Personalized E-Learning for Distance Courses in Community Colleges

Personalized E-Learning systems have a potential to advance distance learning education to a new level. The evaluation of several personalized E-Learning systems in the context of regular classes offered by top research universities and teaching colleges demonstrated their ability to increase both quality of learning and student motivation to learn. However, the usability and the value of personalization, which adds another layer of complexity to E-Learning systems, is yet to be proved in the context of real distance learning courses offered by regular 2-year and 4-year colleges. The study reported in this paper explored whether the students enrolled in distance learning courses at the Community College of Allegheny County are able to use, understand, and appreciate several personalized E-Learning systems, which were not specifically customized for this category of students. The results demonstrate that some tools are used quite heavily, while other tools are used less than expected.