<p> Increased competitive and regulatory pressures are requiring American universities to find new and innovative models to improve student academic success and college value. Previous research has noted that the introduction of mobile or tablet-based devices into education pedagogies can support learning activities if implemented effectively. This study provides an empirical analysis on the relationship between instructor iPad adoption in classroom learning activities and instructor perceived improvement in student retention rates. An adapted version of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was used as the theoretical model to assess this relationship along with regression analysis to estimate the variance. Overall, the findings validate the application of the UTAUT model towards instructor adoption of iPad technologies in classroom learning activities, and support the supposition that instructors who more readily adopt the use of iPads technologies in their classroom activities also perceive that student retention outcomes can improve by doing so. Social influence and performance expectancy were determined to be the largest factors influencing instructor adoption. Furthermore, the personality traits of versatility, creativity and emotional control were found to have no bearing on the relationship between instructor technology adoption and perceived improvement to student retention. Recommendations for further research included: (a) extending this study to other educational institutions, (b) exploring the relationship between instructor adoption of iPad technology and actual, as opposed to perceived, student retention outcomes, and (c) adapting the theoretical framework used in this study to include perceived student retention as a predictor of intent to adopt.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3583940 |
| Date | 13 September 2014 |
| Creators | Melocchi, Louis Daniel |
| Publisher | Argosy University/Phoenix |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
Page generated in 0.0173 seconds