Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of E-Learning: An Empirical Study on Senior Secondary Level Students of Private Schools in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Abstract

E-learning is a method of delivering education via electronic media, typically using the internet. E-Learning contributes to conventional teaching methods and provides many advantages to society and citizens. Even if it facilitates fast learning at low cost, provide more access to learning platforms and has clear accountability for all participants in the learning systems, the problem is still a majority of students are demanding the interaction, attention and the quality of virtual education which they achieve from the traditional learning. Effectiveness in e-learning with reference to the learner is measured as whether the learner could meet the learning goals while learning online. Since traditional education couldn’t be continued, it was very important to find the significance of e-learning, the challenges students face using virtual platforms, and the factors that influence effectiveness of virtual education. While the literature reveals the factors that influence the effectiveness of e-learning, the study discovered the variables influencing the efficacy of e-learning initiative in the senior secondary education in a factual way using descriptive survey method involving hypothesis test to evaluate how contemporary information technology can develop a successful asynchronous system of education. The data were collected through an online survey which covered the private schools in Colombo, Sri Lanka, that follow the local curriculum set up by the Ministry of Education in local language mediums of Sinhala, Tamil or English. The conclusion is based on the 369 responses received from the senior secondary level students and the study discovered that IT Infrastructure, Instructor Competencies, Perceived Ease of Use and Perceived Usefulness have a significance impact on Effectiveness of e-learning.