JMIR medical education | 2021
Predicting the intention to use mobile learning during Coronavirus Pandemic through Machine Learning Algorithms.
Abstract
BACKGROUND\nMobile learning has become an essential instruction platform in many schools, colleges, universities and various educational institutions across the globe as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic crises. The resulting severe pandemic circumstances disrupted physical and face-to-face or contact teaching practices requiring many students to use mobile technologies actively for learning. M-learning offers a viable online teaching and learning platform that is accessible to teachers and learners globally.\n\n\nOBJECTIVE\nThis paper investigates the use of mobile learning platforms for instruction purposes in UAE higher education institutions.\n\n\nMETHODS\nAn extended technology acceptance model (TAM) and theory of planned behavior (TPB) were proposed to analyze the adoption of mobile learning platforms by university students for accessing course materials, searching the web for information related to their disciplines, sharing knowledge and submitting assignments during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total number of questionnaires collected was 1880 from different universities in the UAE. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and machine learning algorithms (ML) were utilized to investigate the research model based on the data gathered through a student survey.\n\n\nRESULTS\nFrom the results, each hypothesized relationship within the research model was supported by the data analysis methods. It should also be noted that the J48 classifier mostly had the upper hand on other classifiers (89.37% accuracy), when it came to the prediction of the dependent variable.\n\n\nCONCLUSIONS\nThe research revealed that teaching and learning could significantly benefit from the adoption of remote learning systems as an educational tool during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, its value could be lessened because of emotions students experience including fear of poor grades, stressful family circumstances and loss of friends. Accordingly, these issues can only be resolved by evaluating the emotions of students during this pandemic.\n\n\nCLINICALTRIAL