Visibility and Training in Open Source Software Adoption: A Case in Philippine Higher Education

TL;DR

This study investigates how visibility of OSS and training influence students' adoption of open source software in a Philippine university, confirming that training enhances perceived ease and usefulness, while visibility boosts initial acceptance.

Contribution

It introduces a modified Technology Acceptance Model incorporating visibility and training, validated through empirical data from Philippine higher education students.

Findings

Training positively impacts perceived ease of use and usefulness.

Visibility positively influences perceived ease of use.

The TAM model is applicable to OSS adoption in educational settings.

Abstract

Open Source Software (OSS) has been widely used in the educational environment largely due to its reduced cost of ownership. While OSS has evolved over the years, challenges exist in its implementation and wide adoption. Foremost among these detriments is the lack of available skills across industries. Since future users of this technology will settle in an organizational ecosystem where proprietary and OSS technologies coexist, it is vital to understand their learning environment where they initially acquire their technology skills. The University implements courses that champion the use of open source technologies within its curricula. However, other courses are also anchored on technologies that are proprietary. This study is based on the premise that training or the learning experience and visibility or the prevalence of OSS in the environment influences its adoption among students. Empirical evidences explore the relationship of visibility and training in the adoption of OSS from the perspectives of students in a Philippine university. A modified Technology Acceptance Model incorporating additional constructs is validated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model. Results of the study confirms the applicability of TAM in this study, training has positive influence on both perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness and visibility has a positive influence on perceived ease of use towards initial acceptability of students of OSS. Educational implications of the study are discussed, limitations are acknowledged and research frontiers are recommended.