دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی عوامل موفقیت یادگیری الکترونیکی: دیدگاه های کارکنان و دانشجویان دانشگاهی - الزویر 2018

Abstract

This article advances knowledge on the factors that lead to successful e-learning in universities, through a comparative study of the perspectives of academic staff and students. In particular, it contributes to the limited knowledge bases on the effectiveness of e-learning in Saudi Arabia, and on the differences in perspectives of different groups of stakeholders in e-learning. Based on previous research, a questionnaire was designed and distributed to convenience samples of academic staff and students at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Respondents were invited to express their opinion regarding the importance of a number of factors to the success of e-learning. Principal Component Analysis was conducted on each dataset, in turn, to assess the loading of items onto factors, and the variance explained. The most important finding from this study is that the perspectives of students and academic staff differ, with there being nine factors for academic staff and seven for students. Categories that are common to both groups are: student characteristics, instructor characteristics, ease of access, and support and training. The order for academics is: student characteristics, ease of access, instructor characteristics, and support and training; and, the order foe students is: instructor characteristics, student characteristics, support and training, and ease of access.

7. Conclusions

This research makes a useful contribution to understanding the factors that might affect the success of e-learning, and can be used to inform government and university policy making regarding investment in e-learning. Being well-informed regarding what matters and is important when designing and implementing an eLearning system is vital for the success of these systems. In addition to the saving of the institution resources (funds, time, and labour), having a successful eLearning system can impact the image of the higher educational institution (Taha, 2014). In particular, given the different perspectives of students and academic staff it is important for those involved in the implementation of e-learning systems to consider the perspectives of all stakeholders and user groups and not to assume that the ‘success’ for one group implies ‘success’ for another group. Academic staff can benefit from this study by understanding the students’ perspective on eLearning, which should help them to reflect on their role in promoting better and more effective learning among their students.

Given the diversity of findings from the different studies into the CSFs for e-learning, there is scope for considerable further research, to ascertain the factors that contribute to this diversity. It would, for instance, be useful if researchers were to build a stronger knowledge base around the factors associated with the success of e-learning amongst specific student groups (e.g. first year undergraduates) or within specific countries. In addition, qualitative studies would have the potential to develop a deeper understanding of the experience of elearning. They might offer insights into the resources and support that academic staff and students find the most helpful, and into the impact of context (such as ‘on campus’ and distance learning) on e-learning success. More specifically, Saudi Arabia, like other countries, has its own traditions, culture, and context; it would be beneficial to explore further the extent to which these aspects influence the implementation, adoption, and CSF’s of eLearning systems.