Factors Influencing Mobile E-Learning Usage in Higher Education from Student and Teacher Perspectives: The moderating effect of Social media usage and Blackboard usage experience

M-learning (m-learning) has become very popular in today’s educational settings due to the considerable advancements in information and communication technologies (ICTs). However, their utilization in Saudi higher education remains relatively nascent, presenting an opportune juncture for research to investigate the factors influencing their effectiveness. This study rigorously examines the efficiency and quality attributes of electronic teaching and learning platforms in Saudi higher education, specifically emphasizing the Blackboard system among students and teachers from diverse departments at King Abdulaziz University (KAU). A quantitative approach is employed, incorporating faculty and student surveys to assess Blackboard’s usage, identify frequently utilized features, and address encountered challenges. The role of mobile technologies and social media in enhancing the learning experience is also investigated. The data is collected and analyzed to ascertain best practices using SPSS, SmartPLS 4, and Multi-Group Analysis (MGA). An alternative model is also tested against the original model to determine its effectiveness. In this research, the results depict that all hypotheses are supported, except the relationship between Content Quality and Perceived ease of use for the complete sample. For the student data results, three hypotheses were not supported (H3, H6 and H9). For the teachers’ result, five hypotheses were rejected (H1, H2, H6, H10 and H11).The study's findings provide valuable insights into improving the quality and efficiency of e-learning systems to enhance user experiences in educational settings. The study also offers future implications, focusing on identifying and rectifying quality issues that necessitate further investigation or attention. Ultimately, this study contributes significantly to improving electronic teaching and learning platforms within Saudi higher education, fostering more efficient and impactful educational experiences.