An analysis of student perception of implementing e-Learning in the Sri Lankan
private higher education sector
Kennedy D Gunawardana
Professor of Accounting
University of Sri Jayawardanapura. Sri Lanka
[email protected]
ABSTRACT
The importance of understanding student perceptions is to enhance student satisfaction
which in turn can be used to successfully market private education in Sri Lanka. This
study is further important due to increasing demand of education in the country and the
increasing number of ‘institutes’ mushrooming in the Western Province. Through this
research the relationship between the perceptions of students with respect to
implementing e-Learning in selected higher educational institutions will be examined.
The research methodology was a survey approach where students were questioned from
5 quality institutes. SPSS v.16 was used to analyse the data.
The literature for this study has been drawn mainly from educational management
journals however there is also reference to information technology and business
management. The factors suggested in the literature review that affect students
perception of e-Learning will be viewed in the local context.
The secondary research for this report was mainly obtained from stakeholders of the
various institutes’ under analysis as well as their websites and from the research done
by the World Economic Forum. Primary data was obtained from questionnaires given to
students.
The ultimate goal of identification of student perceptions is so that a proposed eLearning model can be identified for the private higher education context benefiting
students, teachers, the organization and eventually society.
Keywords: perceptions, satisfaction, implementing e-Learning, e-Learning model
1.0 Introduction
The 21st century has been an era of innovations in mass media, telecommunications and
information technology growing so rapidly, that it is as if technology has a life of its
own. It is recorded that 25.6% of the world’s population use the internet in some sort
and 42.6% of this population are users in Asia itself (Miniwatts Marketing Group,
1
2009). Therefore even though many of Asia’s countries are still developing their
technological growth is just as important as the West’s.
In Sri Lanka the gap between the rich and poor is growing considerably, even though
some may have connections to ICT, there are many others who have not even used a
computer. The digital divide is also wide. According to the Department of Census and
Statistics (2009) in Sri Lanka the literacy rate of urban sector households is 31.1% as
compared to the estate sector which has a literacy rate of 8.4%.
One noteworthy point of this census however sets the Western Province apart with a
computer literacy rate of 27.7% which is much higher than all other districts. By
looking at this evidence and from practical observation of the Sri Lankan environment it
can be concluded that there is a subculture of Sri Lankans that are IT literate. The
research done in this paper focuses on this ‘net generation’ (who spend at least one hour
watching television, playing computer games or surfing the net) and how technology
can be used to teach them. There may be a digital divide in Sri Lanka but when we
consider private higher education students it is observed that all students know how to
use a computer and most students have internet access at home as well as access to a
personal mobile phone. This sub-culture of students are in the most part tech savvy and
receptive to information, they are a generation who’s questions are answered by Google
search engines.
With keeping all of this in mind the question to be answered is why e-Learning is not
introduced to their curriculum more readily. Is it due to cultural barriers or is it the fact
that the right infrastructure and teachers are not available? This study will explore these
factors by looking at student perceptions of e-Learning implementation.
There are many barriers to undergraduate education. In the academic year of 2008/2009
130,236 students satisfied the minimum entry level for state university however only
20,270 got selected for a place in university. Only 44% of those who applied got into
university even though they qualified. (University Grants Commision, 2009) The local
situation is extremely competitive; the universities admissions policy can be very
complex and hard to comply with as compared to private universities thus quality
private universities are important.
Implementation of e-Learning can take place with minimal training due to the
technologically savvy generation who already know how to use the internet, computers
and mobile phones. They do not have to be taught. This means that students can learn
more flexibly.
The rapid development of technological features such as visual aids, video, audio,
interactive multimedia and the internet increases the efficiency of the teaching process
and allows students to more readily remember information. The rate of use of eLearning nevertheless is very minimal; students mainly use technology for
entertainment. The reasons for this should be explored. Why don’t students perceive
technology as supportive for their curriculum? The objectives of the paper as follows.
2
1. To find out the existing level of e-Learning in Sri Lankan higher
education sector and existing challenges of implementing eLearning.
2. To find out the factors affecting the students’ perception of
implementing e-Learning in the private higher educational sector.
3. To identify critical success factors that will have an effect on the
use e-Learning.
4. To find out a mechanism to develop a proposed e-Learning
model.
This study is limited to selected private higher education institutes in the Western
Province. Within this framework offshore institutes will be taken who have a student
population higher than 1000. The target age group will be from 0-24 doing their final
year of an undergraduate degree.
2.0 Literature Review
2.1 History of e-learning
In 1993 William D. Graziadei officially recorded the first online lecture through the
Virtual Instructional Classroom Environment in Science (Jay Cross, 2004). The specific
term ‘e-Learning’ however was created by Jay Cross in 1998, a veteran of the software
industry. Since then many have used the term differently according to the context of
their environment however the general idea that e-Learning is the use of information
technology adopted in the learning process can be derived from the name ‘e-Learning’
itself. Abel (2005) described that e-Learning can have different meanings to different
people and that we can not specify a generalized definition. This factor demonstrates the
dynamic nature of e-Learning. Jay Cross (2004) described the world as an e-World
where technology was used in our day to day lives thus is 2010 we can predict with no
hesitation that technology is even more important for the development of society. In
2004 the Web 2.0 term was created to describe how visitors interact with the internet
through learning methods such as wikis, blogs, Google Docs and many other
technologies. (Hannon & D’Netto, 2007)
2.2 Definitions
In 1999 Cisco stated that e-Learning was ‘internet enabled learning which included
content delivery, management of the learning experience and a networked community
of learners, content developers and experts.’ (Cross, 2004) Bhattacharya and Sharma in
their research paper (2007,p.553) described that Urdan and Wegans defined e-Learning
as the delivery of course content through electronic means as follows- ‘internet,
intranets, extranets, satellite broadcast, audio/ video tape, interactive TV and CDROM.’
Computer based training (CBT) was also a popular in 2001 to describe training over
networks such as the internet and intranets. According to research by Bhattacharya and
Sharma (2007) other terms used synonym to e-Learning are Computer-based learning,
online learning and the popular term in our globalised environment which is distance
education. These relationships are shown below.
3
Figure 1: Relations between learning technologies
Source: (Bhattacharya and Sharma, 2007)
2.3 Local context
Sri Lanka maintains high educational standards as compared to the rest of Asia
(Gamage and Halpin, 2006) however when we look at research papers with regard to
the local context it is quite clear that even though there is potential for e-Learning it is
not implemented on a broad scale. Research done by Thowfeek and Hussein through an
investigation of South Eastern University Sri Lanka found out that lecturers here are
optimistic towards accepting e-Learning methods (2008). Even though we can see a
positive outlook here it should be noted that research done in Sri Lanka with regard to
e-Learning includes simpler technologies such as casual browsing of the internet, use of
SMS facilities and telephones. Most of the research done with regard to ICT focuses on
developing the computer literacy of the country and talks about issues such as the
digital divide, distance education centres and growth of telecommunications due to the
recent increase in competition in this market, deregulation of ICT policies, e-Readiness
and computer literacy (Thowfeek & Hussin, 2008) Literature written by Gunawardena
(2007) did however include some new topics such as incorporation of virtual private
networks, ADSL, implementation of WAP and e-government.
Some areas local researchers have missed is the use of e-Learning to cater to mass
students efficiently due to the trend of limited resources such as class room space, time
and specially qualified teachers (Engelbrecht, 2003). Another area left untouched is the
use of e-Learning to strategically differentiate courses offered. This is increasingly
important due to the trend of small institutes mushrooming all over Sri Lanka. Another
cash cow that educational institutes should look into is the growth of the net generation;
this consists mainly of tech savvy youth who spend much of their time on the internet
for entertainment. Education is for social development however we must not forget the
business aspect to it. This is further stressed in the research paper by Hannon and
D’Netto (2007) where Doherty describes online delivery of course material as a strategy
to ‘extend markets, maximize profits, lower costs and position institutions
competitively.’
2.4 Analysis of Objectives with Respect to Previous Literature
Existing level of e-Learning in private institutes
4
A study done by Gunawardana (2005) found that existing e-Learning awareness in
selected Sri Lankan educational institutions was high however it is organizational
willingness to develop that is the main challenge. Technology has advanced however
the use of these technology in the education sector is lagging far behind (Tucker &
Gentry, 2009) compared to other industries. This means that the use of e-Learning in
education sector is limited. The local research papers will be a guideline to help solve
the first objective however further primary research will be needed as the population
sample in this research is expected to be ‘the Net Generation’ who are much more
technology friendly as compared to the sample population of SEUSL.
Factors affecting student’s perceptions
In a local context Thowfeek and Hussein (2008) found several factors that influence
student acceptance. These are shown below.
Figure 2: Factors that influence student acceptance of e-Learning in Sri Lanka
Source: (Thowfeek and Hussein, 2008)
From all these factors the critical factors with regard to student perception need to be
identified. Similar findings for the present research will be found however without
doing this primary research we cannot conclude this as facts.
In a global context McPherson and Nunes (2006) divided the e-Learning success factors
as leadership, cultural issues, structural issues, design and technology issues as well as
delivery management. By identifying these common success factors the best practices of
e-Learning can be identified so as to increase the success rate of e-Learning
implementation and regular use.
The most critical factors for successful implementation
The previous objective is further analyzed through the third objective of identifying
critical success factors that have an effect on the use of e-Learning. The most important
of these factors need to be highlighted so that the e-Learning process can aim to solve
5
these barriers. Thus saving resources and time and increasing the likely success of the eLearning program. Many researchers have identified various success factors. According
Laudon and Laudon as specified by Keller and Cernerund (2002) management support,
user participation and degree of complexity and risk according to the new technology
were identified as crucial. Hannon and D’Netto (2007) research showed that user
satisfaction with technology was the largest barrier to positive acceptance of e-Learning.
Another analysis stated that (Chi-Ng, 2007) student-teacher, student-student, or studentcontent interaction should he high for quality learning. In the Sri Lankan context
Gunawardana (2005) described four basic elements for successful e-Learning which are
supportive instructional material, motivational tutorial support, communication between
the stakeholders and collaboration.
Hannon and D’Netto (2007) found that e-learning success is a complex ‘interaction of
technological and organizational factors.’ This is further enforced through Mitchell’s
and Honore’s (2007) structure where an essential foundation is set before people factors
Figure 3: Criteria for successful blended learning
Source: (Mitchell & Honore, 2007)
For the purpose of this present research a questionnaire survey is the method that
should be used. Downe-Wambadt (1992) as explained by Keller and Cernerund (2002)
described the process of questionnaires and ‘content analysis’ so that answers could be
categorized to find out the most weighted factors as perceived by students.
Developing a successful e-Learning mechanism
According to Stephen (2007) 16.6% of students in Sri Lanka believe that the ‘image of
foreign universities’ is a reason for their popularity. Implementing a successful eLearning model is thus important to further increase the value of this image. In Keller
and Cernerund’s (2002) study the most important factor of influencing student
perceptions was the university e-Learning implementation strategy rather than
individual background variables. This means that developing a suitable e-Learning
mechanism is vital for successful implementation. Some Web platforms offered by
6
Swedish universities were online lectures supported by chat and messaging, discussion
forums and e-Libraries (Keller and Cernerund, 2002). As students become more
demanding synchronous technologies should be implemented (Chi-Ng, 2007) as it
results in good communication, motivation and fun. As well as new technology the
implementation needed to be systematically monitored by management (Keller and
Cernerund, 2002). On a local level Gunawardana (2005) found that technology is used
casually but not for online learning thus it would be fallacious to assume (Hannon and
D’Netto, 2007), that merely providing advanced technology would automatically lead to
high collaborative learning. Technology needs to be carefully integrated with the
course.
Blended e-learning models which include face-to-face contact can prove to be
extremely beneficial (Bhattacharya and Sharma, 2007). Engelbrecht’s study, (2003)
summarizes most of the previous research though the concept of e-Learning models
which are ‘content, service and technology model’, ‘instructional design model’ and
‘learning communities’. Through primary research the most appropriate model or a mix
of the different models should be identified specific to private higher educational
institutions.
3.0 Methodology and Secondary Data Analysis
3.1 Population & Sample
This study focuses on students studying business or IT related courses in private higher
educational institutions registered under the Board of Investment (BOI) under the
heading ‘Business and IT Training Institutes’. BOI registered companies have been
chosen to further specialize in this one segment.
Stratified sampling was used for the case of practicality on the basis of number of
degree programs offered. Universities offering more than 3 offshore university
undergraduate qualifications will be taken for the purpose of this study. These institutes
are more likely to offer e-Learning in the future. Students were questioned on a random
basis. Equal numbers of male and female participants will be questioned.
7
Higher education sector
Government
Universities
(24 national
universities)
Private Institutes
Business and IT Training
Institutes under BOI
(61)
Institutes not under the
BOI
Figure 4: Population and Sample
Source: University Grants Commission, BOI register
The selected institutions according to stratified sampling are (in alphabetical order)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology
Australian College of Business And Technology
Imperial College of Higher Education
Informatics Institute of Technology
International College of Business and Technology
3.2 Secondary Data
The data for this section is mainly from the World Economic Forum’s analysis of Sri
Lanka and from private sources within the respective institutes.
3.3 Analysis of Secondary Data
The secondary data in this section is analysed while keeping in mind the various
objectives.
3.3.1 Analysing the existing level of e-Learning
3.3.1.1 Country Context
According to the World Economic Forum (2010), in a country context Sri Lanka is in a
reasonably tolerable position compared to its South Asian neighbours in terms of
information technology.
8
Figure 5: Sri Lanka’s IT Readiness and Infrastructure
Source: (World Economic Forum and INSEAD, 2010)
The above figure shows Sri Lanka’s IT readiness component and infrastructure
component. These two factors will compliment the e-Learning process. There is
however much room for improvements when Sri Lanka is benchmarked with Korea.
The graph below shows IT usage according to research done by the World Economic
Forum.
Figure 6: IT Usage
9
Source: (World Economic Forum and INSEAD, 2010)
Individual usage of IT is growing thus it can be assumed that there will be some
increase in the level of e-Learning because the internet is a large part of IT and a lot of
learning can be done through the internet. Business usage since 2002 has been
decreasing however since 2008 there was an increasing trend.
3.3.1.2 Most Popular Websites
Most popular websites according to Alexa demographics of 18-24 year olds is recorded
in the following table.
Website
google.lk
facebook.com
youtube.com
elakiri.com
cricinfo.com
blogger.com
Wikipedia
windows live
adaderana.lk
Bp.blogspot.com
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Table 1: Alexa demographics of 18-24 year
Source: (Alexa Internet, Inc., 2010)
Out of this only google.lk YouTube and Wikipedia can be considered as sources of eLearning. We can thus conclude that internet is used mainly for entertainment purposes
rather than e-Learning.
3.3.1.4 Analysis of private portals and intranets
Institute websites and portals have been used to for the purpose of this objective. While
analysing these institutes vision and mission statements there were no direct references
to e-Learning. ‘Innovative teaching,’ ‘Supportive learning environments’ and ‘quality
education’ (ACBT:APIIT;IIHE:2010;2010; 2008) could be assumed towards some level
technology usage. This shows that management have not considered technology as a
competitive advantage in the education sector.
There was a more positive approach while analysing the institutes’ web portals. One
institute had a virtual tour of the courses provided and even an e-Learning website and
e-Learning diploma course in computing. (Informatics Institute of Technology, 2010)
10
Figure 7: Traffic of Intranets
Source: (Alexa Internet, Inc., 2010)
Usage of the portals is shown by the following graphs. Even though there was traffic the
bounce rate (The percentage of visits that consist of a single page view) of most of these
pages was low which meant that people did not visit more than a single page. (Refer
figure 9) which shows that they did not spend enough time on these intranets to do
sufficient e-Learning.
Figure 8: Bounce Rate
Source: (Alexa Internet, Inc., 2010)
3.3.2 Factors affecting the students’ perception of implementing e-Learning
3.3.2.1 Readiness Levels
The diagram below shows the different readiness levels of individuals, businesses and
the government.
11
Figure 9: Readiness Levels
Source: (World Economic Forum and INSEAD, 2010)
Students may positively perceive e-Learning if their readiness level is high however
since organisations and the government are at a lower stage there is little opportunity for
e-Learning to succeed. Businesses and the government readiness will affect the
implementation of e-Learning and thereby student perceptions of e-Learning
implementation.
3.3.2.2 Analysis of Increase of Students and PC’s
The following approximated data has been obtained from private contacts of the
respective institutes; due to the sensitive nature of this information only approximations
were given.
12
Figure 10: Number of Students in Institute
Source: Private sources from respective institutes
There has been a drastic increase in the number of students. Has there however been an
increase in the IT infrastructure to support this increase? This question is answered in
the next graph.
Figure 11: Number of Pc's in Institute
Source: Private sources from respective institutes
The above diagram shows the increase in the number of PC’s of each of the institutes.
Only two institutes had a directly proportional relationship of increase in students with
increase in number of PC’s.
3.3.3 Critical success factors that will have an effect on the use e-Learning
3.3.3.1 Strengths of Sri Lankan Information Technology Sector
To some extent critical factors of e-Learning can be identified as strengths of Sri
Lanka’s IT sector. A study done by the World Economic Forum (2010) described the
following strengths in information technology and telecommunications as follows.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Low mobile cellular tariffs
Government promotion of ICT
Intensity of local competition
Importance of ICT to government vision of the future
High use of internet for business purposes
3.3.3.2 Opportunities of Sri Lankan Information Technology Sector
Key opportunities as described by (cite) in the private higher education sector is as
follows.
13
1. A 100% literacy rate of students
2. Increasing dissatisfaction with the performance of the public sector in terms of
education
3. Increasing awareness of the promise of ICT
3.3.3.3 Factors that have an effect on e-Learning
This diagram from a research study by the World Economic Forum aims to identify
some important factors that have an effect on e-Learning.
Figu
re
12:
Fact
ors that have an effect on e-Learning
Source: (World Economic Forum and INSEAD, 2010)
It is shocking to see the increase in tertiary education enrolment as compared to the
growth in education expenditure, internet bandwidth and accessibility of digital content.
From the author’s judgement the most critical factor here is the low education
expenditure. Also if internet bandwidth and accessibility of digital content increased
then there would be more opportunity for e-Learning.
4.0 Data Analysis
4.1 Primary Data
The primary data for this analysis is from the sample as mentioned before. All in all
there were 60 questionnaires given out however due to the nature of university students
only 26 were received in acceptable answer form to be used. At a second attempt email
questionnaires were then sent out of which 13 responses were received. Another source
for student input was interviews. The table below summaries the empirical material:
Data Capture tool
(n)
Population
14
Questionnaire
hardcopy
Questionnaire
hardcopy
Questionnaire
hardcopy
Questionnaire
hardcopy
9
APIIT (Y3)
4
ACBT(Y3)
6
ICHE(Y3)
7
ICBT(Y3)
IIT(Y3)ACBT(Y3)
ICBT(Y3) APIIT
(Y3) ICHE(Y3)
ACBT(Y3)
ICBT(Y3) APIIT
(Y3
Questionnaire email
13
Interviews
4
Table 2: Population
Source: Primary data
4.2 Primary Data Analysis
The pre-defined questions in the questionnaires have been summarised and the results
shown as percentages using the SPSS version 16 software.
4.2.1 Mapping of empirical material to objectives
Existing level of e-Learning in the private higher education sector is the primary
objective.
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Cumulative
Valid Percent Percent
Yes
4
10.3
10.3
10.3
No
10
25.6
25.6
35.9
To some extent
25
64.1
64.1
100.0
Total
39
100.0
100.0
Table 3: Institutes e-Learning success
Source: Primary research
15
Figure 13: Institutes e-learning success
Source: Primary research
When asked if the participants’ e-Learning had been successful very few said yes. There
was however a majority who claimed that e-Learning had to some extent been
successful.
Figure 14: Existing Level of E-Learning
Source: Primary research
16
One critical finding was that many students did not believe their institutes could support
& motivate them towards e-Learning. On the other hand many believed that they could
depend on the institute’s infrastructure to support their learning needs. (Refer figure)
The majority of participants did claim that they had the necessary technology resources
to study at home. This means that these students will not need to undergo a training
process if e-Learning is introduced
Factors affecting the students’ perception of implementing e-Learning will be described
below. It has been assumed that if a factor can impact a student’s use of technology then
it also affects their perceptions of implementation. (This phrasing was done to make the
questionnaires more understandable to the respondents).
Valid
Frequency
Valid
Percent Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Strongly
Disagree
1
2.6
2.6
2.6
Disagree
3
7.7
7.7
10.3
Neutral
10
25.6
25.6
35.9
Agree
21
53.8
53.8
89.7
Strongly
Agree
4
10.3
10.3
100.0
Total
39
100.0
100.0
Table 4: Institutes impact on use of technology
Source: Primary research
17
Figure 15: Institutes Impact on use of technology
Source: Primary research
64% of students said that it is the institute that has a large impact on implementation of
e-Learning.
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Cumulative
Valid Percent Percent
Disagree
1
2.6
2.6
2.6
Neutral
3
7.7
7.7
10.3
Agree
21
53.8
53.8
64.1
Strongly Agree 14
35.9
35.9
100.0
Total
100.0
100.0
39
Table 5: Friends impact on use
Source: Primary research
Figure 16: Friends impact on use of technology
Source: Primary research
18
More importantly 90% of students agreed that friends have an impact on their use of
technology of this 35% strongly agreed. This means that collaborative learning will be
extremely fruitful.
Type of school was given less importance and the same was with personal initiatives.
The benefits of implementing e-Learning as perceived by students are as follows. It is
assumed that advantages of e-Learning will lead to positive student perceptions of eLearning implementation.
Valid
Frequenc
y
Percent Valid Percent
Cumulati
ve
Percent
Disagree
3
7.7
7.7
7.7
Neutral
4
10.3
10.3
17.9
Agree
16
41.0
41.0
59.0
Strongly
Agree
16
41.0
41.0
100.0
Total
39
100.0
100.0
Table 6: Knowledge gained through technology
Source: Primary research
19
Figure 17: Knowledge gained through technology
Source: Primary research
There were only 3 who did not belive they gained knowledge.
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Cumulative
Valid Percent Percent
Disagree
2
5.1
5.1
5.1
Neutral
9
23.1
23.1
28.2
Agree
26
66.7
66.7
94.9
Strongly
Agree
2
5.1
5.1
100.0
Total
39
100.0
100.0
Table 7: Technology increase flexibility of study process
Source: Primary research
Figure 18: Technology will increase communication with lecturers
Source: Primary research
20
Once again many students believed in this benefit of e-Learning.
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Strongly
Disagree
1
2.6
2.6
2.6
Disagree
1
2.6
2.6
5.1
Neutral
1
2.6
2.6
7.7
Agree
15
38.5
38.5
46.2
Strongly
Agree
21
53.8
53.8
100.0
Total
39
100.0
100.0
Table 8: Easily communicate with my friends
Source: Primary research
Figure 19: easily communicate with my friends
Source: Primary research
40% of the candidates agreed that the use of technology will increase their knowledge
while studying while another 40% strongly agreed with this. A surprising 90% agreed
that e-Learning would increase communication with lecturers while 95% agreed that
they could more readily communicate with their friends.
21
Short interviews conducted further identified students perceptions of e-Learning as
shown in the below table.
Illustrative quotation
Comment
"It is one form of teaching which is
interactive and allows the students to
improve their attention span"
"e-Learning not only eliminates the cost
spent on travelling, but also helps to follow
lectures, tutorials and group discussions
from anywhere and at anytime. This is a
crucial element for those who follow
courses while working part time"
"Looking at the boon of the technological
sector in this developing world, it might be
a smart step forward. This way, the
students are actually made to research and
do an individual study on their own,
instead of just absent mindedly going
through daily lectures. "
"Since there is a fair amount of interaction
with the lecturers, the students would have
the opportunity to cross check their work
and get feedback "
"E-learning for a student reading for an IT
related degree is essential. This is due the
constant changes in technology associated
with the industry. Therefore traditional
learning methods for such a degree
program might be ineffective. "
The modern student enjoys
interactive leaning rather
than just a listening lecture.
Saves time
working
if
one
is
e-Learning is perceived as
challenging and innovative
e-Learning
increases
quality of education
e-Learning is essential
Table 9 Student perceptions
Source: Primary data
Identifying critical success factors that will have an effect on the use e-Learning is the
third objective that will be explored. In the table below the empirical data has been
tabulated and ranked according to the percentages. Integrated course material is the
most important factor for the success of e-Learning with 85%. Second and third is
management support and personal commitment respectfully. A positive previous
experience is 4th most important while motivational tutorial support ranked at 5th place.
Factors most important for Strongly
success
agree/agree
Personal commitment
50
Management support
75
Integrated course material
85
Positive previous experience
25
Motivational tutorial support
25
Ranking
3
2
1
4
5
22
Table 10: Factors most important for success
Source: Primary research
Furthermore through the literature review leadership was identified as critical for eLearning success. Therefore an e-Learning leadership initiative analysis has been done.
Percent
Valid Percent
Cumulative
Percent
Neutral 6
15.4
15.4
15.4
Agree
15
38.5
38.5
53.8
Strongly
18
Agree
46.2
46.2
100.0
Total
100.0
100.0
Frequency
Valid
39
Table 11: leadership from organization
Source: Primary research
Figure 20: Leadership from organization
Source: Primary research
The most popular statement was that ‘leadership for an e-Learning initiative should
come from the organisation.’
23
Valid
Frequency
Percent
Cumulative
Valid Percent Percent
Strongly
Disagree
1
2.6
2.6
2.6
Disagree
3
7.7
7.7
10.3
Neutral
8
20.5
20.5
30.8
Agree
18
46.2
46.2
76.9
Strongly Agree 9
23.1
23.1
100.0
Total
100.0
100.0
39
Table 12 Leadership come from student demand
Source: Primary research
Figure 21: Leadership comes from teachers demand
Source: Primary research
The second popular was that ‘leadership for an e-Learning initiative should come from
teachers’ demand.’ These two graphs show the importance of the organisation and
teachers.
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4.3 Framework for successful implementation of e-Learning
The model below has identified the most critical factors for the implementation of eLearning along with its barriers and major benefits as perceived by students.
Figure 22: Framework for successful implementation of e-Learning
Source: Primary research
The most successful factors for the private higher education sector in Sri Lanka will be
to have strong management support and leadership. This is followed by integrated
course material and personal commitment.
The benefits of this will be increased student-teacher communication, knowledge
management in the Sri Lankan context and student collaboration.
5.0 Conclusion & Recommendations
The recommendations with respect to the report will now be given. According to the
secondary research findings an opportunity for improvement is the fact that individual
usage of IT is much higher than business use. This further strengthens the argument
found in the primary research which shows that students in private higher education are
ready for technology however the management is not ready to accept the investment.
These institutes do not understand the value of e-Learning as it can be considered as a
large investment and also very new to consumers. As management it is taking a risk and
being innovative that will set an institute apart in this increasingly competitive sector.
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Sri Lanka's most visited websites by 18-24 year olds consists mainly on entertainment
content. An increasing opportunity here would be to in cooperate e-Learning with
entertainment.
Institute portals and intranets have in fact showed some positive results with respect to
e-Learning. Since all these institutes do in fact have a portal or intranet it is time to
improve by having interactive content where peer to peer learning can take place or
even tutorial sessions with assessments. One of the primary research findings was the
increasing importance friends play in each other’s learning and thought process.
A disappointing fact is that of the rate of increase of computers in institutes as compared
to the increase in students. It is clear that these machines are always running on full
capacity and that there might not even be enough machines on a busy day. These labs
could be developed into self learning labs if properly enforced by the management with
proper teaching materials.
In the short term e-Learning can be improved in terms of complimentary learning
material to be included with the course. For the benefit of e-Learning to truly be
experienced both management, students and teachers need to cooperate. In the long run
there are immense opportunities for the Sri Lankan private higher education sector as
the government is becoming more open. Using e-Learning could give these businesses a
competitive advantage.
All three objectives of this study were achieved in the 3rd and 4th section. The final
objective of developing a model for implementation of e-Learning was achieved in the
4th section with reference from all the other sections.
According to the model developed, for e-Learning to be successful there must be
management support ,integrated course material, tutorial support, and students personal
commitment to overcome the barriers of e-Learning which has been identified as lack of
leadership, inconsistent IT infrastructure, unwelcomeness of software and previous bad
experiences.
Finally the author would like to say that the benefits of technology cannot be stressed
enough. The benefits however do take time to appear therefore it is recommended that
any private institute should strive to understand the perceptions of their students and
implement e-Learning.
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