The Impact of Gender on Attitude Towards Computer Technology and ELearning: An Exploratory Study of Punjab University, India

Technological advancement has led to important changes in the way education is being imparted. Evolution of internet and advancement in computer technology has led to new approaches in learning and training which are referred to as e-Learning. This study aims to understand the relationship between gender and attitude towards e-learning. Literature shows that gender plays a key role in understanding the differences in perception towards usefulness of technology and ease of use but with regards to attitude and perception towards e-learning diverse views have been presented. This paper analyses the effect of gender on attitude towards computer technology and e-learning collectively. It also analyses the impact of gender on the usage of the basic elearning forms like uploading/downloading course content, interactive videos and pod casting. A questionnaire was developed to collect the necessary data. Scale on Computer and e-learning attitude (SCAELA) was constructed and validated. In this study 477 students enrolled in various courses across many departments in Panjab University Chandigarh were analyzed. The results showed that no significant relationship exists between gender and attitude towards computer and e-learning. The usage of various elearning forms also showed a non-significant relationship with gender. The future developments in e-learning can take note of this finding while developing e-learning tools which are efficient.