Abstract:
Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis, 1989) and Levels of Use
(LoU) of the Innovation (Hall, Loucks, Rutherford, & Newlove, 1975), the purpose of this study was to determine if faculty members’ patterns in teaching using various tools within a learning management system (LMS) changed as a result of a major LMS migration. In addition, this study also investigated the challenges faculty members faced and the level of support and training used throughout the migration. Faculty members, both full-time and adjunct, at two regional universities within the state of Georgia were invited to participate in the study. These faculty members experienced an LMS migration from Blackboard Vista to Desire2Learn during the Summer of 2013. Overall, three research questions were formed addressing LMS tool use and adoption, the overall system usage experience, and the level of training and support used during the migration with certain factors to include: the years of experience using the old and new LMS, types of courses taught, gender, and the number of years having taught in the online and face-to-face environment. To collect data, faculty members had two months to complete a survey instrument that was developed based on both the TAM and LoU frameworks. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, ANOVAs, a MANOVA, and inductive analysis coding techniques. Results indicated that, overall, faculty members adopted most of the tools within the Desire2Learn LMS significantly more compared to the Blackboard Vista LMS except Wimba/Blackboard Collaborate Tool and SCORM Tool. The MANOVA results showed that “faculty status” and “type of course typically taught” might be factors that affected faculty’s responses to the level of use for both Blackboard Vista and Desire2Learn. Full-time faculty members had a significantly higher level of use, moving from the orientation level to the preparation level, compared to adjunct faculty members who remained at the orientation level. In addition, those faculty members who teach face-to-face courses had a significantly lower level of use, starting at the orientation level and remaining at this level, compared to those faculty members who teach online or hybrid courses, who started at the preparation level and moved to the mechanical level of use. Further, gender and the years of having taught online or hybrid courses did not affect the overall system usage level (how the faculty member learned to use the LMS) during the migration. Lastly, the years of experience using an LMS and years of experience having taught online or hybrid courses did not affect the overall level of training and support (e.g., calling the IT Help Desk, asking a co-worker, attending university training, etc.) a faculty member used during this migration.