Examining the use of YouTube as a Learning Resource in higher education: Scale development and validation of TAM model

Abstract

The teaching–learning activity was a perishable service which was to be consumed as it was being delivered. It was also constrained previously by geographical location – teacher and learner being at the same place. The advent of technology has allowed some leeway for these time and space constraints. The printed books, recorded lectures, specific learning aids, etc. allow learner's the freedom to determine the learning speed. YouTube is a content community with provision for individuals to post their own User Generated Content (UGC) for use by other users. Though, popular as an entertainment medium, it has become a valuable learning resource and is being considered as an alternative to written text hosted by different websites and blogs. However, there is no scale to measure the behavioral intentions of the users to use YouTube as a Learning Resource and no model to understand the factors influencing this behavioral intention. This paper aims at two objectives: scale development, and validating the basic Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). It defined constructs and developed scales to measure the factors explaining the behavioral intention and established the significance of relationship between different variables and the behavioral intention validating the TAM.