Exploring factors influencing students’ intention to use intelligent personal assistants for learning

Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPAs) are becoming more prevalent in daily and educational contexts, increasing the possibility of using them as learning partners that can provide more personalized and learner-centric learning opportunities. However, research has primarily focused on educational advantages that IPAs may provide, overlooking investigation on students’ acceptance of IPAs. To address this gap, this study empirically explored factors influencing students’ intention to use IPAs for learning. A conceptual research model was designed based on the technology acceptance model. Data were collected from 1044 South Korean students, who were experienced in using IPAs. Results were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that the proposed model sufficiently explains students’ IPAs acceptance for their learning. In addition, students’ computer self-efficacy and self-management of learning ability were prominent factors influencing their intention. Moreover, their trust toward IPA and feeling of social presence on IPAs were found to be significant factors to be considered as well. Based on these findings, future recommendations for fostering students’ active use of IPAs for learning are discussed. Additionally, both theoretical and practical implications are highlighted.