Models for Measuring E-Learning Success in Universities: A Literature Review

Abstract

It is obvious that in the Internet era the higher education institutions (HEIs) must innovate the services they offer by integrating ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in the learning process. According to the theoreticians and practitioners insights in the matter, the e-learning systems offer many advantages and compensate the weaknesses of the traditional learning methods. In consequence, it emerged the need for developing a model that measures the success of the e-learning systems. This paper presents results of the research conducted in order to develop a comprehensive model for measuring e-learning system success in universities.Keywords: E-Learning, Blended Learning, E-Learning Systems, E-Learning Systems Success, Measuring E-Learning System Success1 IntroductionT he fundamental terms that define the paradigm of the contemporary society are in- formation, knowledge and communication. The European Programs (FP6, FP7) are is- sued in order to sustain, between 2010 and 2030, the passage from an information socie- ty to a knowledge society. The formation and consolidation of a knowledge society implies setting priorities. Among these priorities, I mention the investment in education, which aims at increasing the level of human capital, the fluidization of the knowledge use and dissemination, as well as the existence of an efficient innovative system that should in- clude universities that allow the increase of the knowledge global stock, the assimilation, adjustment, creation of new technologies and the development through the use of ICT.The knowledge society provides new dimen- sions to the learning process and, as such, in the higher education system it emerges the need to introduce modern teaching tech- niques, based on the use of the ICT.In order to achieve the educational reform aligned with the European standards, to with- stand the challenges of an increasingly com- petitive environment and to increase the aca- demic reputation, the Romanian universities perform steps for a strategic shift by ac- knowledging the university- knowledge bi- nomial and thus innovate the services they offer.The students' learning experience continues to be influenced by the modality in which teachers integrate information and ICT in their university courses.Since it is obvious that the use of the ICT is not absolutely necessary only for universities that provide distance learning programs and it is more and more encouraged in order to improve students' experience, universities have focused their attention to determine a model for integrating ICT in the learning process, so as to provide students know-how and skills adapted to our current and future society. Thus, we notice that universities make efforts to implement or develop e- learning systems adapted to their organiza- tional structure and to use blended learning in their academic programs.The e-learning systems offer significant im- provements to the learning process and con- siderably reduce the negative effects of the singular application of traditional teaching methods. Hence, the success of e-learning systems implementation (and its measure- ment) is imperative:· to be able to determine their added value;· to understand the overall effect on the ac- tivity and the learning process within the HEIs, and· to justify the investment into such sys- tems.2 E-learning, E-Learning Systems and Blended LearningIn a broad sense, by e-learning, one under- stands the totality of education situations where the ICT is significantly used. In a re- stricted sense, e-learning is a type of distance education, as a planned teaching-learning ex- perience organized by a HEI that provides (using an e-learning technology and the web browser as the main interaction tool) study materials in a sequential and logical order, so as to be assimilated by students in their own manner.The e-learning technology refers to an online system that replicates and adapts the tradi- tional didactic endeavor components: plan- ning, specific content and methodology, in- teraction, support and assessment. …