Examining e-Learning Effectiveness, Outcomes and Learning Style: A Longitudinal Field Experiment

The use of information technology (IT) in education has accelerated rapidly. From the learner’s perspective, e-learning is self-service and allows an individual great flexibility and control as well as access to hyperlinked interactive multimedia contents while learning at preferred paces and times. Prior information systems (IS) research has investigated different aspects of e-learning; however, the cumulating evidences of its relative effectiveness and outcomes have been largely equivocal. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal quasi field experiment to comparatively examine e-learning and conventional classroom based learning in the context of English learning. Our evaluative study used relatively comprehensive effectiveness and outcome measurements and involved 507 undergraduate university students. In addition to assessing the effectiveness and outcomes associated with e-learning, we examined the effect of learning style on the effectiveness and outcome improvements resulting from the use of e-learning based as opposed to conventional classroom based learning. Overall, our analysis shows that learning effectiveness (measured objectively and subjectively) associated with e-learning is significantly higher than that observed in the conventional classroom. Subjects supported by e-learning are also more satisfied with the course contents than their conventional classroom counterparts. Personalized learning support appears to be stronger in e-learning than in the conventional classroom setting but the difference is not significant statistically. Anchored using the Learning Style Model by Kolb (1976), our analysis results suggest that the exact magnitude and significance of the differential learning effectiveness and outcomes resulting from e-learning appear to be contingent upon the individual’s learning style. In particular, assimilators may benefit more from e-learning than accommodators, whereas e-learning effectiveness and outcomes seem comparable between convergers and divergers.