Investigating the Factors Determining e-Learning Effectiveness in Tourism and Hospitality Education

Abstract

Although e-learning is widely being adopted in tourism and hospitality education, little is known regarding the factors determining e-learning effectiveness. To fill in this gap, this study reviews the literature in order to identify potential factors determining e-learning effectiveness and then tests their learning impact by gathering data from students participating in Virtual Learning Environments that were developed for supporting and enhancing students' traditional classroom-based instruction. Three factors clustered under three categories were found to affect e-learning effectiveness: technology, instructor and student factors. Suggestions for the development and implementation of technologically and pedagogically effective e-learning platforms are provided.