EDUCATIONAL INOVATION AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR. A STUDY OF STUDENTS PERCEPTIONS ON THE USE OF E-LEARNING IN CLASS.

Abstract

In European and international context of a knowledge-based society, education becomes a strategic element of sustainable economic growth. Developing human capital and adapt its training to the present requirements of the labor market requires major investments both in the formal education system and in individual study. In his position as a promoter of change, the educational environment must actively respond to external challenges, demonstrating a strong flexibility and openness to new. Implementing the concepts and marketing strategies in the educational environment have gradually led to the development of educational services and improvement of their quality. Focusing on student, the mainstream of marketing, brings in front his requirements and expectations, and the development of the educational strategies aim to satisfy his information and intellectual development needs. School success is reflected in its students achievement as a successful commercial product is observed by analyzing sales figures recorded. Frequent changes occurring in society as a result of accelerated evolution of technique and technology have made their mark on education. The assimilation of innovations in the traditional educational processes imposed and behavioral changes and adaptations to all education stakeholders. Thus knowing the consumer behavior, the influencing factors and the psychological processes decision making, becomes essential in creating an effective education system. The emergence of e-learning platforms as a result of the growing importance of lifelong learning and integrating them in the traditional educational environment was a crucial moment in the evolution of educational practices. Focusing on computer, Internet and intranets, e-learning brings education a surplus of interactivity, interaction, responsibility and collaborative learning. Considered as innovative solutions, initially, complementary to the classical teaching techniques, e-learning technologies gradually penetrate the traditional classroom learning environment. Introducing innovation in the educational environment causes changes in the behavior of all actors confronted with it. Hence, knowing the perceptions of the main consumers of knowledge is a key element in the implementation process of innovation and assessing its effectiveness. This paper aims to develop major behavioral theories on e-learning environments, seeking to establish and explain the attitude of students, the main consumers of educational services, in terms of their perceptions about the introduction and use of these technologies in the classroom. Considering the results of the presented study may be the starting point in developing a complex behavioral pattern specific of the educational market by integrating behavioral aspects of all actors involved in providing education and confronting them with the main factors of influence.

Keywords

• education, consumer behaviour, innovation, e-learning