Predicting Laptop Usage : an Empirical Investigation

Jacques Raynauld, Ph.D.HEC-Montréal

Maison des technologiesUniversity of Montréal

Overview

Genesis of this session HEC-Montréal Virtuose program Technology acceptance model (TAM) Survey Results Conclusions

Genesis of this session

ThinkTank 2001 at Wake Forest Difficult to assess the impact of laptop

programs on learning – indirect measures like usage

Immersed in the same environment, students report very different laptop usage intensity

Any evaluation of a laptop program must take into account students’expec-tations prior to entering the program

Genesis of this session

Work of some of our colleagues in IT (Henri Barki) which have studied the generic question of technology acceptance in a very rigorous way

Technology acceptance model will guide our analysis (TAM)

HEC-Montréal

Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) is a large business school part of the University of Montreal campus

200 full time faculty 10 000 full-time and part-time students

HEC-Montréal

New building in 1996 All classes are wired and equiped with

a video-data projector 8 000 network outlets All faculty have laptops since 1996

Virtuose Program

First laptop initiative at the MBA level in 1997 ....

... undergraduate BBA in 1998 3-year program Most of our students commute - do not

live on campus

Virtuose Program

Phased-in approach Students buy from the student run co-

op HEC ThinkPad ensemble including the

laptop, software, carrying bag, etc. Over 3 200 students currently enrolled

Virtuose program

The laptop as a daily communication and working tool ...

... used in class in some chosen courses

... and during some exams (20-25 each term)

First year• 12 sections of 65+ students for the whole

year - imposed 9h to 3h schedule• 10 core courses (5 per semester)

Technology Acceptance Model

Davis, Fred D. et. Al. (1989), «User acceptance of computer technology : a comparaison of two theoretical models», Management Science, Vol. 35, No. 8, 982-1003.

Taylor, S. and P. A. Todd (1995), «Understanding Information technology Usage : a test of compiting models», Information System Research, Vol. 6, 144-176.

Technology Acceptance Model

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioralIntention

Usage Behavior

Survey

Two surveys were conducted electronically

77 questions N=755 in August 2001 when they first

took possession of their laptop 52.6% male – 47.4% female N=235 in April 2002 (31% response

rate, 42.4% male – 57.6% female) 4 $50 prizes were offered!

Technology Acceptance Model

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioralIntention

Usage Behaviour

Perceived usefulness• Using the laptop would enhance my study effectiveness

(5.54)

• Using the laptop would improve my performance in the BBA program (4.27)

• Using the laptop would increase my productivity (5.23)

• I would find the laptop useful in the BBA program (5.65)

Very unlikely 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Very likely

Technology Acceptance Model

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioralIntention

Usage Behavior

Perceived ease of use• It will be difficult to use correctly my laptop (5.21)

• Learning to use the laptop will be difficult for me (5.35)

• Using the laptop every day will be easy for me (5.26)

• I will be able to learn by myself how to use the software installed on my laptop (4.88)

Technology Acceptance Model

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioralIntention

Usage Behavior

Attitude• Using the laptop is a bad/good idea (5.82)

• Using the laptop is a foolish/wise idea (5.74)

• I dislike/like the idea of using the laptop (5.81)

• Using the laptop will be pleasant/ unpleasant (5.83)

Technology Acceptance Model

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioural

IntentionUsage

Behaviour

Behavioural intention• I intend to use the laptop frequently in the coming

year (6.24)

• I will bring the laptop regularly to HEC in the coming year (6.41)

• I will be a heavy user of the laptop in the coming year (6.12)

• In the coming year, the laptop will be my daily communication and working tool (6.17)

Technology Acceptance Model

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioural

IntentionUsage

Behaviour

Usage behaviour• I have used the laptop frequently in the last year

• I have brought the laptop regularly to HEC in the last year

• I have been a heavy user of the laptop in the last year

• In the last year, the laptop has been my daily communication and working tool

August vs. April respondents

5.17

5.17

5.79

6.26

5.22

5.32

5.91

6.43

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00

Perceivedusefulness

Ease of use

Attitude

Behavioralintention

August April

Male vs. Female

5.16

5.46

5.87

6.30

5.16

5.17

5.71

6.21

0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00

Pu

Ease

Attitude

BI

Male Female

Perceived Usefulness - Ease of Use - Attitude

0.9

0.0

2.1

11.5

23.7

27.8

34.6

3.0

3.8

5.1

10.7

17.1

32.9

27.4

0.9

0.4

3.0

9.0

20.9

29.9

35.9

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Percieved usefulness Ease of use Attitude

Correlations

Perceived Ease of Use

Perceived Usefulness

AttitudeBehavioralIntention

Usage Behavior

.27

.29

.57 .43

.51

.13

August 01 April 02

.24

Behavioral Intention vs Usage

0.0

3.0

13.2

31.2

52.6

2.4

10.8

13.2

26.4

46.8

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0

3

4

5

6

7

Behavioral Intention Usage

BI mean = 6.43

U mean = 6.14

76

54

3

4

5

6

7

0.29

0.11

0.07

0.04

0.01

0.14

0.08

0.040.04

0.010.000.00 0.00

0.00 0.020.010.00

0.000.00

0.00

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

Usage

BI

Usage vs. BI : the laptop as a daily tool

76

54

3

4

5

6

7

0.28

0.15

0.06

0.02

0.01

0.06

0.100.09

0.04

0.01

0.02 0.030.05

0.03

0.010.000.02

0.000.00

0.00

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

Attitude

BI

Attitude vs. BI : laptop as a daily tool

Conclusion

Very interesting and structured way to look at the question of laptop use

Expectations of laptop use are very high at the beginning of the semester

Behavioral intention are useful in predicting usage• Core group of heavy user (29%)• Significant group of converts (14%)• Back to earth group (20%)

Conclusion

Getting a better measure of usage Laptop as a learning tool!! Back to the 51 other questions …

Questions? Comments?

jacques.raynauld@hec.ca