Factors Determining the Overall Effectiveness of E-Learning Systems used in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter examines part of the broad question: “How compelling is the evidence for the effectiveness of e-Learning in the post-16 sector? It concentrates, largely from a UK perspective, on higher education and on policy issues. In the first section the UK Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) e-Learning strategy is outlined and previous, partial reviews of e-Learning in higher education are examined. The evidence on the effectiveness of e-Learning in higher education is presented using Kirkpatrick’s (1998) levels of evaluation, under the following questions: What are the learners’ reactions to e-Learning? What is the student experience of e-Learning? What is the quality of the learning? Does e-Learning in higher education alter the behaviour of the learner? What is the impact of e-Learning on the organisation. In the final section recommendations for policy and future research are outlined.