Recognizing of Fundamental Factors in Effectiveness of E-learning Systems

Today, many of universities and private institutions are founding in design of e-learning systems. Understanding of what factors or components are important in evaluation of these systems effectiveness from the learners’ point of view, help to focus funding upon effective components and ignore or exclusion of ineffective or neutral factors. Therefore, this paper with purpose of offering a fairly comprehensive perspective from effectiveness of e-learning systems, has tried to recognize and extract effective factors or components on effectiveness of e-learning systems. At the same time, the Shahr-e-Rey’s virtual college of anecdote sciences as an example has investigated. The research method of this research was descriptive (survey research). The statistical population was included all postgraduate and undergraduate student of mentioned virtual college. The total number of this student was 1296 people that in autumn semester of 2009 were enrolled and studied all the semester. For sampling of subjects, a biased method was used. Therefore, based on this biased method, the 325 subjects were selected. For gathering of data, the Levy’s questionnaire of assessing the value-satisfaction with e-learning systems’ characteristics was used. For determination of validity of mentioned questionnaire, the content, construct and formal validity were used. Also, for approving the reliability of this questionnaire, the test of Cronbach’s Alpha was used. Thus, in terms of this test, the alpha for both constructs (value and satisfaction) respectively was: 0.95 and 0.94. However, the results of this study showed that these constructs (value and satisfaction) were distinct (independent) constructs and results of factor analysis showed that these constructs had different factor structures and also factor analysis in any one (value & satisfaction) lead to extraction of different factors. Afterward, on the basis of confirmatory factor analysis in value construct, the four factors (learners’ environmental support; technology; technical support & classmates; course & professor) with a total cumulative variance explained nearly 61.5%, were extracted and as well as, on the basis of confirmatory factor analysis in satisfaction construct, the four factors (course & professor; availability; technology & technical support; learner & classmates) with a total cumulative variance explained nearly 50%, were extracted. Furthermore, another result of this survey showed that there wasn’t any significant correlation between value and satisfaction measures.