Factors Affecting the Quality of e-Learning: University Students’ Perspective

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic turned education mode into e-learning in many countries. Sri Lankan higher education was primarily based on e-learning during the pandemic, leaving new challenges and opportunities for teachers and learners. Sustainable Development Goal 04 refers to quality education needs for everyone in the world. The quality of e-learning was a growing debate among higher education providers based on several factors. However, Sri Lankan literature leaves a gap in finding empirical evidence on the factors affecting quality e-learning. This study aims to find the relationship between seven independent factors: administrative support, course content, course design, instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, social support, and technical support on the quality of e-learning in higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The population selected for this study were students engaged in higher education, and data was collected using a standard questionnaire from the sample of final year undergraduates of the Department of Accountancy, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, the University of Kelaniya that reflects their perception of the quality of e-learning and the factors affected the quality of e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Scores for the seven factors were identified based on the responses and their relationship to the quality of e-learning measured using the structural equation modelling technique. The study's results indicate that all seven factors have a positive relationship with the quality of e-learning. Further, the path model suggests that learner characteristics and social support are statistically significant for their impact on the quality of e-learning. Higher education providers are advised to focus on improving learner involvement and the social support learner receives to improve e-learning quality. Further, the attention of policymakers is required on these findings in national education policy development.