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In higher educational institutes, developing classrooms for active learning is becoming a part of comprehensive educational drive for students involving and engaging in learning. For this purpose, influence of social factors on collaborative learning and engagement has been investigated which will influence learning performance of students. The study looked at following areas: (1) the ability of social factors for developing collaborative learning and engagement; and (2) whether collaborative learning and engagement mediate a link between social factors and student's learning performance. Constructivism theory has been utilized to observe the student's learning behavior. Data have been collected through questionnaires from university students. Findings evaluated through structural equation modeling (SEM), shows that social factors, i.e. interaction with peers and teachers, social presence, and usage of social media positively impact active collaborative learning and student involvement, thus affecting their learning performance. The findings also provide evidence for double mediation used in this study. As online learning is becoming more prevalent in education, it has been concluded that overall collaborative learning and engagement with influence of social factors improve activities of students learning; therefore, their usage should be stimulated in teaching and learning in higher educational institutions as it influences students' academic development.

The coronavirus pandemic causes sickness and death, shutting down economies, damaging health care systems, and closing educational institutions. It has a profound effect on the education sectors, and most importantly, teachers' lives have been affected. This sector has been facing an immense change from traditional in-person classroom education to virtual education to alleviate its impact. Hence, the present study is designed to examine the impact of teachers' self-efficacy and system quality on teachers' continuance commitment towards online teaching in the COVID-19. Also, teachers' mental well-being has been added as a moderating variable. During a crisis like COVID, teachers are expected to show higher engagement through commitment. Both in Malaysia and Pakistan, the degree of loyalty in the teaching profession is a distinguishing characteristic. Hence, teachers of both countries are targeted for the comparative analysis. The results depict that the e-learning system quality and instructors' self-efficacy are critical factors in making the teachers willing to continue their online practices. However, assurance and educational quality do not play a significant role in the context of Pakistan. However, in the Malaysian context, results differ and reveal that instructors' responsiveness and information quality do not play a promising role.

Purpose: The blackboard learning system is an online platform designed for e-learning employed by higher education institutes like universities that facilities students to continue learning and educational activities. This study explores the determinants that affect students' acceptance and use of Blackboard learning system (BLS) in Pakistan utilizing the modified UTAUT framework with social isolation as an additional variable. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was conducted, and the study gathered 494 university students' responses in Pakistan as participants. The collected data were interpreted applying PLS-SEM version 3.2.3 software. Findings: The study's findings exhibited that PE, EE, FC and SI are the prime determinants influencing the intention and use of BLS in Pakistani universities. Hedonic motivation and social isolation interact differently between UTAUT variables and use intention. The results verify the suitability of the applied theory in the background of the study. Research limitations/implications However, the findings highlight the present understanding of BLS use from the learners' aspect, but the study's limitation cannot be evaded. The study respondents belonged to a specific region of Pakistan (Karachi) that might influence the usefulness of the outcomes. Other factors categorized as the environmental, system and organizational elements were not part of the study that may also differentiate the BLS acceptance. The model was extended by including the social isolation, but the effect is insignificant yet positive; therefore, it is required to evaluate the model differently, such as the organizational aspect, for future research. Moreover, the ethnic factors that vary in emerging and developed economies may provide different explanations; therefore, they can be incorporated in future studies. Likewise, the variables such as hedonic motivation need to be emphasized more by examining and evaluating its effect on students' education performance in the future. Practical implications: The outcome of the study suggests some implications. At first, being the modified framework UTAUT2 application makes the collaboration appropriate according to the current phenomena of the COVID-19 pandemic and its contribution to the higher education region to analyze the acceptance of e-learning systems. Educational institutions within Pakistan would emphasize enhancing students' accomplishment by improving the interface and the blackboard learning system workability. Hence, learners' effectiveness in learning would be escalated; they would be encouraged to accomplish study objectives using BLS, particularly when they consider it easy to use and a useful platform for e-learning during the pandemic. Furthermore, enhancing the e-learning system in the context of the effort demands to be required to utilize BLS should be the foremost objective as learners would be motivated to accept the technology if they consider it simple, convenient, and user-friendly to adopt. Thus, the benefits of using BLS during this situation when universities are not operational will make students adaptable to change in the prospect. Learners will accept the model of online education, even if the universities become operational. However, it can increase the rate of earnings and revenue for universities as they can enroll in online and regular classes. Therefore, it is suggested that higher education management should create a resilient online platform by which facilitators can communicate with learners without any obstacles. Social implications: Hence, it is recommended to introduce the online short course, qualification, certified courses and integrated coursework with international ventures and ongoing classes. Numerous learners continue their studies along with the job. Therefore, it is suggested to introduce online programs for those learners. Another benefit would be that it offers an integrated platform for sharing knowledge. BLS offers to maintain the complete information in one place, and learners can see them as per their convenience based on their availability. This reduces the burden on administration related to keeping the educational material and resource in various files. Thus, it also reduces the expense of universities. It is suggested to emphasize encouraging the use of BLS through an effective plan that can assist in execution and help learners identify the technology features rather than to face difficultly to accept the change. Moreover, the acceptance of BLS for educational purposes verifies that other learning events can occur on the online platform. Thus, it is recommended to promote the origin of the online atmosphere and the initiation of other events. Globally, dynamics are changing frequently and continuously and are moving towards artificial intelligence systems; the circumstances are suitable for promoting online educational platforms' acceptance by incorporating it with the current educational arrangement. Originality/value: The study provides recommendations for the research to be conducted to explore the modified framework in different regions and boundaries to evaluate the effect of other factors on adopting e-learning platforms.

Purpose: The emergence of electronic learning during the COVID-19 outbreak has been the way by which higher education has attempted to save the situation. However, e-learning still causes psychological distress because of its crackups and fear. Hence, the authors aim to study the impact of e-learning crackup on fear of academic year loss and psychological distress by incorporating university support as a moderator. Design/methodology/approach: Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) has been used to analyze data. Findings: The results depict that e-learning crackup fosters students' fear of academic year loss, but e-learning crackup has an insignificant impact on psychological distress. However, psychological distress is driven by fear of an academic year loss. Lastly, university support moderates the relationship between e-learning crackup and psychological distress, but no moderating role exists between fear of academic year loss and psychological distress. Originality/value: The recent pandemic has severely affected the mental health of students. Therefore, it is crucial to study the reasons that foster distress among them. But, unfortunately, there is a prominent absence of research for inspecting students' psychological distress because of the e-learning crisis, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

Purpose: Combining an online and traditional mode of learning is a significant challenge for third world countries. To face this challenge, educational institutions around the world adopted the strategies of blended learning (BL). This research aims to determine the factors affecting readiness to diffuse BL in Pakistani higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach: "Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)" was used based on a suitable sample of 228 participants in Karachi, Pakistan. Findings: The results reveal that resource support, management strategies (MSs) and technology infrastructure (TI) are positively and significantly associated with readiness to diffuse BL. However, institutional structure (IS) and ethical consideration (EC) have a positive but insignificant link with readiness to diffuse BL. Originality/value: The research is reasonably required as research in the Karachi Pakistani context is scarce. Additionally, this study analyses the possibility of modern skills and techniques to diffuse BL in higher education in Pakistan.

Purpose: Collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity are the most essential Cs of education. However, at present, these Cs are interlinked with technology to make it more effective and reliable. Educational technology infuses higher education, many people use it on a daily basis. Students are eager to adopt such technologies that help them in academia. Hence, this study aims to investigate how cloud computing adoption influences the academic performance of students by incorporating innovative, knowledge, economic and technological factors in the model. Design/methodology/approach: The data are collected by using the survey method and the five-point Likert scale is used for this purpose. The statistical techniques applied to the data set were confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings: All dimensions have been observed to have a positive association with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. On the other hand, the innovative factors which include relative advantage and complexity have a negative impact on perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness except for compatibility. Moreover, economic factors, all have a negative relationship. Finally, research shows that perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have a direct and significant relationship with cloud computing adoption among students, which ultimately predicts their academic performance. Originality/value: Present research makes the following vital contributions; first, focus on the role of innovative factors, economical, technological and knowledge factors together that were previously largely ignored. Second, it extends the model of technology acceptance model for analyzing the cloud computing adoption pattern among university students. Finally, this study uses PLS-SEM for analyzing the relationship.