Understanding academics’ use of cloud computing in technology enabled education

Abstract

The application of cloud computing (CC) in education can potentially facilitate the globalization of information at cheaper costs and fuller accessibility. This study intends to identify and predict the intention of university teachers in integrating cloud computing as a smart education infrastructure. The study employs a cross-sectional analysis on the perception of faculty members about CC implementation in higher education. Second generation multivariate data analysis, Structural Equation Modeling was employed to see the factors impacting such intention. The intention of faculty members to employ CC was found to be significantly associated to attitude towards behavior, Perceived Behavior Control (PCB), privacy, subjective norms and security. The study identified key factors linked to university teachers’ behavioral intentions towards CC services and thus offers practical guidelines for the education sector in devising better applications of the services. The proposed model can be deemed as the best practice framework for cloud computing implementation in the higher education sector. The factors influencing CC adoption identified in this study can be used to improve future implementations of cloud computing services.