From Institutional Provision to Student Adoption: Digital Language Learning behavioral intention of Use in a Moroccan Higher Education

Abstract

The sociolinguistic dynamic in Morocco presents a major challenge inviting national institutions to propose educational solutions in order to guarantee equal opportunities for students. On the other hand, higher education is experiencing a mass demand, digital learning is considered as a solution for quality learning (Boumahdi 2021).

In this context, and following the progress of modernization and pedagogical innovation; the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has launched an ambitious project called Pacte Esri (The National Strategy for Accelerating the Transformation of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation System), in which the ministry signed a contract with the language platform Rosetta stone with the objective of foreign language learning for all Moroccan students in higher education.

The main aim of this study is to evaluate the experience of students involved in required training on the Rosetta Stone platform and explore their intention to use and more specifically to investigate the transition from the institutional provision to the adoption of the platform. Our study is based on a quantitative cross-sectional approach with a sample of 1548 in which data was collected over a single period in order to explore our research question through the lens of our hypotheses. These hypotheses are based on the revised UTAUT2 model, which uses the following variables: performance expectations, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, perceived value, habit by adding an additional variable which is the course of the exam process, and behavioral intention as the dependent variable. The results of the analysis of the main components allowed us to examine the various factors that can influence the behavior intention of the Rosetta platform. The regression analysis with robust standard errors corrected using the HC3 method confirmed that hypotheses: performance expectations (coefficient = 0.065, p-value = 0.0112), facilitating conditions (coefficient = 0.1, p-value = 0), hedonic motivation (coefficient = 0.065, p-value = 0.0112), habits (coefficient = 0.416, p-value = 0) and the exam process (coefficient = 0.158, p-value = 0) greatly influence the actual use of the platform. Social influence (coefficient = 0.041, p-value = 0.06) was marginally validated, while effort expectations (coefficient = 0.005, p-value = 0.859) and perceived value (coefficient = 0.026, p-value = 0.226) were not confirmed.

Following these findings, it is recommended that educational departments capitalize on the integration of the platform into the formal exam process given its importance as a determining factor in usage. To optimize this experience, institutions should empower facilitating conditions by resolving technical issues and providing comprehensive documentation at the beginning of each module. Supporting habit formation and fostering hedonic motivation, policymakers can ensure students fully benefit from the potential of this modern digital tool, thereby maximizing the impact of the learning pedagogical innovations.

JEL Classification: I23, M15, D83

Paper type: Empirical study