learning studies is inadequate (Alshehri 2005, p. 3-4). The following section deals with the students levels of acceptance of technology. 5.1.7. Students Perception and Acceptance of Technology In recent years, a number of satisfactory researches and studies were done regarding e-Learning (Williams 2006) and several papers about this topic were obtained and categorized based on their unique perspectives to narrow down the area of research. The fist of the three categories explored is about student's satisfaction with a web-based course model on e-Learning. This is done by offering some online courses through the internet to establish the overall performance of students toward web-based model in general. The result of the study reveals that students' achievement using e-Learning methods are comparable or more constructive and effective compared with the traditional or the face-to-face methods of teaching in the classroom. Furthermore, the study also reveals that the students have a positive outlook toward the web-based course model (Motiwalla & Tello 2000). In the second category are the new types of learning incorporated under the collection of distance learning, hybrid, and online courses. The researchers conducted a survey of the positive and negative features of online courses from the student’s standpoint in order to get their opinion and suggestions on how to improve these course models. The actual research for this category was conducted in the Industrial Technology Education Department at Indian State University where majority of students responded positively toward this type of learning. However, the negative aspect according to some students is primarily the feeling of misplacement and isolation in space particularly when there are technical problems over the internet (Mansour & Mupina 2007). The third category’s focus is about gender and learner diversity and its influence on the acceptance of electronic learning. Learner diversity according to researchers is the difference between students who are using traditional learning methods to acquire education and those students obtaining their education through modern and sophisticated technology such as distance learning in an online courses model. Using the theories of technology acceptance particularly TAM to derive his model or framework, the researchers found that the gender and the learner diversity plays a very important role in Information Systems (Lee 2007). Together with the other categories discussed earlier, they form an important and valuable resource as they demonstrate some relevant cultural issues present in Saudi Arabia. However, there is no actual research conducted in our area of concern because no educational organization or university has applied this model yet except for King Abdulaziz University. On the other hand, a different research was conducted with faculty members in Institute of Public Administration in Saudi Arabia. This to study aims to examine the members' attitudes towards the implementation of online courses such as e-Learning and to find out other significant factors that will affect a successful implementation. According to the result, the majority of the faculty members agree to implement the model but it also shows some significant factors that would affect the implementation. These factors are knowledge and skills necessary to deal with technologies thus the organization must consider these factors in planning before adopting the course model to avoid restrictions and drawbacks (Alshehri, 2005). In another research conducted in Qassim University in Saudi Arabia, obstacles that would be faced the use of electronic or web-based education was investigated. These are factors relevant to organization, personal, curriculum, technology, and culture and their effect on motivating or inhibiting the use of web-based education in the future. Although the web-based model is still not adopted by the university, this research has help the university management to come up with a solution to increase the number of students enrolled in Saudi Universities especially in Qassim University (Al Saif 2005). However, in several related studies in western countries in e-Learning adoption, there are also many issues emerge such as insufficient dealer support, document security, students’ technological requirements, cultural issue, guarantees on e-Learning success and perceived poor grade for e-Learning ( Goodridge 2002; Sparta 2002; Bushweller 2002; Troha 2002; Bersin 2002 as cited in Ndubisi 2006). These issues could lead us into thinking that indeed other significant factors such as student experience of the technology and privacy are probably barriers that could affect e-Learning adoption. This is why Ndubisi (2006) emphasizes the need to understand the significant factors of adoption and their predictive power. Furthermore, he also mentioned the importance of the Davis’s model in understanding students’ intention and actual adoption of e-Learning in the same way that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude and perceived behavioural control have important influence on e-Learning adoption intention Ndubisi (2006). Although there is no indication that subjective norm has important impact on adoption in his model, research about adoption model in Information Technology according to Lee (2007) had to include gender as an important factor. The same notion is supported by Venkatesh & Morris (2000) who found that perceived usefulness affect men’s technology acceptance while perceive ease of use and subjective norms affect women’s technology acceptance which is consistent with Ndubisi (2006) idea that some potential factors must be put into consideration before adopting e-Learning such as computer experience, age and gender. In this research, we found technology acceptance in Saudi schools in its early years and it is still too soon to predict their true intentions. However, considering the knowledge we acquired from technology acceptance model and other factors affecting adoption, planning should take place and proceed with further investigation on the level of acceptance and possibility of implementation. The need for such action is indeed required as the latest study of (Al Jarf 2007:5) reveals that despite of the encouragement to participate in e-Learning and online collaboration, students from other major schools in the Kingdom like King Saud University (KSU) and Umm Al-Qurah University (UQU) showed very little response as they were shy, apprehensive, and hesitant to register. Their behaviour is due to their traditional learning environment where they are used to learn in a segregated gender–based environment. This is an indication of uncertainty avoidance in the Theory of Innovation Diffusion and TPB’s subjective norm. Furthermore, Al Jarf ( 2007:6) concluded that online instructions is not widely used in Saudi Arabia thus sharing online course with university students is ineffective and unsuccessful. The reason given by these students are their inhibition towards unfamiliar instructions. They are obviously lack motivations for TAM’s “perceived easiness of use”. Online teaching on a gender-based environment should proceed gradually according to Al Jarf (2007:6) to allow them build confidence. In general, technology acceptance in this area as we have examined, largely depends on culture and social norms, and probably needs more attention than other e-Learning adoption initiatives. 6. Proposed E-Learning Adoption Initiative Based on our objective, we must build an e-Learning system using human value systems that can enhance perception and acceptance of Information Technology that is in concert with the desire to enhance e-Learning of students in various universities. More importantly, we must do this with Information Systems Development in mind, as it is an essential part of e-Learning infrastructure. First, since our findings tell us that the majority of universities in Saudi Arabia are still reluctant to adopt e-Learning, we will primarily apply the two models of acceptance (TAM and TPB) and the Theory of Innovation Diffusion in special cases to ensure that all of the factors affecting adoption are addressed. For instance, we will use TAM to deal with the general barriers of adoption such students and faculties perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use since unfamiliarity with the technology is normally the root caused of this behaviour (Davis 1989:320). This is evident in the study conducted by Al Jarf (2007:6) in two major university in the Kingdom and probably prevalent as inhibitions with unfamiliar instructions is generally widespread even to non-students. In another barrier, we will use TPB’s subjective norm theory as we are going to deal with a “gender segregated” (Al Jarf 2007:6) learning environment. This inherent perceived social pressure to perform or not to perform where peer and superior influence is probably the major barrier since intention to adopt technology like e-Learning is closely associated with the positive or negative informational input from various external factors (Ndubisi and Chukwunonso 2004:243-244). Furthermore, student’s unfamiliarity or inhibitions towards technology and collaboration are just a matter of negative perception of technology thus; it only requires training, guidance, and encouragements. Dr. Khaled Sultan of the King Fahd University of Pertroleum and Minerals, in an interview talks about e-Learning designers through KFUP as their institutional mission and plans to establish both certificate and master’s degree programs in e-Learning to meet the demands of professionals in the region (ET 2005:63-63). However, although there are some indications that the government and other concern authorities favours the adoption of technology, we still do not have any evidence of considerable e-Learning adoption taking place in any region thus we must consider the possibility that some other barriers exists. It is therefore necessary to perform “predictive” investigation in all areas of concern (students, faculty, management, government, and parents) through our selected technology acceptance models. The incorporation of human values in information systems development may considerably help students and e-Learning users in the region since e-Learning infrastructures cannot be “simple” (Khosrowpour 2004:339) and should conform to the social and cultural framework in order to enhance technology acceptance. For instance, the reported impact of natural culture on the degree of Information Technology acceptance such as perceived use and perceived ease of use (Gefen et. al. 2005:54-78; Kim et. al. 2005:49-66), and vision clarity and knowledge culture do have correlation with Information System success (Raitoharju 2007:40). Incorporation of human values to information system development is therefore necessary at the very early stage while IT students are still learning the rudiments of system developments. They should learn the fact that even an excellently designed e-Learning program will not work if not accepted in the real world. Furthermore, as e-Learning users, they should learn to adopt and accept technology as it would not only benefit their studies but their future endeavours in the field of computing. Enhancing e-Learning adoption in Saudi Arabian students in general needs more than just “prediction” as culture maybe the biggest barrier of technology acceptance. For instance, the number of people who use the internet daily in Saudi Arabia is estimated at 4.8 million in 2006 and it is expected to reach 5.6 million at the end of 2007 (Internet@SA 2007:1). However, as far as e-Learning is concern, there is no clear evidence of rapid or widespread adoption in the area particularly in the universities. The reason is definitely not technology funding or related problems as Saudi Arabia is exceptionally capable. What is there in e-Learning that prevents rapid acceptance and use?—Collaboration. Students have “negative attitude towards collaboration” (Al Jarf 2007:6) and unfortunately, e-Learning is mostly about collaboration. This paper therefore suggests that Saudi students should be encouraged “gradually” (Al Jarf 2007:6) as they do not have the same outlook as those students in the western countries. More importantly, e-Learning infrastructures should be designed to conform to their heritage and tradition since it is much more appropriate to adjust technologically than culturally. This is where human value system in the emerging ISD methodologies will play a very significant role. 7. Conclusion The combination of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour supplemented by the Theory of Innovation Diffusion in certain areas is necessary as e-Learning adoption varies from one country to another. Since it is acceptable to merge these technology acceptance models, we have used them to analyse and predict the acceptance level of Saudi students and the country as a whole. Our findings gave us the idea that the levels of understanding as far as e-Learning adoption is concern are actually diminutive. In relation to this, we tried to use what we learn in the literature review and proposed an e-Learning adoption initiative that could enhance acceptance. TAM determinants did help identify some important aspects of technology acceptance particularly in the areas where student’s attitude towards “unfamiliar” instructions is concern. TPB determinants on the other hand did gave use a clear view of the cultural and gender issues surrounding the traditional learning environment that are preventing rapid technology acceptance. In some area, as a supplemental model, power distance and uncertainty avoidance of the Theory of Innovation Diffusion explains the strange behaviour of potential e-Learning users. We therefore advanced to investigate the importance of human value systems of emerging ISD methodologies and established the connection between e-Learning adoption and ISD. We went further to find the level of understanding and technology acceptance of students in major universities and came up with a conclusion that e-Learning in this area it is not only a matter of acceptance prediction but cultural familiarity. Finally, e-Learning adoption initiative tailored for this particular area is provided to help information system developers and e-Learning designers create an effective and well-accepted e-Learning system. 8. 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