The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has led to a transformation in higher education worldwide. AI tools provide academic support to students anywhere and anytime to enhance their knowledge and skills. Those facing difficulties have been relying on traditional support and guidance. However, this support has experienced difficulties, including availability and accessibility. This study examines the potential of AI-powered tools to address these challenges, aiming to make academic support more accessible, efficient, and effective. This study focuses on understanding the determinants of AI tools' acceptance and use for academic support among students, influencing student satisfaction and academic performance in Pakistan and Malaysia. The research on AI tool acceptance and use in the higher education Institutions (HEI) context is still new and less explored in Pakistani and Malaysian higher education institutions. A theoretical model based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and other factors was employed to identify factors that affect AI tool adoption in higher education. The survey research design was employed, and the total sample size was 305 respondents, with 203 students from Quaid-e-Awam University of Science and Technology (QUEST), Pakistan, and 102 students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). A “Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) Analysis” was employed to assess the research model and hypotheses using SmartPls 4.0. In Pakistan and Malaysia, students are more concerned about using AI tools to improve their academic performance. The findings indicated that performance and effort expectancy, information accuracy of AI tools, pedagogical fit to meet the student’s expectations, and student interaction with tools were important factors in predicting the acceptance and use of AI tools among students of both countries in higher education, and the rising use of these AI tools has improved students’ satisfaction levels and significantly impacted students learning outcomes in both countries. Additionally, student engagement and personal innovativeness have not significantly affected the use of AI tools among students in both countries. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of AI tool adoption in the unique contexts of Pakistan and Malaysia, contributing to the broader discourse on technology integration in higher education.

The COVID-19 epidemic has not only triggered a worldwide health catastrophe, it has also affected learning processes all over the world. While COVID-19 was in its initial wave of transmission, educational systems around the world witnessed bitter experiences in the form of the closure of institutes or a shift to distance (or online) learning techniques. The delivery of quality education was affected the most where the educational system was already weak due to the unavailability of effective teachers’ professional development programs and the lack of the integration of technology. This study extends the conventional continuous professional development (CPD) model of in-service teachers adopted in the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The extensions are based on the integration of mobile technology and support for collaborative learning and ongoing assistance, which are missed in the current traditional model. To assess the acceptance and use of the app, an Mobile collaborative learning (MCL) based CPD acceptance framework is designed by combining chosen components from a generally recognized Unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) and other well-recognized acceptance models for the acceptance and use of the technology. In the context of CPD, a total of 14 constructs have been selected which include performance expectancy; effort expectancy; facilitating conditions; hedonic motivation; mobility; knowledge acquisition; content and information quality; on-the-job support; reward; behavioral intention; engagement; interactivity with peer & experts; self-management and collaborative learning. Based on these constructs; a total of 13 hypotheses were developed with 55 measurement items. A total of 494 teachers participated in a two-week training session using the designed app. Based on the activity, a questionnaire was designed and distributed among the participants using WhatsApp groups during the academic year of 2021–2022. Out of 494 participants; 472 participants correctly filled in the questionnaires, which were selected for analysis. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21; and, for Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis, IBM AMOS version 21 was used. According to the results, all thirteen hypotheses were found statistically significant showing the positive impact on the acceptance and use of the CPD app. The results of this study promote teachers’ and experts’ engagement and participation in CPD activities which not only improve the knowledge and skills of the learners but also impact their long-term professional development and success. This research may help the teachers’ training and related institutions to make better choices and develop a mobile collaborative learning system for school-based teacher support and training programs. As a basis, this study may also be used in other provinces of Pakistan and beyond to make it a CPD standard.

E-learning is a convenient way of learning through a portal. E-learning is being increasingly adopted in the world; however, the factors that influence the intention of users for accepting the e-learning technology have not been sufficiently explored, particularly in developing countries. Although many e-learning acceptance models do exist, the research on a user experience (UX)-based e-learning acceptance model is still lacking. As UX is one of the crucial factors for the acceptance of an e-learning portal, this research study aims to develop and validate a UX-based e-learning acceptance framework for sustainable higher education. In this connection, a web-based responsive e-learning portal for university students has been developed. The portal can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, and on any device, making the learning sustainable. The UX-based e-learning acceptance framework is developed by integrating the selected constructs of a widely accepted UX model, technology acceptance model (TAM), and four well-known constructs from various technology acceptance models. The constructs are appeal, pleasure, satisfaction, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, information quality, self-efficacy, social influence, benefits, and behavioral intention, which can predict the intentions of the students for acceptance of the e-learning portal. The data were collected from 650 university students using online and manual questionnaires. After data screening, 513 valid responses were further analyzed using structural equation modeling. According to the results, the framework fits the data well. The constructs satisfaction, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, information quality, self-efficacy, social influence, and benefits have a statistically significant effect on the behavioral intention of the students regarding the acceptance of the e-learning portal. The construct perceived ease of use has a statistical significant impact on perceived usefulness and pleasure. The construct appeal has a statistical significant impact on pleasure and satisfaction. Similarly, the construct pleasure has also a positive statistical significant impact on satisfaction. This research study contributes to the e-learning acceptance models by developing and validating the UX-based e-learning acceptance framework for sustainable higher education. The framework provides important insights for the acceptance of university based e-learning portals in the context of developing countries.