An early investigation into factors in student’s choice of technology for e-learning

This paper presents an exploratory study identifying factors that may influence a learner’s choice of technology for e-learning. These factors include learning style, technology acceptance, use and competence, as well as stage in course. The respondents were predominantly from Generation Y, were technologically competent and positively disposed towards e-learning technologies. Their learning styles were predominantly ‘doing’, with no ‘diverging’ students represented. E-learning appeared to be most useful in replicating face-to-face lectures, and the recreational popularity of social networking technologies appeared not to flow through into formal education settings.