E-learning platforms and their impact on university education during the COVID-19 pandemic

The current situation caused by COVID-19 has accelerated the change in lifestyles and therefore Universities have had to modify their teaching-learning models. The objective of this work is to explore the factors that affect the perception of satisfaction and the learning results of those when using online learning applications. Through a quantitative methodology and using as a basis the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Information Systems Success Model (ISs), the results were analyzed by means of PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling). The data were collected through a survey conducted by a structured questionnaire and sent to students of different levels of higher education. Among the main findings, it was obtained that the higher the satisfaction of users of online learning platforms, the higher the results. The information obtained can contribute to the Universities being able to enhance this type of tool to efficiently achieve the proposed educational objectives.

An Evaluation of Open Source Adaptive Learning Solutions

The education sector has never been so shaken up as much as this past year. COVID-19 has imposed new rules. Several countries were forced to switch overnight from a traditional educational model to a full eLearning one. Like most other countries, the Moroccan government decided to promote distance learning by implementing several initiatives, though they remained at an embryonic stage. To contribute to the movement of transforming the national educational landscape, we aimed to develop a solution that will leverage the technological advances in this field and influence the ways students learn. This will be possible by providing learners with the latest features enabling online and adaptive learning modes. Hence, the purpose of this first study is to provide an empirical evaluation of the existing open source Ed-tech projects, which will serve as the basis for the development of our global adaptive eLearning solution. Unlike existing work, which is based on literature reviews to compare the existing adaptive eLearning platforms, we have used the OpenBRR assessment methodology as a comparison methodology due to its flexibility and ease of use. This work will help us to understand the concepts of adaptivity in education. It will also describe the most popular open source Maturity Models as well as provide a clear idea about the differences between these Ed-tech open source solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Information (2078-2489) is the property of MDPI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Individualizing Learning Pathways with Adaptive Learning Strategies: Design, Implementation and Scale

Individual undergraduate learners have heterogeneous knowledge backgrounds and undergo diverse learning experiences during their university studies. Consequently, designs of virtual learning environments should adjust to learners' needs and competencies, especially in the current pandemic crisis. This paper discusses pedagogical aspects of personalized and self-regulated learning and situates its focus on design, implementation, and scale of e-content and e-activities for individualized learning pathways (ILP). Characteristics of ILP such as shape, length, and turning points enabled through adaptive features of existing Learning Management Systems (LMS) have seldom been discussed in the literature. We tackle this issue from a didactical perspective of microlearning with regards to three adaptive learning strategies: 1) Feedback Adaptations, 2) Task Design, and 3) Task Sequence Design. Within a first phase of a complete initial Design Research (DR) cycle, we have collected and analysed data which enable us to generate, cluster and label queries and differentiated items for each of the three strategies. Further on, we offer a visualization of possible ILP illustrated with contextual examples of productive, technology-based task and feedback designs applicable and scalable in higher education settings.

Case study of migration from local in-house data centre at the Durban University of Technology to Azure Cloud

This article deals with a case study of migration from a local in-house data centre (Hyper-V Windows Server 2012) at the Durban University of Technology to Microsoft Azure. The introduction provides the context leading to the migration and the details about why crisis management became the norm during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The background reprises the start of e-learning leading up to the present. Next, an account is given of the methodology used to migrate to Azure, which suggests that the lack of foresight or strategic planning resulted in knee-jerk responses, slow implementation and avoidable stress on project personnel. A simplified technology roadmap for e-learning at DUT is then provided, and is suggested as a starting point for a more comprehensive roadmap, using the system dynamics approach. © 2022 IEEE.

Investigating the impact of personality traits on perceived usability evaluation of e-learning platforms

Purpose>The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of personality traits on the perceived usability evaluation of e-learning platforms. In specific, perceived usability levels of the educational platforms and tools used in primary and secondary education in Greece are demonstrated. The impact which personality traits and other individual-related factors have on the perceived usability were also examined.Design/methodology/approach>In total, 2,239 Greek primary and secondary education teachers participated in the study through an online survey. The system usability scale (SUS) and Big 5 personality test questionnaires were adopted, as well as a demographics questionnaire and nine platforms were examined: e-me, eclass, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Edmodo, Padlet, Skype and Zoom.Findings>Most platforms were rated as satisfactory in terms of perceived usability as measured by SUS. SUS scores were not found to be significantly related with participants’ age, gender, private/public school, working relationship. Furthermore, openness to new experience and extraversion demonstrated the strongest positive correlation with perceived usability evaluation.Research limitations/implications>The current study used a sample of Greek teachers as participants, so the generalizability of results without considering cultural or organizational issues is of questionable validity. The Big 5 personality test is widely adopted;however, it seems that it does not capture comprehensively all possible dimensions of personality.Practical implications>Acknowledging the correlations between personality traits and perceived usability for each platform, teachers may now choose the most user-friendly one depending on the personality traits. Designers can adapt their systems to meet users’ needs accordingly. Moreover, the reported results provide a frame of reference for the respective organizations and companies to compare the quality of user experience of their products and services. Thus, development costs of an e-learning platform/tool can be reduced accordingly.Social implications>Text.Originality/value>Perceived usability of a technological system affects the way users interact with it and consequently the whole learning experience. Thus, factors which may affect perceived usability and, in turn, the learning outcomes are of paramount importance and should be exhaustively examined. Giving that personality affects or is related to, other parameters related with technology (technology adoption, perceived and actual use, acceptance, interaction, perceived ease of use), this study addresses a significant research gap and sheds light to the before-mentioned issues.