Development of a Scale to Evaluate Virtual Learning Environment Satisfaction

Abstract

Recent advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) have resulted in improvements in the delivery of education. It is a well-known fact that learning technologies currently have a pivotal role in education. Amongst them, Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are widely used in education. The role of VLEs in improving quality and interaction in education as well as enabling better achievement through the use of a wealth of activities in teaching and learning is widely reported in the literature. However, there is a gap regarding the development of measurement instruments, especially in the Turkish context. Therefore, this study reports the development of a scale to evaluate students’ satisfaction with respect to the use of VLEs in educational settings to address this gap. The dimensions of the scale are contribution (CONT), satisfaction (SAT), and communication (COM), and the scale is formed of 13 items. The sample consists of students enrolled in the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies, studying on blended and face-to-face learning programs. First, the reliability of the instrument was calculated by Cronbach Alpha coefficient and test-retest reliability correlation coefficient. The Cronbach Alpha coefficients were found to be 0.87, 0.83, and 0.81 for CONT, SAT, and COM sub-dimensions respectively. The overall reliability of the scale was 0.92. EFA and CFA were conducted on the data collected from two different sample groups (206 and 186 students for EFA and CFA respectively) for the validity analyses of the scale. Results confirm that the scale is valid and reliable. While the t-test analysis shows no significant difference between gender groups, ANOVA revealed significant differences when year of study is considered.