Toward a Unified Framework for Evaluating Online Education Quality

Abstract

E-Learning has become a global phenomenon. It makes learning more accessible and acquisition of new skills and knowledge easier. In sub-Saharan Africa, however, online qualifications are often the subject of controversy regarding their recognition. This is clear evidence of unsuitable e-Learning systems, as well as the limited relevance of the programs they offered in addressing the Africans’ context-specific needs. Despite the multitude of studies on the quality of online education, inconsistencies in findings make not only comparisons between studies difficult but also complicate the assessment of quality online education. To address this issue, this study integrated the Kirkpatrick with DeLone & McLean models to identify core quality dimensions. Furthermore, this study clarified the context-specific requirements of the identified dimensions. Ten hypotheses were tested using online survey questionnaires administered to four higher education institutions via Qualtrics. The findings supported eight hypotheses and rejected two. This model highlights the critical role played by system quality, the quality of course content, faculty and institutional support in enhancing learning. Furthermore, the model establishes a clear cause-and-effect pathway useful in addressing poor learning outcomes.  We discussed the implications of the findings in the context of sub-Saharan Africa. The model is simple, theoretically sound, and comprehensive for real-life applications. Specifically, this study highlighted the importance of both formative and summative evaluations. Further qualitative studies on the context-specific requirements of the dimensions would be desirable.