The UEA Framework: Linking Usefulness, Engagement and Adoption in Technology Usage

Perceived usefulness (PU) is widely recognized as a key determinant of technology adoption, yet belief-intention models such as Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) often neglect the experiential processes that convert usefulness into sustained behavior. This paper presents a narrative conceptual review of 22 studies published between 2020 and 2025 across virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), mobile learning, and teacher-facing educational systems. The review identifies three consistent patterns: (i) PU predicts engagement, (ii) engagement predicts adoption more strongly than PU alone, and (iii) engagement mediates the PU-adoption relationship, moderated by interactivity and facilitating conditions, and suppressed by anxiety. A grouped bar chart and a timeline diagram map these relationships across domains. Building on these insights, the paper proposes a belief, experience and behavior framework that positions engagement as the proximal mediator and contextual factors as boundary conditions. The framework extends adoption theory by integrating mediators and moderators and offers practical levers for designing engaging educational technologies.