An empirical evaluation of e-learning usage in the higher education context

Abstract

[EN] E-learning has been adopted for several years in Greece and abroad, and it is considered an integral part of blended learning. E-learning systems accumulate a vast amount of data which may be very valuable. The educational organizations may exploit the power provided by e-learning, if they analyze the usage and the content of the courses. An early assessment of the of e-courses use may provide useful information to the educators, in order to make educational interventions in their teaching material. This study suggests that the evaluation of e-learning usage may be carried out with the assesment of variables and metrics related to teacher training material and student trafficking. We propose three metrics which are combined efficiently, in order to quantify the quality characteristics of the courses and offer useful insights about the educational material and e-learning usage. This case study was implemented in the e-class platform of a Greek Higher Education educational institute. This platform created by the Greek Universities Network (GUNET) is very popular in Greece, since the majority of the Greek universities have adopted it. The results of our study confirmed the validity of our suggested approach, and highlighted the need for a more learnercentered focus and active participation of the students.