**4. Students and teachers' attitudes towards the change**

The attitude of the students and teachers towards technology integration in higher education is an important aspect to be analysed. Understanding such attitude provides further insights into students' and teachers' behaviour and perception towards e-learning and allows better planning for future development and policies. Generation Z, the members who use modern technologies, especially mobile applications, is not particularly attracted to e-learning platforms, but rather, is more interested in the participation and collaboration in the creation of its content and interacts with each other in ways they are used to with other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube [43]. As students have unlimited access to information online, their attitudes towards e-learning have reflected a participatory approach in learning. This has resulted in the change of the role of instructors to that of a consultant or a coach. Hence, instructor knowledge of learning technologies and student understanding of computer systems, and technical infrastructure are important factors for ensuring the success of online learning [44]. With the introduction to technology from early childhood, students in higher education have learned to accept it as an integral part of their education, with many perceiving it as an essential resource for effective learning. However, the attitudes of students may not be the same in all disciplines and may differ from region to region, as there are various factors that influence its acceptance. Regarding this, a recent study [45] during the COVID-19 pandemic with 111 nursing students in the Philippines observed that, in spite of their having intermediate computer competency and a stable internet connection, the majority of them had negative or ambivalent attitudes towards e-learning. They reported e-learning as being impersonal, thus resulting in poor student-teacher interaction, whereas a study [46] in the UK on medical students' attitudes towards the Mental Health First Aid eLearning course found that the online course helped them to improve their knowledge and confidence to help someone in need, which thus resulted in positive responses to the approach. Another study [47] in Ghana, with 472 distance learning students of the University of Cape Coast, revealed that there are regional differences regarding students' perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, and attitudes towards e-learning. Hence, it can be concluded that there are various factors that might influence students' attitudes towards e-learning positively or negatively. Computer self-efficacy, social influence, level of enjoyment, system interactivity, computer anxiety, technical support, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and behavioural intention to use are some of the factors that can influence the students' attitudes towards e-learning [48]. However, increasing reliance on the e-learning options due to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of e-learning and other innovative technologies such as virtual learning, which have increased students' satisfaction levels and helped in developing positive attitudes towards e-learning [49].

*Embracing Technological Change in Higher Education DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.100431*

Similar to students, teachers' attitudes towards technology may be influenced by a range of factors, which can be categorized as being at the teacher-level, school-level, and system-level [50]. As discussed previously, teachers may exhibit resistance to learn new technologies that require them to change their instructional and pedagogic strategies or they may experience a lack of support in terms of training to learn these technologies, which can lead to them developing negative attitudes about technology interventions in higher education. Teachers' attitudes can vary across different regions, with their acceptance and adoption of e-learning being dependent on their level of computer proficiency, the available resources, and students' readiness to engage in new technology [51]. The subject knowledge and experience may have no influence on the teachers' attitudes towards technology intervention. A recent study [52] investigated teachers' attitudes towards the use of Microsoft Teams in education, finding that the usability of the platform was negatively associated with their years of experience, and their general anxiety and power and control of the platform negatively affected the time they spent on the platform. Hence, it can be seen that, while those teachers who are provided with sufficient training and support may develop positive attitudes towards the use of new technology in higher education, others, with poor support and lower computer proficiency, can develop negative attitudes, and both of these dispositions can significantly influence the process of learning.
