INVESTIGATING THE ACCEPTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM

Distance learning program defined as the structured education program in which the instructors and students are physically apart and distanced by time or place and rely heavily on assortment of infrastructures and technologies (ordinary mail, broadcasting media, Internet technologies and Learning Management System(LMS) etc.) in order to communicate and interact between instructors and students, students with students and instructors with instructors. There are several tools required to apply distance learning in universities in KSA, the available tools in University of Dammam such as course lesson, electronic mail, chat room, quiz, examinations and online collaboration features provide a positive ground for successful implementation of LMS. 216 university students in KSA are participated to this quantitative study by answering 5 points-Likert scales questionnaires. Result shows that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use have a significant effect on usage behaviour, using technology acceptance model (TAM). Despite the cultural differences and different country context, LMS in distance learning program is widely accepted by the students provided that the LMS's perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use is high.