Applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore the effects of a Course Management System (CMS)-Assisted EFL writing instruction

Oct 15, 2026

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The study presents a teaching model that uses the Blackboard (Bb) course management system (CMS) to support English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing instruction. Implemented in a blended research paper writing course, learning resources and activities were delivered inside and outside the Bb environment. A quasi-experimental design analyzed results across two academic years, comparing experimental and control groups. Findings show the experimental group significantly outperformed control in final drafts, with TAM measuring student acceptance. Survey results indicate predominantly positive learning outcomes driven by technical support, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude, while the impact of Bb writing activities appears comparatively limited.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Role and functions of CMS in higher education

CMS integration with language instruction

Prior research on CMS acceptance and motivation

calico (online) issn 2056–9017 Article Applying the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to explore the effects of a Course Management System (CMS)-Assisted EFL writing instruction Yea-Ru Tsai Abstract This study illustrates a teaching model that utilizes a Blackboard (Bb) course management system (CMS) to support English writing instruction. It was implemented in a blended English research paper (RP) writing course, with specific learning resources and activities offered inside and outside the Bb CMS. A quasi-experimental study in which the results of two academic years were analysed is presented. The results showed that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in their final drafts. The research methodology included the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to evaluate the course. The results of the survey showed that most students displayed positive learning outcomes, indicating that the instruction model could contribute to the effectiveness of learning English writing. Major factors influencing the improvement of writing performance included technical support, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude; however, the influence of writing activities on the Bb was limited in comparison to the other variables. Keywords: Blackboard; Course Management System; English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing instruction; Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) Affiliation Applied English Department, I-Shou University, Taiwan. email: [syrtsai@gamil.com](syrtsai@gamil.com); [yrtsai@isu.edu.tw](yrtsai@isu.edu.tw) calico vol 32.1 2015 153–171 ©2014, equinox publishing doi : 10. 1558/calico.v32i1 .25961 154 CMS-assisted EFL writing instruction Introduction Course Management Systems (CMSs) have been commonly used in higher education for a number of years. A considerable body of research reveals that CMS is an important and promising instructional tool to help teachers manage their courses and enhance student learning outcomes (Malikowski, 2008; West et al., 2007; Yu et al., 2010) . The basic infrastructure of CMS contains multiple functions to support an easy implementation of e-learning (Chou et al., 2010), which enables teachers to manage their courses more efficiently. These functions can be used to assist the storage and distribution of teaching materials, the record and monitoring of learning schedules and activities, and the evaluation of teaching and learning quality. One of the major characteristics of higher education is continuous application and integration of advanced information and communication technology (ICT) (Chan et al., 2003). Among other advances of Web 2.0 technology, CMSs have been regarded as one of the most popular and powerful educational innovations (Cappel and Hayen, 2004; Leahy, 2004; Yu et al., 2010) . A CMS is defined as a system integrating subject management and instructional technology to support the design, establishment, and distribution of an online or virtual learning environment (Coates et al., 2005) . This is especially true for virtual campuses. Many scholars have integrated CMSs into blended e-learning and found positive feedback from teachers and students (Cheng, 2007; Hölbl and Welzer, 2010; Novo-Corti et al., 2003; Sanprasert, 2010; Tsai and Ernest, 2009) . The integration of CMS with language instruction is promising because CMSs support meta-cognitive self-regulation and help provide a suitable motivational level during students’ learning processes. For example, Winne and Haswin (1998) suggest that meta-cognitive knowledge about learning strategies promotes an understanding and memorization of knowledge in a particular content area, such as reading or writing. This indicates that if the student awareness of using meta-cognitive and cognitive strategies is enhanced, then language proficiency could also be facilitated at the same time. Through CMSsupported self-regulated learning, students are offered tools that can help them activate an

FAQs

What instructional model does the study propose for EFL writing?

The study proposes an EFL writing teaching model that uses Blackboard (Bb) as a course management system (CMS) to support writing instruction with activities and resources inside and outside the system.

How was student acceptance evaluated in the research?

Student acceptance of the course model was evaluated using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and survey results were analyzed alongside writing outcomes.

Which factors were reported as influencing improvement in writing performance?

The study reports that technical support, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitude were major factors related to improvements, while the influence of writing activities on Bb was limited compared with these variables.

Oct 15, 2026

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