Online and mobile educational technologies (e-learning and m-learning) have enjoyed one of the fastest adoption rates ever seen in higher education ( Gaskell, 2017; L. Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada, & Freeman, 2015; Snell & Snell-Siddle, 2013). This research aims to study the effects of socially constructed roles, behaviors and activities in present society in online and mobile environments, in particular, gender as a determinant of consumer behavior and decision making. While ethnicity, class, income, age, and other characteristics are all important considerations when studying consumer behavior, this proposal focuses initially on gender, as it has been shown to be significant to consumers' behavior in the online learning environment ( Ashong & Commander, 2012; Borun, Schaller, Chambers, & Allison-Bunnell, 2010; Halpern, 2013; Muilenburg & Berge, 2005; Palmer, Bowman, & Harroff, 2012). It also continues to be a leading form of segmentation used by researchers, marketers, and advertisers (Halpern, 2013; McSporran & Young, 2001; Rovai & Baker, 2005). Since gender is socially constructed - and given the social nature of learning - the study will examine how it is manifested in an online learning environment.
The study aims to recognize significant gender gaps in three main areas: user engagement, learner satisfaction, and instructional outcomes.
The Influence Of Gender On Consumer behavior And Decision Making In Online and Mobile Learning environments.pdf