Using Importance and Satisfaction Structures for Measuring Effectiveness of Electronic Learning Systems

  This paper has employed a novel approach for determining effectiveness of electronic learning systems. This new approach employed importance and satisfaction structures for measurement of electronic learning systems’ effectiveness from viewpoint of their users. Hadith Science Virtual College in Rey was surveyed as case study. Two matrix analysis tools of “importance-satisfaction matrix” and “Lewis benchmarking” were used for data analysis. These tools were used for the first time by Lewis for measuring effectiveness of electronic learning systems. This is descriptive survey and statistical population contains all of the students in bachelor and master level in virtual fields of study in 2009-2010 academic year including 1926 students, 325 of them were selected as the sample by available sampling. Lewis’ questionnaire for importance-satisfaction measurement of electronic learning systems’ properties was data gathering tool. Content, structure, and form validity methods of for determination of tools’ validity while Cronbach’s alpha was applied for determining reliability. Reliability rates for importance and satisfaction structures were respectively 0.95 and 0.94. Findings showed that there is no significant relationship between importance and satisfaction structures and they are different and separate structures. In addition, results of “matrix analysis tools of importance-satisfaction matrix” showed effectiveness of the considered electronic learning systems (Hadith Science College) was relatively average for each one of four dimensions (technology and support, course content, teacher, and learner), and partly average for the whole system. Data analysis through Lewis benchmarking indicated that effectiveness of the considered electronic learning systems was relatively average for each one of four dimensions (technology and support, course content, teacher, and learner), and average and partly desirable for the whole system.