EJEL Volume 6 Issue 1
March 2008
Quality of e-Learning: an Analysis Based on e-Learners' Perception of e-Learning
Rengasamy Elango1, Vijaya Kumar Gudep2 and M. Selvam3
1Department of Business and Accounting, Majan University College, Sultanate of Oman
2Department of International Business, Skyline College, Sharjah, UAE
3Dept. of Commerce and International Business, Alagappa University, Tamil Nadu, India
e-Learning, of late, has been witnessing an unprecedented expansion as an opportunity for higher education. This expanding alternative mode calls for ensuring and imparting a sound and qualitative education as well. In this fast changing web-based world, globalization has brought about many changes and challenges in the way in which education is imparted. While advanced countries responded to these pressures of globalization rather more successfully with their vast resources, the Arab nations are still in the process of designing strategies to re-adjust to the dynamic phase of global reforms in the higher education sector. Several Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia are revamping their educational systems in tune with the world class higher education standards. Against this backdrop, the present study makes an attempt to investigate the issues related to the quality dimensions of e-learning. More specifically, the study aims at answering the following questions. Are the e-learners happy with the e-learning system? Are they satisfied with the curriculum content, faculty support, delivery mode and assessment? To serve this purpose, a sample comprising 112 respondents was contacted. The questionnaire designed for the purpose tries to analyze the quality issues from the view point of the e-learners. A set of suitable unvaried and multivariate statistical tests were applied. Our results revealed the presence of both strengths and weaknesses in the e-learning system. It is interesting to note that, the e-learners have expressed diverse opinions with regard to administrative issues, instruction materials, instructors’ support, viper sessions (VIPER, Voice Internet Protocol Extended Reach is a software which helps interactive learning through the Internet) , grading and assessment. The findings of the study further demonstrate that if the concept of e-learning is imparted with a better approach and perspective, the reach will be phenomenal. This study reiterates the relevance of imparting qualitative education through e- learning.
Keywords:
online courses, e-learning, quality assessment
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