Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that might influence the intention and use behaviour of e-learning systems by students in state universities in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical model for this study was primarily drawn from unified theory of acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2). Exogenous variables included performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, work life quality, hedonic motivation, internet experience and facilitating condition, and their influence on behavioural intention and use behaviour were studied. Instrument was developed using validated items from past literature. Data for this quantitative study were collected from undergraduate and postgraduate students from 15 Sri Lankan state universities by self-administering and Web-form during second quarter of 2018. Structural equation modelling was used to see the insights from the valid data using IBM’s SPSS 25 and AMOS 22.Findings: Results of the confirmatory factor analysis and subsequent evaluation of the structural model confirmed the proposed hypotheses, and it was found that constructs of UTAUT2 have a significant impact on and play an important role in behavioural intention to use and use behaviour of e-learning system by state university students in Sri Lanka.Originality/value: The adoption of an e-learning system in Sri Lankan state universities is fairly low. Hence, investigation of what determinants might be contributing for adoption is important to enhance the learning experience of students and help them improve their knowledge. This paper contributes by delineating the factors that influence the acceptance and use of e-learning systems by students of state universities in Sri Lanka.

The objective of this study is to analyze metaverse topics and education through bibliometric methods to identify research trends, leading researchers, institutions, and prevalent themes from the past decade (2010–2020) and developing themes for the next five years (2021–2024). This study followed the PRISMA framework to extract data from the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases, resulting in 475 publications. Biblioshiny was used for descriptive bibliometric analysis and thematic mapping, whereas VOS Viewer co-occurrence and trending analysis were used to identify clusters and trending topics in this domain. Thematic mapping and cluster analysis revealed that Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies are the dominant forces shaping the future evolution of education in a metaverse context. The co-occurrence analysis revealed that future studies could focus on customized education, dynamic teaching methods, and a sustainability-oriented educational framework. This study suggests the potential of an interactive, dynamic, and scalable learning environment using metaverse learning. Policymakers, educators, and developers should establish collaborations, enhance infrastructure, and remove barriers to realize this potential. By combining the results from both the Scopus and WoS databases, this study offers a thorough literature overview of the applications of the metaverse in learning and development while proposing future research areas for academics to address existing gaps and explore the potential of metaverse technology in this field.

This study identifies the determinants of cloud computing adoption and its effect on the performance of Sri Lankan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and individual context were used to derive the study variables. This quantitative cross-sectional study adopted items from previous validated studies. Google Form was employed to collect data, and 418 responses were received from Sri Lankan SMEs. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS 4 and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis via IBM SPSS 29 were used for data analysis. Based on the results, all hypotheses are confirmed except for one, and SME performance is significantly affected by cloud computing adoption. This study adds to the existing empirical evidence on cloud computing adoption by introducing an all-inclusive model that integrates the TOE, TAM, and individual factors. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the PLS-SEM/ANN hybrid methodology in analysing the determinants of cloud computing adoption. The significance of top management as a factor is highlighted by providing training and education to employees. Managers can benefit from this result by improving cloud computing adoption among SMEs in Sri Lanka. This is the first study of its kind in Sri Lanka, integrating the TOE, TAM, and individual variables and using a hybrid methodology combining PLS-SEM and ANN.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to explore the dynamic inter-linkage between foreign aid and economic growth in Sri Lanka over the period of 1960–2018.Design/methodology/approach: Both exploratory and inferential data analysis tools have been employed to examine the objective of this study. The exploratory data analysis covered the scatter plots, confidence ellipse with kernel fit. The inferential data analysis included the augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) and Phillips–Perron (PP) unit root tests, the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) Bounds co-integration technique and the Granger causality test.Findings: The test result of exploratory data analysis indicates that there is a positive relationship between foreign aid and economic growth. The ADF and PP unit root tests results indicate that the variables used in this study are stationary at their 1st difference. The co-integration test result confirms the presence of long-run relationship between foreign aid and economic growth in Sri Lanka. The estimated coefficient of foreign aid in the long-run and the short-run shows that foreign aid has a positive relationship with economic growth in Sri Lanka. The estimated coefficient of error correction term indicates that approximately 26.6% of errors are adjusted each year and further shows that the response variable of economic growth moves towards the long-run equilibrium path. The Granger causality test result shows that foreign aid in short-run Granger causes economic growth in Sri Lanka which means that one-way causality from foreign aid to economic growth is confirmed. Further, the estimated coefficient of error correction term confirms that there is the long-run Granger causal relationship between foreign aid and economic growth in Sri Lanka.Practical implications: The findings of this study have some important policy implications for the design of efficient policy related to foreign aid and economic growth, the knowledge of which will help follow sustainable foreign aid and growth nexus.Originality/value: This study contributes to the existing literature by using the newly introduced ARDL Bounds cointegration technique to investigate the dynamic inter-linkage between foreign aid and economic growth in Sri Lanka.