The Mediating Role of Learning Management System Use in Enhancing System Effectiveness

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in higher education worldwide highlights the importance of investigating LMS effectiveness. This is especially pivotal for the successful execution of the national agenda promoting globalized online education. Given the near-mandatory nature of LMS adoption in higher education, the emphasis shifts from the intention to use the LMS to understanding how the utilization of LMS contributes to its effectiveness. The premise is that students who actively engage with the LMS are likely to perceive it as an effective tool for their educational needs. Therefore, this study aims to construct a model for LMS effectiveness within Malaysian universities, utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with LMS use as the mediating factor. The fundamental TAM factors, along with two additional elements: student self-efficacy and student attitude have been employed as predictor variables. Our Partial Least Squares analysis results reveal a noteworthy mediating role of LMS use in the relationship between student self-efficacy and LMS effectiveness, as well as between student attitude and LMS effectiveness. Moreover, the impact of LMS use on LMS effectiveness is found to be substantial.