Analysis of Students’ Perception of the Concept of a Social e-Learning Platform as a Learning Support: The Study of the History of Communism in Romania

This study aims to explore students’ perceptions regarding the applicability of a social e-Learning platform as a documentation support tool for studying the history of communism in Romania. The concept of e-Learning tools proved its true usefulness during the COVID-19 pandemic period, when distance education replaced traditional classroom settings. This shift enabled both pre-university students and young adults in higher education to continue their studies within the controlled environment of their homes. Communism, as a social, political, and economic ideology, profoundly shaped the identity of Romanian society which suggests that understanding the history of this period is a crucial step towards comprehending the world we live in today. The structure of this research is grounded in the principles of the Theory of Planned Behavior, developed by Icek Ajzen. This psychological model establishes a link between beliefs and behavior through three core components—attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control—that collectively shape an individual’s behavioral intentions. The concept of a social documentation platform entails the possibility of engaging with others who share an interest in the same subject in an online environment. Such a virtual society, where both experts in the field and enthusiasts can interact by exchanging knowledge and scientific materials, has the potential to stimulate interest among additional community members. The construction of the variables of the theory of planned behavior has been further refined by formulating four categories of objectives: identification of attitude, identification of the degree of influence of subjective and moral norms, identification of actual behavioral control and identification of behavioral motivation or intention. This research, therefore, seeks to identify the key factors that can drive the adoption and effective use of a social learning tool for studying the history of communism.