Agent toolkit satisfaction and use in higher education

THIS PAPER presents results from a recent research investigation on the satisfaction and use of intelligent agent toolkits by instructors in higher education. An adaptation of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) linking agent toolkit satisfaction and usage to key characteristics of user considerations, performance, and functionality serves as the study's theoretical framework. Data collection consists of the completion of an online questionnaire by 87 international instructors of agent-related courses. Results indicate that no single uniform toolkit satisfies the needs of instructors. Moreover, findings suggest that satisfaction levels are influenced primarily by user interactions with the toolkit, followed to a lesser extent by toolkit performance and functionality. This has a bearing on the utility of agent toolkits in the classroom as results point to a strong relationship between instructor satisfaction and the continuation of use of agent toolkits in future agent-related courses. Characteristics of an ideal agent toolkit for the classroom are also identified. © 2003 Springer.