The document discusses a study analyzing student satisfaction in e-learning courses to identify factors that influence satisfaction and areas for improvement. It administered an online questionnaire to 33 students in an e-learning master's program in Portugal. The questionnaire measured satisfaction across 9 dimensions. Results showed overall favorable satisfaction levels, with highest satisfaction for the curricular program and faculty/tutors dimensions. Support services had the lowest satisfaction. The study aims to provide guidelines to improve dimensions like support services and workload distribution to enhance e-learning course quality.

1. IMPROVING THE QUALITY
OF E-LEARNING COURSES
IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Susana Lemos
Neuza Pedro
Institute of Education - University of Lisbon
ICHE 2012 : International Conference on Higher Education
Paris, France, June 2012

2. 1. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE RESEARCH
 It is crucial to know which factors influence student
satisfaction in distance learning
 They can be used as regulatory indicators of the adequacy
of the course design of the virtual learning environment
 They can also help identify strategies and services for
students’ online support
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

3. 2. RESEARCH GOALS
• To analyze student satisfaction at a general and
specific level according to the 9 dimensions.
 To understand how each dimension of the course
relates to one another.
 To identify the main strengths and weaknesses on
the course, indicated by the students.
 To establish guidelines for its general improvement.
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

4. 3. METHOD
Descriptive-correlational study.
PARTICIPANTS
 Group of students who attended the first e-learning
post-graduate program in the University of Lisbon – a
Master degree in ICT and Education (N=33)
 Their ages varied between 28 and 55 years, and all of
them had Portuguese nationality
 39% had no prior experience in e-learning courses
 33.3% prior experience as students
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

5. 3. 1 METHOD
INSTRUMENTS
 Online questionnaires was the technical procedures
used for data collection
 The questionnaire was constituted by 93 items organized
in 9 dimensions
 This questionnaire allows to collect data about:
• A global satisfaction score
• A general satisfaction score (of each dimensions)
• A specific satisfaction score (of each indicator)
 All of the items revealed high levels of consistency
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

6. 3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN
This presentation focuses on the second moment of the
research
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

7. Students level of Coordination
satisfaction were Course Faculty
analysed in the Design and tutors
following
dimensions:
Technological Curricular
infra program
structures
DIMENSIONS
Support Resources
services
Learning
Evaluation Methodologie
system s
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

8. 4. RESULTS
GLOBAL score (m= 3.71) GENERAL score (m= 3.77)
Favorable levels of satisfaction
Highest  (D4) - Curricular program  (D3) - Faculty and tutors
satisfaction
• D4Item6 – Easiness of
level
access to curricular content
 D5Item6 – Etical and legal
issues
Lowest  (D8) - Support services  (D8) - Support services
satisfaction
• D8Item6 – Centralization of
level
services that maintain the
technological infrastructures
 D6Item6 – Adjusted distribution
of time for completing tasks
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

9. 4. RESULTS
Correlation analysis
Dimensions most strongly correlatd:
D2 – D6; D3 – D6; D4 – D5; D6 – D7; D6 – D9 e D7 – D9
 The different dimensions have a strong positive correlation with
each other
 A strong and significant correlation were found between the
‘curricular program’ dimension and the ‘resources’ dimension
 The ‘learning methodologies’ dimension also presents a strong
correlation with ‘coordination’, ‘faculty and tutors’, ‘evaluation
systems’ and ‘infra-structure’ dimensions
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

10. 5. CONCLUSIONS
 High level of student satisfaction regarding the
course, not only in a global perspective but also
when 9 dimensions were distinguished.
 The students were mostly satisfied with the
‘curricular program’ and ‘faculty and tutors’
dimensions
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

11. 5. CONCLUSIONS
 The ‘Support services’ dimension revealed the
lowest level of student satisfaction
 The lowest satisfaction indicators was
‘Centralization of services that maintain the
technological infrastructures’ (‘Support services’
dimension) and ‘Adjusted distribution of time for
completing tasks ’ (‘learning methodologies’
dimension)
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

12. 6. CONTRIBUTIONS
 To a more clear understanding of the impact of the distinct
dimensions of e-learning courses, in students’ satisfaction.
 Shows that each particular dimension needs to be seen through
its direct and indirect effect on student satisfaction,
 E-learning courses should be seen through a multidimensional
perspective.
 It is essential taking into account the dimensions and indicators
with the highest levels of expectation and satisfaction.
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

13. 6. CONTRIBUTIONS
 Need for investment in the improvement of the dimensions
and indicators with the lowest levels of student satisfaction:
support services.
 To pay attention to the aspects whose quality should be
improved:
- Student feedback and appropriate workload.
- A more articulated work between curricular units
- investment on technical and academic support services
 This study also supported the construction of a guiding
framework for e-learning courses.
IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF E-LEARNING COURSES IN HIGUER EDUCATION THROUGH STUDENT SATISFACTIOIN

14. THANK YOU
Susana Lemos (silemos@ie.ul.pt)
Neuza Pedro (nspedro@ie.ul.pt)
Institute of Education - University of Lisbon
ICHE 2012 : International Conference on Higher Education
Paris, France, July 2012