College student's acceptance of tablet personal computers: a modification of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology model

Information technology can enhance the learning process for post secondary students. Many universities have implemented ubiquitous or required notebook or tablet personal computing for their students but have not studied the acceptance of the technology by their student populations. This research examines student acceptance of mobile computing devices using a modification of the "Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT)" recently developed by leading researchers in the technology acceptance field. The objective of the study is to evaluate students' acceptance of Tablet PC (TPC) as a mean to forecast, explain, and improve usage patterns of UTAUT in alternate contexts. The research contributes to UTAUT's theoretical validity and empirical applicability and to the management of information technology (IT) based initiatives in education.