Exploring student's learning experience with an e-learning platform

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In this paper, we present the results of the research on students' learning experience with the use of an e-learning platform. The research aimed to have a better overview of the student's perception of the e-learning platform and their satisfaction with its features for learning. The virtual learning environment can influence student learning, and enable rich and engaged students’ experience. E-learning can offer many opportunities for learning beyond traditional boundaries so e-learning platforms are popular and massively used. Nevertheless, some factors could potentially affect the outcomes and results of e-learning. One of them is the learner's perception of e-learning and another is digital technology used to facilitate e-learning with a focus on the reliability, ease of use, quality and usefulness of the technology itself. In this paper, we will talk about the e-learning platform Merlin, in this case, the Learning Management System that is part of the Virtual Learning Environment and students' experience in its use. The E-learning platform Merlin is maintained by the E-learning Centre at the University of Zagreb University Computing Centre (SRCE) and is part of the virtual learning environment for the higher education system in Croatia. The e-learning platform is based on the open-source system Moodle. Student feedback is important and enables the E-learning Centre team at SRCE to have a better overview of the student's perception of the e-learning platform and their satisfaction with its features for learning. The results indicate that students' perception of the e-learning platform depends as well on the e-courses they attend, therefore how teachers are skilled to know how to use the e-learning platform and its features. Research results indicate that students’ experience is modest as their e-courses are prepared using basic LMS features. Nevertheless, the results show that students find the e-learning platform important for their learning, they recognize its flexibility in accessing the course content and information about the course and performing tasks needed in the course. In addition, they prefer hybrid learning and find themselves knowledgeable in the use of ICT and e-learning.