Brand trust as quality cues in online tertiary education

Abstract

In Malaysia and Singapore, Internet-based education has not attracted as many students as had been expected. It is reckoned that trust decreases the perceived risk of using a service. Since online learners have no direct contact with the education providers, trust plays an important role in an online tertiary setting. In a review of the literature, hypotheses are developed that suggest that brand trust as quality cues in online tertiary education is related to institutional and courseware design assurance factors, site quality and public awareness. A conceptual model summarizing the hypotheses is subsequently validated in an empirical study.