Utilitarian and intrinsic motivations to use mobile learning technologies: An extended technology acceptance model

Abstract

Students are increasingly utilizing mobile learning applications (m-learning apps) in various contexts. They can access their content from anywhere, anytime. This research explores the students’ perceptions about learning technologies in a higher educational context. It integrates the Technology Acceptance Model’s (TAM) constructs with “perceived enjoyment” to better understand their dispositions to engage with educational apps. The data was gathered through an online survey questionnaire among 317 research participants who were following full time university courses in a Southern European country. The findings suggest that the students were motivated to use learning apps. Their perceived usefulness, ease-of-use and enjoyment were having a significant effect on their intentions to continue using them in the future. This contribution implies that “perceived enjoyment” construct can be combined with TAM to shed more light on the users’ intrinsic motivations to use mobile apps for educational purposes.