Understanding metaverse adoption and sustainability across students and educators: Evidence from the diffusion of innovation model

This study tries to understand the effect of the main Diffusion of Innovation attributes on the Metaverse technology integration in the higher education system. This adoption process impacts perceived environmental, social, and economic sustainability outcomes. The data were analyzed with 531 respondent students and faculty members of UAE-based universities regarding some of the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, while a multi-group comparison was carried out between the stimuli groups. Conclusively, evidence found identified an important mediating role for attitudes when having Relative Advantage, Compatibility, Complexity, Trialability, and Observability working together to manipulate behavioral intention, which in turn significantly affects the perceived sustainability outcomes. The Observability aspect is more important for students compared with others, but the rest of the adoption route is mostly the same across groups. It is hoped that institutions will consider making the use of cases more prominent, especially for complex and mainly gathering-prone immersive learning tools. The contribution extends the Diffusion of Innovation theory with the lens of sustainability while also articulating some limitations attributable to the concentration of geographic demands, the use of cross-sectional design, and the self-reporting data.