Evaluation of e-learning web sites using fuzzy axiomatic design based approach

High quality web site has been generally recognized as a critical enabler to conduct online business. Numerous studies exist in the literature to measure the business performance in relation to web site quality. In this paper, an axiomatic design based approach for fuzzy group decision making is adopted to evaluate the quality of e-learning web sites. Another multi-criteria decision making technique, namely fuzzy TOPSIS, is applied in order to validate the outcome. The methodology proposed in this paper has the advantage of incorporating requirements and enabling reductions in the problem size, as compared to fuzzy TOPSIS. A case study focusing on Turkish e-learning websites is presented, and based on the empirical findings, managerial implications and recommendations for future research are offered

Los sitios web académicos con información de postgrado: herramientas para su evaluación / Postgraduate studies websites: a framework for evaluating

This paper proposes two tools for evaluating the quality of information on postgraduate studies websites, while providing for both objective and subjective approaches to the evaluation process. On one hand, a checklist of accessibly levels, for use with Weblink Validator, W3C markup validation service and TAW, has been developed. This is complemented by questionnaire instrument, designed and field tested to assess qualitative aspects of the target websites. These tools have been field tested on postgraduate websites that enjoy Quality Mention (MC) from universities in Andalusia, Spain; and the data complied was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of these analyses yield acceptable quality values for these websites, while revealing several common flaws. A university website ranking and a website domain ranking have also been developed. The distinct quality levels of these websites are reported in cluster and principle component analyses

A review of two decades of research on the application of multicriteria decision making techniques to evaluate e-learning’s effectiveness

Multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques have been widely adopted to evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning. However, the literature review has not kept pace with the rapid accumulation of knowledge in this field. This study systematically reviews the MCDM techniques applied in e-learning issues. In total, we reviewed 77 published studies selected from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. We classified the selected studies by the publication year, the authors’ nationality, and the type of MCDM techniques examined. We further discovered that the majority of previous studies adopted Information System Success Model (D&M model) which was proposed by Delone and McLean in 1992. Due to limited features that were provided by the e-learning system back in the mid-2000, the original D&M model might not consider some significant factors such as students’ characteristics, instructors’ characteristics, user interface and learning community. The goals of this systematic literature review are to understand if the original D&M model is addressed in modern e-learning and to determine if new factors have emerged to evaluate e-learning’s effectiveness but not captured by the original D&M model. This review contributes three new theoretical perspectives. First, reclassification of the D&M model is conducted to include learners’ characteristics, instructors’ characteristics, user interface, and learning community. Second, this study discovers that there is a need to perform reclassification of overlapping subfactors. Third, this review also identifies that the dependencies among the factors in the D&M model are inadequately examined in previous studies. Researchers can utilize the findings of this study as a foundation to formulate their research frameworks, and practitioners can integrate the significant factors identified in this study into their decision-making processes when developing e-learning at their institutions

Postgraduate studies websites: A framework for evaluating

Este trabajo diseña y desarrolla dos nuevas herramientas adaptadas específicamente para la evaluación de sitios web de estudios de postgrado desde una perspectiva objetiva –mediante una checklist y utilizando aplicaciones como Weblink Validator, W3C markup validator y TAW– y subjetiva –a través de un cuestionario−. Estas herramientas se han aplicado a sitios web de Programas Oficiales de Postgrado con Mención de Calidad –distinción otorgada por el Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España–. El análisis y procesamiento de los datos se ha realizado con el paquete estadístico SPSS.Los resultados muestran valores aceptables para los sitios web analizados aunque tienen algunos defectos comunes. Se constata la existencia de varios niveles de calidad de tales sitios, tal como se pone de manifiesto tanto en el análisis de cluster como en el de componentes principales o PCA.This paper proposes two tools for evaluating the quality of information on postgraduate studies websites, while providing for both objective and subjective approaches to the evaluation process. On one hand, a checklist of accessibly levels, for use with Weblink Validator, W3C markup validation service and TAW, has been developed. This is complemented by questionnaire instrument, designed and field tested to assess qualitative aspects of the target websites. These tools have been field tested on postgraduate websites that enjoy Quality Mention (MC) from universities in Andalusia, Spain; and the data complied was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results of these analyses yield acceptable quality values for these websites, while revealing several common flaws. A university website ranking and a website domain ranking have also been developed. The distinct quality levels of these websites are reported in cluster and principle component analyses

Szolgáltatásminőség keretrendszer kialakítása és fejlesztése – egy felsőoktatási tantárgy példája = Establishing and improving a service quality framework through – The example of a higher education course

A felsőoktatás fokozódó társadalmi-gazdasági szerepének és az intenzívebbé váló hazai és nemzetközi versenynek köszönhetően az intézmények menedzsmentje egyre inkább felismeri, hogy ahhoz, hogy az intézményi szolgáltatásokat igénybe vevők elvárásait a lehető legteljesebb mértékben ki tudják elégíteni, különböző menedzsmentmódszerek, köztük minőségmenedzsment-módszerek alkalmazása válik szükségessé. Jelen tanulmány célja a szolgáltatásminőség-mérési és -értékelési törekvések bemutatása olyan projektfeladat-kurzusok esetében, amelyek nem részei a rendszeres, szemeszter végi értékeléseknek – hagyományos kurzusoktól eltérő jellegzetességeiknek köszönhetően. A PDCA-filozófiát követve a szerzők kvantitatív és kvalitatív elemzéseinek célja, hogy a hallgatóktól és a konzulensektől származó visszajelzéseket felhasználva fejlesszék a konzultációs és az azt támogató folyamatokat, továbbá megfelelő inputokat szolgáltassanak az alkalmazott szolgáltatásminőség-mérési és -értékelési módszertan fejlesztéséhez is. Ehhez az elmúlt két év során gyűjtött tapasztalataikat foglalják össze, és vázolják a továbblépés lehetőségeit. ------ Due to the increasing social and economic role of higher education and to the intensifying national and international competition in the sector, institutional management boards gradually accept that the application of various management tools and methods including quality management ones is a necessity in order to fulfil the needs and expectations of those who ‘consume’ the services provided by higher education institutions. The primary aim of this paper is to introduce our service quality measuring and evaluating efforts in case of project work courses which are not part of the regular end-of-semester course evaluation system due to their highly special characteristics. Following the PDCA philosophy, the purpose of the conducted quantitative and qualitative analyses is to continuously improve not only the supervising and related supporting and administrative processes, but also to ensure inputs for the further improvement of the applied framework and methodology. These efforts are supported by the experiences and data gained during the implementation efforts of the last few semesters. Future improvement efforts and further research directions are also outlined

Information quality assessment in e-learning systems.

E-learning systems provide a promising solution as an information exchanging channel. Improved technology could mean faster and easier access to information but does not necessarily ensure the quality of this information. Therefore it is essential to develop valid and reliable methods of quality measurement and carry out careful information quality evaluations. Information quality frameworks are developed to measure the quality of information systems, generally from the designers¿ viewpoint. The recent proliferation of e-services, and e-learning particularly, raises the need for a new quality framework in the context of e-learning systems. The main contribution of this thesis is to propose a new information quality framework, with 14 information quality attributes grouped in three quality dimensions: intrinsic, contextual representation and accessibility. We report results based on original questionnaire data and factor analysis. Moreover, we validate the proposed framework using an empirical approach. We report our validation results on the basis of data collected from an original questionnaire and structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in particular. However, it is difficult to measure information quality in an e-learning context because the concept of information quality is complex and it is expected that the measurements will be multidimensional in nature. Reliable measures need to be obtained in a systematic way, whilst considering the purpose of the measurement. Therefore, we start by adopting a Goal Question Metrics (GQM) approach to develop a set of quality metrics for the identified quality attributes within the proposed framework. We then define an assessment model and measurement scheme, based on a multi element analysis technique. The obtained results can be considered to be promising and positive, and revealed that the framework and assessment scheme could give good predictions for information quality within e-learning context. This research generates novel contributions as it proposes a solution to the problems raised from the absence of consensus regarding evaluation standards and methods for measuring information quality within an e-learning context. Also, it anticipates the feasibility of taking advantage of web mining techniques to automate the retrieval process of the information required for quality measurement. This assessment model is useful to e-learning systems designers, providers and users as it gives a comprehensive indication of the quality of information in such systems, and also facilitates the evaluation, allows comparisons and analysis of information quality

Modelagem multidimensional para mensurar qualidade em website de e-commerce utilizando a teoria da resposta ao item

Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção, Florianópolis, 2012.O presente trabalho tem por objetivo construir uma modelagem multidimensional para medir a qualidade de websites comerciais com uso da Teoria da Resposta ao Item (TRI). Como qualidade de um website, entende-se suas características técnicas (usabilidade/navegabilidade, apresentação da informação e interatividade) e não técnicas (design, estética, apelo visual, confiabilidade, hedonismo, imagem) configurando, teoricamente, um contexto multidimensional. As suposições iniciais das dimensões e elaboração dos itens foi baseada em uma análise bibliográfica sobre o tema qualidade em websites de e-commerce. Um conjunto de 75 itens foi elaborado e submetido a uma amostra de 441 websites de e-commerce dos mais variados setores. O tratamento e análise dos dados foi feita utilizando-se a Teoria da Resposta ao Item. Nesta etapa, são discutidas questões referentes à dimensionalidade e a escolha do modelo mais adequado. Por fim, um modelo multidimensional com quatro dimensões é ajustado compreendendo as dimensões de orientação do usuário e navegabilidade; acessibilidade e confiabilidade do sistema; interatividade; e apresentação da informação.This paper aims to build a multidimensional modeling to measure the quality of commercial websites using the Item Response Theory (IRT). As a quality website means its technical characteristics (usability / navigation, presentation of information and interactivity) and non-technical (design, aesthetics, visual appeal, reliability, hedonism, image) setting, theoretically, a multidimensional context. The initial assumptions of the dimensions and design of the items was based on a literature review on the topic of quality in e-commerce websites. A set of 75 items was developed and submitted to a sample of 441 e-commerce websites in several sectors. Treatment and data analysis was done using the Item Response Theory. At this stage, we discuss issues of dimensionality and choose the most suitable model. Finally, a multidimensional model is fitted with four dimensions comprising the dimensions of user orientation and navigability, accessibility and reliability of the system, interactivity, and presentation of information

A Review of Resonant Converter Control Techniques and The Performances

paper first discusses each control technique and then gives experimental results and/or performance to highlights their merits. The resonant converter used as a case study is not specified to just single topology instead it used few topologies such as series-parallel resonant converter (SPRC), LCC resonant converter and parallel resonant converter (PRC). On the other hand, the control techniques presented in this paper are self-sustained phase shift modulation (SSPSM) control, self-oscillating power factor control, magnetic control and the H-∞ robust control technique

OBSERVER-BASED-CONTROLLER FOR INVERTED PENDULUM MODEL

This paper presents a state space control technique for inverted pendulum system. The system is a common classical control problem that has been widely used to test multiple control algorithms because of its nonlinear and unstable behavior. Full state feedback based on pole placement and optimal control is applied to the inverted pendulum system to achieve desired design specification which are 4 seconds settling time and 5% overshoot. The simulation and optimization of the full state feedback controller based on pole placement and optimal control techniques as well as the performance comparison between these techniques is described comprehensively. The comparison is made to choose the most suitable technique for the system that have the best trade-off between settling time and overshoot. Besides that, the observer design is analyzed to see the effect of pole location and noise present in the system

A Review of Resonant Converter Control Techniques and The Performances

paper first discusses each control technique and then gives experimental results and/or performance to highlights their merits. The resonant converter used as a case study is not specified to just single topology instead it used few topologies such as series-parallel resonant converter (SPRC), LCC resonant converter and parallel resonant converter (PRC). On the other hand, the control techniques presented in this paper are self-sustained phase shift modulation (SSPSM) control, self-oscillating power factor control, magnetic control and the H-∞ robust control technique