E-Learning Critical Success Factors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Analysis of E-Learning Managerial Perspectives

Ammar Y Alqahtani,Albraa A Rajkhan

doi:10.3390/educsci10090216

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, educational institutions were shut down all over the world, which impacted over 60% of students and caused a massive disruption of the education system. The goal of this paper was to identify the critical success factors for E-learning during COVID-19 using the multi-criteria Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) techniques to enhance the educational process. Data were generated by interviewing 69 E-learning managers in educational institutions during COVID-19 based on defined evaluation criteria and E-learning approaches through several channels. We found that technology management, support from management, increased student awareness to use E-learning systems, and demanding a high level of information technology from instructors, students, and universities were the most influential factors for E-learning during COVID-19. Among the five learning systems, blended learning was the most suitable learning system to practice. These results demonstrated that, regardless of how extraordinary the technology is in an educational institution, the readiness of E-learning execution played a large role in boosting the educational process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, E-learning was growing approximately 15.4% yearly in educational institutions around the world without uncertainties or pressure on those institutions or on students [1]
Educational institutions began providing most of their services online, including lecturers and different assessments via several platforms for over 60% of students around the world due to global restriction measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 [2]
Many countries have taken precautionary measures, including lockdowns of schools and universities, and switching to full E-learning mode during the spread of the Coronavirus, to avoid future expected waves [4]. This action was in response to social distance rules, which were strongly recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent the spread of COVID-19 [5]

Summary

Introduction

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, E-learning was growing approximately 15.4% yearly in educational institutions around the world without uncertainties or pressure on those institutions or on students [1]. Educational institutions began providing most of their services online, including lecturers and different assessments via several platforms for over 60% of students around the world due to global restriction measures to minimize the spread of COVID-19 [2]. Many countries have taken precautionary measures, including lockdowns of schools and universities, and switching to full E-learning mode during the spread of the Coronavirus, to avoid future expected waves [4]. This action was in response to social distance rules, which were strongly recommended by the WHO to prevent the spread of COVID-19 [5]

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