How personal, technical, social environments affecting generation Z to utilise video-based sharing platform in learning process during crisis?

Abstract

In a crisis such as COVID-19 that struck the world in 2019, social and community activities are restricted, including in-person classes. On the one hand, these restrictions are aimed as a precautionary measure against the virus spread; on the other hand, this could lead to a lost generation without an educational process. Notwithstanding this, online learning through a video-sharing platform is envisaged as the best way to keep learning in this particular situation. However, students have their learning style preferences. While a video-based sharing platform is seen as the most representative way of facilitating self-directed learning, understanding the motivations driving the adoption is crucial. This paper investigates technical, social, and personal environments that motivate generation Z to utilise this tool for self-directed learning, employing Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) as the theoretical lens. A total of 251 survey responses from this cohort were collected and analysed with a structural equation modelling approach. The findings reveal that perceived usefulness and content quality, peer influence, and self-efficacy and outcome from three perspectives, respectively, determine the adoption intention substantially by 67.1%. These findings provide several important implications for video-sharing platform acceptance in terms of both research and practice. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.