Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education-TOJDE April 2010 ISSN 1302-6488 Volume: 11 Number: 2 Article 2

THE LEARNERS' SATISFACTION TOWARD ONLINE

E-LEARNING IMPLEMENTED IN THE COLLEGE OF APPLIED
STUDIES AND COMMUNITY SERVICE,
KING SAUD UNIVERSITY, SAUDI ARABIA:
Can E-Learning Replace the Conventional System of
Education?
Fahad N. AL-FAHAD
King Saud University
College of Applied Studies and Community Service,
SAUDI ARABIA

ABSTRACT

The growth of distance education course offerings is an indication of its importance to

students. The purpose of this study is to investigate learners' satisfaction toward
online e-learning implemented in the College of Applied Studies and Community
Service, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In the meantime, also, this study
was conducted to assess whether substitution of conventional learning with e-learning
can improve the educational standard and knowledge of people especially in this
information world. The target group consists of 201 university students (female) from
the College of Applied Studies and Community Service. The results of the statistical
analysis demonstrate that students‘ satisfaction has been very positive toward e-
learning as a teaching assisted tool, and provides more benefits than conventional
learning.

Keywords: E-learning; Distance learning; Learners' satisfaction; Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION

Recent developments in modern information and communication technology (ICT)

have enabled transmission of knowledge from lecture to learners (also) via internet
(Raymond, F., 2000). Distance education has become an important way of education
in the modern world (Wang, C. and Liu, Z., 2003). At the early beginning the very first
form of distance education was delivered with the usage of traditional mail (e.g.
printed materials) (Raymond, F., (2000), Wang, C. and Liu, Z., (2003), Martey, A.,
(2004), and Rao, S., (2006). But nowadays, distance education is mainly supported
with modern ICT (Martey, A., (2004), and Rao, S., (2006). This type of distance
education is in literature known under the term e-learning (Learner Online, (2008),
Lee, Y. et al., (2007), and Roffe, I., (2002)). E-learning represents a great proportion
in distance education. Thus e-learning efforts and experiments currently receive
enormous attention across the globe. Essentially, e-learning unlike traditional
learning, is another way of teaching and learning. Khan, B.H. (2001) defines that e-
learning encompasses Web-based learning (WBL), internet–based training (IBT),
advanced distributing learning (ADL), and online learning (OL). Moreover, by another
definition, e-learning includes instruction delivered via all electronic media such as the
internet, intranets, extranets, and hypertext/hypermedia documents (Govindasamy, T.
2001). Thus from e-learning definitions it acknowledges challenges posed by diverse
learners and instructors. Measuring e-learning student satisfaction has been a "hot
topic" for the academia.

61
At the AMCIS conference as early as 2001, e-learning was identified as one of the nine
meta- tracks for Information systems (IS) discipline, and multiple studies in both
education and the IS literature measure student satisfaction with the online courses
(Arabasz P. and Baker M., (2003), and Summers, J., et. al., (2005)). Research shows
that perceived usability, perceived value, perceived quality are critical factors that
affect user satisfaction for e-learning systems (Chiu, C., et, al., (2005), and Seddon, P.
B., (1997)). Clearly, understanding the factors influencing user's satisfaction with
online courses is a critical issue for researchers and practitioners alike. E-learning can
be delivered in the following modes: self-paced on-line learning using internet; self-
paced off-line learning using local desktop, CD-ROMS without connecting to the
internet; group learning synchronous-online face to face chat sessions, virtual
classrooms; group learning asynchronous-email, Wikis, Blogs, discussion boards.
Course content: Learning Content Management System (LCMS) provides the
environment to maintain a repository and manage learning content. Course delivery is
independent of content management. Academic circles can help in creating the basic
contents for the subject offered and periodically update the contents. Course design
should be orchestrated among academic content providers, presentation group-
graphics, programming community and other technical staff.

Content Authoring Tools Are Available To Prepare Course Material for E-Learning
It is also possible to develop a simple e-learning kit using HTML, java script
programming and a little bit of flash. Some of the tools provide simulations for natural
laws antiscientific phenomena so that learning is enabled through visualization.
Computer- Based Training. Interactive session- Synchronous mode of e-learning.

Course delivery plan

Online course design and delivery requires resources and meticulous planning. Course
design requires skilled resources from different disciplines such as graphic art, web
design & programming and people to manage infrastructure apart from subject
specialists. Methods such as asynchronous discussion forums if not monitored closely,
could prove inconclusive without much help to the participants. At the organizational
level it may be prudent to divide the learners into small groups to increase the
effectiveness of discussions and chat sessions.

Learner Registration
Conventional student registration is a tedious process- a number of requirements
need to be satisfied before a student's is eligible to register. In the case of e-learning,
it is almost instantaneous with only a few requirements to be met. A prerequisite for
e-learning is planning and preparedness as it involves orientation and adaptability to
technology. In contrast, conventional classroom type of education may not require
high preparedness and detailed planning.

Assessment
Assessment is a measurement of learning outcomes. In an e-learning environment,
assessment takes place through the internet/intranet. Classroom learning is ideally
suited for moderation and assessment of projects, lab work, etc. In the case of e-
learning, e-moderation can be done in two ways using either the synchronous or
asynchronous mode. In the synchronous mode, it is more like real-time conversation
using audio/video conferencing where participants communicate to enhance their
learning in the asynchronous mode; participants post their views as text messages at
different times convenient to them. On-line evaluation of e-learning outcomes is very
quick especially those with multiple-choice questions, e-learning on IT/IS and
software subjects use multiple choice type of evaluation.
62
Unlike assessment in the conventional education system, e-assessment is prone to
unfair practices because of the high flexibility it offers. Sometimes, feedback from
learners and issues faced by them during learning could assume complex proportions.

Distance education as it is called and popular even now frees the learner from
attending classes. Printed course material is delivered to the learner who is expected
to go through the content, understand and submit assignments mentioned therein,
take examinations and record achievements. The advantage is that the learner is able
to devote time to the printed material as and when he or she can. The disadvantage is
that non-printed material such as simulations and discussions would not be available.
E-learning scores over conventional distance education in these aspects.

Successful implementation of e-learning is not easy; a lot of effort and care is needed
for course design, course delivery, assessment and fine-tuning based on the course
feedback. Also, impact measurement studies based on the course delivered should
also be conducted. The important aspect of e-learning is the extreme flexibility it
offers – learning at one‘s own pace. There is no cost of commuting to the campus and
other expenses incurred in the conventional system resulting in considerable cost
benefits. Furthermore, this is a very convenient mode of learning for physically
challenged persons. Since learning is asynchronous, e-learning can be balanced along
with other commitments like family and work. It is not necessary that e-learning
caters only to basic education.

Technology and infrastructure are required for successful implementation of e-

learning; with hardware prices going down day by day and bandwidth getting more
and more affordable, e-learning is set for massive proliferation with virtually very little
constraints on the technology front to hamper its growth. Yet there are strong voices
against e-learning–it is devoid of teacher-student relationship which is ever so
important and part of the conventional education system. Another major issue cited
against e-learning is the feeling of isolation experienced by learners, unlike in campus
education where there is scope for continual interaction of learners with teachers and
among themselves. A hybrid form of education – perhaps conventional education
suitably augmented with e-learning for specific topics with multimedia and simulations
should go a long way in enriching the conventional education system. Finally, e-
learning is not an inexpensive option either. Though e-learning is growing at a rapid
pace - it will not completely, at least in the near future, replace the conventional
education system.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Distance online education is defined as "a General term used to cover the broad range
of teaching and learning events in which the student is separated (at a distance) from
the instructor or other fellow learners" (Hoyle, G., 2007).The effectiveness of online
education is still an unanswered question. Many universities are opening new centers
while others are closing their doors. Industries have adopted virtual learning to train
their employees (Weekes, S., 2007). Some colleges are creating articulation
agreements and partnership with industries to provide training to staff development
programs (Bird, L., 2006). Administrators in colleges and universities are dedicating a
major portion of their financial resources in the development and facilitation of
anytime/anywhere virtual learning. Some researchers proved that F2F classroom
modality was the best way to encourage and motivate students (Mentzer, G. A., et al.,
2007). Some researchers demonstrated that blended hybrid learning was the least
cost effective (Mackay, S., and Stockport, f. J., 2006); students and faculty liked the
benefits of time flexibility in blended courses.
63
However, they consider finding time to develop such courses was a challenge
(Vaughan, N., 2007). There were other researchers who considered that e-learning
was the biggest growth in higher education (Rosenberg, M., 2001). Finally, there are
some researchers who compared all three delivery modalities and found that all
students acquire course content equally regardless of delivery mode (Tang, M., and
Byme, R., 2007).Many faculty members feel that it is the 21st century, and offering
course via Internet is becoming a strategic necessity among competitive universities
(Lee, Y. et al., 2007). They look at the opportunities that distance education may
provide universities, such as, increased enrollment, extra grants from different
foundations, and most of all, widening the student body by offering global access
(Papp, K. et al., 2001). On the other hand, some faculty members perceive students in
an online class have the tendency of cheating more compared to in class modality
because they are not monitoring the students; they feel that institutions should
address academic dishonesty (Grijava, et. al., 2006). Others are still skeptical and
resistant to change when it comes to distance online education. They examine the
retention rates of online courses, with student dropout rates of thirty-two percent
compared to a four percent dropout rate for students enrolled in a F2F classroom
course (Liu, S., Gomez, et al., 2007) and remember the sixties era and the failures of
distance education when they tried to offer correspondence.

Empirical data identify some of the factors that influence student satisfaction toward
online education such as: student control, instructor rapport, enthusiasm, group
interaction just to name few (Lee, Y. F. H., 2007). Researchers reveal that there are
some concerns in student achievement and motivation, and that the level of
interactivity plays a major factor in student motivation (Mahle, M., 2007). Buckley
states that there is a paradigm shift between F2F classrooms and online courses. He
specifies that in the F2F classroom, responsibilities of course pace and material
covered reside with the faculty member. The faculty decides the content of the course,
how to deliver the course, and what kind of learning styles to use. In the case of
Online learning courses, the responsibilities of learning fall on students. He
recommends that students who recognize the paradigm shift and are willing to take
that responsibility will favor online education more than F2F classroom learning.
Moreover, he recommends that colleges and universities address the effective
institutional transition by developing staff development programs to train their faculty
(Buckley, D. P., 2002).

Here, we refer to the experience of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the application of e-
learning and distance education, which is one of the leading and promising
experiments in the Arab world. Saudi Arabia has announced officially the application
of distance learning, and to achieve these goals, leading towards the future has
launched initiatives to establish infrastructure for higher education and distance
education, the initiative is to bridge the gap (Tajseer), the e-learning educational
portal system, the learning management system (Jusur), the award in university for e-
learning excellence, the national repository for learning objects, Taiseer service for e-
learning and the establishment of Saudi national Center for and distance education
(www.elc.edu.sa). However, most of the courses in universities in Saudi Arabia are
taught mainly in the classroom. Some of them adopt e-learning to supplement the
face-to-face instruction for certain purposes (Al-Fahad, N. F. 2008). It is interesting to
study e-learning in the context under this adaptation, e-learning as a supplementary
tool to in-class instruction, where more investigation is needed.

The purpose of this research was to study the learners' effectiveness and satisfaction
toward e-learning and to assess whether substitution of conventional learning with e-
learning can improve the education standard and knowledge of people especially in
this information world.

64
METHODOLOGY

The study was conducted in the College of Applied Studies and Community Service,
King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaires were distributed to
201 students (female); only females were taken the e-learning courses in the college
of Applied Studies and Community Service. Student were asked to complete an
anonymous paper and pencil survey (shown in Table 1).

The survey consisted of 10 short questions. Before the survey questions were given to
the students, we had made sure the student taking part in the survey has a personal
computer and is involved in e-learning courses.

Respondents were asked to mark their agreement with these statements of three–
point Likert type scale ranging from 1(strongly agree), to 3(strongly disagree).

Table: 1
Descriptive Statistics of Data for Student Satisfaction toward e-learning

(1) (2) (3)

No. Statements Strongly Undecided Disagree
agree
1 Do you have advance knowledge about e-learning? 141 35 21
(70.1) (17.4) (10.4)
2 Do you have an experience of e-learning? 141 39 16
(70.1) (19.4) (8.0)
3 Do you agree with the opinion that e-learning can 126 43 32
enhance learning skill? (62.7) (21.4) (15.9)
4 Do you agree that e-learning is beneficial for your 147 30 24
learning? (73.1) (14.9) (11.9)
5 Do you believe that e-learning can contribute to 145 40 15
national education in Saudi Arabia? (72.1) (19.9) (7.5)
6 Do you believe that e-learning can substitute 110 58 33
conventional learning shortly? (54.7) (28.9) (16.4)
7 Do you support that e-learning should be included 140 37 24
in the national plan for education in Saudi Arabia? (69.7) (18.4) (11.9)
8 Do you plan to study additional electronic courses 98 62 41
in the future, if it is available? (48.8) (30.8) (20.4)
9 I prefer that all courses that I study to be in the 91 43 67
form of electronic courses. (45.3) (21.4) (33.3)
10 I prefer e-learning to conventional education. 104 39 58
(51.7) (19.4) (28.9)
Note: Figures in brackets indicate percentages

Respondents of the survey are undergraduate students undertaken 5- selected

courses, these courses are in different areas, in specific;

 Introduction to Islamic culture (two courses, G1),

 Arabic Language Skill (two courses, G2) and
 English (one course, G3).

The students are at the age between 18-24 years old, every course contains
approximately 30-60 students: The questionnaires were distributed and collected at
the end of the semester, during January, 2009, which were then processed to
statistical analysis procedures. The collected data was coded using SPSS statistical
Application. Table 2, shows the descriptive statistical data.

65
 Table: 2.
Students' Satisfaction Toward e-learning,
Mean and Standard Deviation Correlations

Statement Overall G1(N G2(80) G3(41)

80)
M SD M SD M SD M SD
1 1.36 .69 1.37 .77 1.34 .65 1.39 .63
2 1.34 .65 1.37 .67 1.31 .65 1.34 .62
3 1.52 .76 1.60 .81 1.51 .73 1.44 .71
4 1.39 .69 1.45 .71 1.36 .70 1.32 .65
5 1.34 .62 1.39 .63 1.36 .66 1.22 .52
6 1.62 .75 1.64 .75 1.59 .77 1.63 .73
7 1.42 .70 1.44 .73 1.41 .69 1.41 .67
8 1.72 .78 1.80 .82 1.75 .79 1.49 .68
9 1.88 .88 1.95 .87 1.91 .87 1.68 .91
10 1.77 .87 1.85 .89 1.76 .86 1.63 .86
Overall 1.81 .75
G1, G2 &
G3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The questionnaires were distributed to 201 students (female) and collected on the last
of each course during January, 2009. Respondents of the survey are college student
undertaking five selected courses. These courses are in three main topics, in specific:
1- Introduction to Islamic culture (IS 101), Islam and building Society (IS 102),
cumulative percent G1, (39.8%); 2- Arabic Language skill (AL 101), Arabic writing (AL
103), Cumulative percent, G2, 39.8%) and 3- English (Eng 101), cumulative percent,
G3, (20.4%). The collected data were coded using Statistical Package for Social
Sciences (SPSS), using Version 10.0.This section presents the results of the factor
analysis. The factor analysis by principal components was adopted in the data analysis
for the purpose of partitioning the experimental variables into factors that influence
the student‘s satisfaction. Responses to each of the indicators on satisfaction toward
e-learning were measured on a Linkert Scale of 1 to 3 ranging from "strong agree" to
"disagree". Data in Table 1 and 2 provides an overview of the relative importance of
these indicators. Mean scores of the sample indicate that more than 70% of
respondents strongly support having a clear idea of the e-learning concept and did
have experience with e-learning. This satisfaction data results indicate that somehow,
e-learning are more flexible and enable students greater freedom of learning any
place, any time.

On the subject of ‗Knowledge of Learning‘ from the Survey, we found that 70.1% of
those surveyed or 141 out of the 201 students have heard and proclaimed to have a
clear idea of the e-learning concepts, while 17.4% of the remaining Students stated
not sure and 10.4% of students admitted to not having an idea. Therefore, it can be
concluded that e-learning is no longer something foreign or new to the community
nowadays.From the 201 students who filled the survey form, 141 students or 70.1% of
them said that they did have experienced with e-learning method before, while 19.4%
of students stated not sure and the remaining students, 8.0% not having an idea.

When they were questioned on whether they think that e-learning system could
enhance their learning skills, it is better compared to the conventional way, 62.7% or
126 students strongly agree and stated yes.
66
Meanwhile, 15.9%, 32 of them said no and 21.4%, 43 of them are not sure.We found
that majority 73.1% of the students or 147 students agreed that e-learning system is
of great benefit. 11.9% or 24 of them do not agree and 14.9% or 30 of the remaining
students, stated not sure.

When students were asked to state their opinion on the possibility of e-learning
making any contribution to the national education systems in Saudi Arabia growth,
72.1% or 145 students answered yes (they strongly agree). Meanwhile, 19.9% or 40
students say that they are not sure and the remaining 7.5% or 15 students do not
agree.

Regarding the future of e-learning the respondents were asked if they think e-learning
would one day be able to substitute the conventional way of learning in schools in the
future, 54.7% or 110 students agree and 28.9% or 58 students are not sure. The
remaining, 16.4% or 33 students disagree.
Therefore, from this survey we can conclude that e-learning is being more acceptable
than conventional learning; this is because students agree that e-learning provides
more advantages over the conventional learning method.

69.7% or 140 students supported the notion of implementing e-learning into the
national plan education system, while 37 of the respondents stated not sure and 24 of
the students disagree. This means that more people are viewing e-learning as more
beneficial than the conventional method.

From the Survey, 48.8% or 98 students agree to take more e-learning courses in the
future. Meanwhile 30.8% or 62 students are not sure and the reaming 20.4% or 41
students do not prefer to take more electronic courses in the future.

When the students were questioned if they prefer to study all courses in electronic
form, 45.3% or 91 students agree and 21.4% or 43 students are not sure. Meanwhile
33.3% or 67 students disagree.

When students were asked "did they prefer‘s e-learning to conventional learning?;
51.7% or 104 students prefer e-learning, and think that e-learning is more interesting.
Meanwhile 19.4% or 39 students are not sure. The remaining 28.9% or 58 students
do not agree. According to our survey, there are 51.7% of students who agree that e-
learning is mobile as students can use their PDA, notebook when they are traveling
anywhere.

According to a sample survey of University of Edinburgh, "Student Views of E-Learning

-Web CT user 2004", a similar question had been asked. It goes "Do students view ICT
as a benefits for their study?. The Table below shows a very large majority stating
that ICT is a benefit to their studies, and remarkably few seeing it as a distraction.
This emphasizes the degree to which students have.

Female Male
A very considerable benefit. 78.9 78.4 79.4
Something of a benefit. 19.3 19.2 19.7
Something of a distraction. 1.6 2.1 0.9
A very considerable distraction. 0.2 0.3 0.0
[Depicted from a survey from University of Edinburgh Web CT users 2004, (Haywood,J.)]

67
This table of survey shows that e-learning has a very considerable benefit and it is not
a distraction. From this table we can conclude that the existing e-learning can give
more benefits to students. However, the results of this study can be explained in Table
3. It gives the results of extracted communities of all the variables. It shows the
proportion of the variance of a variable by the common factors. From Table: 3, it very
clear that e-learning can replace conventional learning‖ has the least percentage
(34.5%), of variance that can be predicted or explained by other 9 variables. On the
other hand, "the experience in e-learning" has the highest variation (70.1%), that can
be accounted for by 9 variables. These results reveal the importance attached to the
fact that "e-learning can substitute conventional learning". The communality of
(70.1%) in the "the experience in e-learning" can be predicted by the usage of other
variables will have corresponding effect on the new opportunities of learning.
Table: 3
Communities (Extraction Method: Principle Component Analysis

Initial Extraction
A1 1.000 .695
A2 1.000 .701
A3 1.000 .686
A4 1.000 .690
A5 1.000 .572
A6 1.000 .345
A7 1.000 .644
A8 1.000 .465
A9 1.000 .602
A10 1.000 .633
Another statistical analysis instrument is reliability coefficient, Cronbach's alpha
(Cronbach, L. J., 1951), to estimate the scale of consistency among items in the group
(Hair, J. F., et al, 1998). The Cronbach's alpha is generally acceded upon the level of
0.70, albeit it is acceptable at 0.60 in exploratory research (Cronbach, L. J., 1951).
Table 4, illustrates the factors extracted from factor analysis and the Cronbach's alpha
from reliability analysis of the data. Factor analysis led ten questionnaire statements
into two components statement 3-10, and 1-2 form factors 1 and 2 respectively.
These factors contribute to the explanation in student satisfaction variable (60.34%)
of total variance.
Table: 4
Rotated Component Matrix* for Factor Analysis of the Satisfaction

Component
1 2
A1 .833
A2 .832
A3 .828
A4 .831
A5 .755
A6 .565
A7 .794
A8 .681
A9 .768
A10 .794
Rotation Sum of Squared
Loading
Total (Eigen Value) 4.590 1.444
% of Variance 45.901 14.436
Cumulative % 45.901 60.336
Cronbach's alpha .8519
68
The internal consistency, represented by coefficient alpha, of all items is as much as
0.8519. It reports and existence of cohesive internal relationships of all measurements
statements in representing the satisfaction of e-learning, and this result provides
confidence that statistical results produced are coming from stable measurement
source. The first component represents the most contributory element to student
satisfaction in e-learning at a figure of 45.90% of total variance explained. Student
satisfaction could be explained by the second factor (14.44%) of the total variance in
this study.

E-learning is beneficial to education, corporations and to all types of learners. It is

affordable, saves time, and produces measurable results. E-learning is more cost
effective than traditional learning because less time and money is spent on traveling.
Since e-learning can be done in any geographic location and there are no travel
expenses, this type of learning is much less costly than doing learning at a traditional
institute.Flexibility is a major benefit of e-learning. E-learning has the advantage of
taking class anytime anywhere. Education is available when and where it is needed.
E-learning can be done at the office, at home, on the road, 24 hours a day, and seven
days a week. E-learning also has measurable assessments which can be created so
that both the instructors and students will know what the students have learned,
when that completed courses, and how they have performed.Students like e-learning
because it accommodates different types of learning styles. Students have the
advantage of learning at their own pace. Students can also learn through a variety of
activities that apply to many different learning styles learners have. Learners can fit e-
learning into their busy schedule. If they hold a job, they can still be working with e-
learning. If the learner needs to do the learning at night, then this option is available.
Learners can sit in their home in their pajamas and do the learning if they desire.

E-learning encourages students to peruse through information by using hyperlinks and

sites on the worldwide Web. Students are able to find information relevant to their
personal situations and interest. E-learning allows students to select learning
materials that meet their level of knowledge, interest and what they need to know to
perform more effectively in an activity.

E-learning is more focused on the learner and it is more interesting for the learner
because it is information that they want to learn. E-learning is flexible and can be
customized to meet the individual needs of the learners.

E-Learning helps students develop knowledge of the Internet. This knowledge will
help learners throughout their careers. E-learning encourages students to take
personal responsibility for their own learning. When learners succeed, it builds self-
knowledge and self-confidence in them.Educators and corporations really benefit from
e-learning. Learners enjoy having the opportunity to learn at their won space, on their
own time, and have it less costly.

Next we look at the disadvantages of e-learning. One disadvantage of e-learning is

that learners need to have access to a computer as well as the Internet. They also
need to have computer skills with programs such as word processing, Internet
brewers, and e-mail. Without these skills and software it is not possible for the
student to succeed in e-learning. E-learning needs to be very comfortable using a
computer. Slow Internet connections or older computers may make accessing course
materials difficult. This may cause the learners to get frustrated and give up. Another
disadvantage of e-learning is managing computer files and online learning software.
For learners with beginner-level computer skills, it can sometimes seem complex to
keep their computer files organized. Without good computer organizational skills,
learners may lose or misplace reports causing them to be late in submitting
assignments. Some of the students also may have trouble installing software that
is required for the class. 69
E-learning also requires just as much time for attending class and completing
assignments as any traditional classroom course. This means that students have to be
highly motivated and responsible because all the work they do is on their own.
Learners with low motivation or bad study habits may fall behind. Another
disadvantage of e-learning is that without the routine structures of a traditional class,
students may get lost or confused about course activities and deadlines causing the
students to fail or do poorly.Another disadvantage of e-learning is that students may
feel isolated from the instructor. Instructions are not always available to help the
learner so learners need to have discipline to work independently without the
instructor's assistance. E-learners also need to have good writing and communication
skills. When instructors and other learners aren't meeting face-to-face, it is possible
to misinterpret what was meant.

For the overall conclusion, the existing of e-learning is really good to improve current
education culture, but it is still lacking some features to substitute conventional
learning. It will be a problem for our society if the students graduate from schools and
universities lacking in communication techniques and most important of all being
humane, and producing uneducated experts in the future.

Imagine if the future of our education is fully based on e-Learning, what would be the
of our society? No doubt, because of the rapid advancement of our technology, e-
Learning will gain more acceptance case from the public.

CONCLUSION

College of Applied Studies and Community service students' satisfaction is seriously

taken into regard. Students are regularly asked to evaluate e-learning courses, the
faculty, the appropriateness of technologies, and the support services provided by the
institutions. Results in terms of student satisfaction help to analyze the achievement
of course objectives skills, knowledge or competencies. Such results can also been
seen as an expression of a general sense of customer satisfaction, which is key in
continuing learning.

While the researcher in this study expected to hear some negative voices, student
comments were high positive, indicating their high satisfaction with overall learning
experience. Participants were highly satisfied with the opportunity to interact with
distance learning context, which can be a viable option to increase student
satisfaction. The importance of this study is that is focused on students' voices
regarding their experiences and perceptions toward e-learning.

It is important to note that distance education will continue to have an impact on

teaching and learning. However, online environments cannot be effective and thrive
without considering students' needs and preferences. Online learning environments
should be carefully design to maximize students‘ satisfaction with these environments.

BIODATA and CONTACT ADDRESSES of AUTHOR

Dr. Fahad Nasar ALFAHAD, a Ph.D. from University of Pittsburgh in

Educational Communications and Technology, is the Dean of College of
Applied Study and Community Service, King Saud University, Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia. He is a member of the Association of Educational
Communications and Technology, USA, and member of the Association
of Multimedia, has published several papers in reputed journals and
presented papers at various International Conferences on the subject of Distance
Education.
70
Fahad N. AL-FAHAD
King Saud University
College of Applied Studies and Community Service
P.O. Box 22459, Riyadh 11495, SAUDI ARABIA
e-mail: [email protected]

REFERENCES

Al-Fahad, N. F. (2008). ―Surveying Instructor and Learner attitudes toward e-learning

courses in College of Applied Studies and Community Service in Saudi Arabia‖, IASK
Proceedings TL 2008–Teaching & Learning, 26-28 May, 2008. Aveiro, Portugal.

Arabasz P. and Baker M., (2003). Evolving Campus Support Models for E-Learning
Courses. ECAR Educes Center for Applied Research. Http://wwweducause.edu,
Accessed (24/8/2006).

Bird, L., (2006). ―A nontraditional approach to educating tomorrow's workforce‖,

Community College Journal, Vol 77, No.3, pp.48-51.

Buckley, D. P., (2002). ―In pursuit of the learning paradigm‖. EDUCAUSE Review, Vol.
37, No. 1, pp.28-38.

Chiu, C., et, al., (2005). ―Usability, quality, value and e-learning continuance
decisions‖, Computers & Education, 45, pp. 399-416.

Cronbach, L. J., (1951). ―Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of test‖.
Psychometrical, Vol. 16, pp.297-334.

Govindasamy, T. (2001). ―Successful implementation of e-learning Pedagogical

Considerations‖. The internet and Higher Education, V. 4, No.3-4 pp.287-299.

Grijava, et. al., (2006). ―Academic honesty and online courses‖. College Student
Journal, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp.180.

Hair, J. F., et al, (1998). Multivariate Data Analysis. 5th ed., New Jersey: Prentice–Hal,
Upper Saddle River l.

Haywood, Jeff. Et al., (2002). ―Students Views of E-Learning: A Survey of University of

Edinburgh WebCT Users 2004, Texas Education Agency‖. Ch. 126 Texas essential
knowledge skills for technology (prek-12). Austin, TX..

Hoyle, G., (2007). What is distance education and distance learning? Retrieved
November 2, 2007, from Distance Learning on the Net:
http//www.hoyle.com/distance/define. Html

Khan, B. H. (2001). A framework for Web- based Learning. Educational Technology'

Publication, Englewood Cliff. NJ pp 75-98.

Learner Online, (2008). An Introduction to E-learning [online]. Available: http://pbl-

online.org/learnOnline/ learning.html

Lee, Y. et al., (2007). ―Antecedents of Learner Satisfaction toward E-Learning‖, The

Journal of American Academy of Business, Vol. 11, No 2, pp. 161-168.

71
Lee, Y. F. H., (2007). ―Get your degree from an educational ATM: empirical study on
online education‖, International Journal on E-Learning, Vol.6, No. 1, pp. 31-40.

Liu, S., Gomez, et al., (2007). ―Toward a learner-oriented community college online
course dropout frame work‖, International Journal on E-Learning, Vol. 6, No. 4, pp.
519-542.

Mackay, S., and Stockport, f. J., (2006). ―Blended learning, classroom, and e-learning‖,
The Business Review, Vol.5, No. 1. pp 82-88.

Mahle, M., (2007). ―Interactivity in distance education‖, Distance Learning, Vol. 4, No.
4, pp. 47.

Martey, A., (2004). ―ICT in Distance Education in Ghana‖, Library Hi-Tech News, Vol.
21, No. 5, pp.16-18.

Mentzer, G. A., et al., (2007). ‖Two peas in a pod? A comparison of face-to-face and
web-based classrooms‖, Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, Vol.15, No. 2,
pp. 233.

Papp, K. et al., (2001). ―The problem of retaining clinical teachers in academic

medicine‖, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp. 402-403

Rao, S., (2006).‖Distance education and the role of IT in India‖, The Electronic Library,
Vol. 24, No. 3, pp.225-236.

Raymond, F., (2000). ―Delivering distance education through technology – a pioneer's

experience‖, Campus-Wide Information systems, Vol. 17, No. 1,pp. 49-55.

Roffe, I., (2002). ―E-Learning–engagement, enhancement and execution‖, Quality

Assurance in Education, Vol. 10. No. 1, pp. 40-50.

Rosenberg, M., (2001). E-Learning–Strategies for delivering knowledge in the digital

age. : Mc-Grow-Hill, New York.

Seddon, P. B., (1997). ―A respecification and extension of the DeLone and McLean
model of IS success‖, Information Systems Research, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp.240-253.

Summers, J., et. al., (2005). ―A Comparison of Student Achievement and Satisfaction in
an Online Versus a Traditional Face-to-Face Statistics Class‖, Innovative Higher
Education, vol. 29, No. 3, pp.233-250.

Tang, M., and Byme, R., (2007). ―Regular versus online versus blended: A Qualitative
description of the advantages of the electronic modes and a quantitative evaluation‖.
International Journal on E-Learning, Vol. 6, No. 2. pp. 257-266.

Vaughan, N., (2007). ―Perspectives on blended learning in higher education‖.

International Journal on E-Learning, Vol. 6, No.1, pp.81-94.

Wang, C. and Liu, Z., (2003). ―Distance education–basic resource guide‖, Collection
Building, Vol. 22, No. 3, pp.120-130.

Weekes, S., (2007). ―Turn on, tune in, and nod off?‖ Training & Coaching Today, 1.

72