Mobile learning acceptance in social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak: The mediation effect of hedonic motivation.

M-learning is a trending field in educational organizations, companies, and also for individual study. However, in some regions the ampleness of the phenomenon is not quantifiable or comparable due to the lack of an adequate framework and reliable metrics. Our research intends to make a little light by assessing the degree of m-learning adoption in students at a moment when face-to-face education moved suddenly online due to the COVID-19 outbreak's rapid and unpredictable spread. A new model relying on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was built to investigate and explain relationships between constructs. It reveals the key factors affecting technology adoption by considering hedonic motivation a mediator instead of an exogenous variable as in UTAUT2. Based on an analysis of 311 higher education learners, the way how performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions influence directly or indirectly the behavioral intention is researched. The analysis was conducted employing partial least squares structural equation modeling. The strongest relationship is between hedonic motivation and behavioral intention followed by the one between perceived effectiveness and hedonic motivation. Age, gender, and experience moderate the model's relationships. Research contributes to theory development by successfully adjusting the original UTAUT model. Results indicate that universities may offer learners an enjoyable m-learning experience by activating social support groups and inserting gameplay elements into the learning system.