AUTHOR=Kang Kebiao , Wang Ting , Chen Shihao , Su Yu-Sheng 

TITLE=Push-Pull-Mooring Analysis of Massive Open Online Courses and College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.755137

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2021.755137

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) provides researchers with an analysis tool for prediction theory. As COVID-19 brings risks to teaching and learning, students have been forced to switch from classroom learning to online learning, and most subjects have chosen massive open online courses (MOOCs) for online learning in China. This study examines whether MOOCs can replace traditional classroom education and explores the factors that influence students' intentions of switching from offline to online. We sequenced the PLS-SEM analysis of data with 397 students from a university in China's Zhejiang Province, testing the model parameters and discussing the push-pull mooring theory. Our data demonstrate that security risk is a push factor; switching costs are a mooring factor; and perceived usefulness and task–technology fit are pull factors that pull students from traditional, offline learning to MOOCs. In addition, the push-pull-mooring model of the analysis results provides a more specific understanding of each factor's importance–performance. Our findings suggest that to constantly improve the switching intention to address unexpected challenges in the future, teachers should establish effective emergency management measures, including curriculum design, to be consistent with their needs.