Gender differences in e-learning satisfaction

In line with recent research, the question this paper raises is whether or not gender differences also exist in e-learning. This study is based on a sample of 1,185 students who are doing on-line courses at the Universidad de Granada in Spain. The main conclusion is that female students are more satisfied than male students with the e-learning subjects that make up the sample. Furthermore, we find that female students assign more importance to the planning of learning, as well as to being able to contact the teacher in various ways.: Gender Studies; Evaluation Methodologies

Satisfaction with Self and External Regulation of Learning in Higher Education Students in Brazil

The satisfaction of university students with the variables that regulate their learning provides very valuable information to improve the quality of teaching processes. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the learning of Brazilian university students, exploring both selfregulation variables, such as study techniques; and more external regulation variables, namely, satisfaction with the teaching–learning process and with the infrastructure, based on three variables: gender, the institution of higher education and the academic year of the students. To achieve this, 560 students of the Pedagogy degree were evaluated with two questionnaires: a questionnaire of satisfaction with the educational infrastructure and the teaching–learning process and a questionnaire on study techniques. Statistically significant differences were obtained, especially depending on the type of institution and the academic year. The students of private schools and earlier academic years were the ones who obtained the most satisfaction with the study techniques and with the infrastructure. Those from private centers also expressed more satisfaction with the teaching–learning processes. These results provide greater knowledge about the processes of self-regulation and external regulation of university learning and of their satisfaction with them, which can contribute to improving educational policies in Brazil.Research Group Development, Education, Diversity, and Culture: Interdisciplinary Analysis (HUM-742)Federal University of Maranhão and the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão (Foundation for Research Support and Scientific and Technological Development of Maranhão

Gender variability in e-learning utility essentials: evidence from a multi-generational higher education cohort

The paper reports a quantitative investigation into the nuances of gender perspectives of E-Learning utility across the social categorisations of Generation X, Y, and Z in the current phenomena of accelerated usage of e-learning in the emerging multi-generational undergraduate cohorts. Using multi-generational undergraduate cohorts (N = 611), taking a mandatory online course in a Business School curricular. With multi-group partial least-squares analysis, the study shows differences exist in the utility of e-learning within gender and Generations of X, Y, and Z. These differences may not be apparent when examined at only the gender level, which has led other researchers to conclude the gender gap is narrowing. However, we establish that within gender and across generations in a developing country context, the gender divide is not narrowing at the same pace as found in other developed countries. To accelerate the implementation of e-learning in traditional (faceto-face) undergraduate programmes globally, there is the need to contextualize Course Development, Learner Support, Assessment, and User Characteristics factors along with the different genders, and across generations to improve Results Demonstrability and Student Overall Satisfaction of utility of e-learning. In developing countries, there is a need to enhance Institutional factors to strengthen the drive to e-learning

Blended Learning: The Student Viewpoint

Background: Blended learning (BL) is defined as “a way of meeting the challenges of tailoring learning and development to the needs of individuals by integrating the innovative and technological advances offered by online learning with the interaction and participation offered in the best of traditional learning.” The Gulf Medical University (GMU), Ajman, UAE, offers a number of courses which incorporate BL with contact classes and online component on an E‑learning platform. Insufficient learning satisfaction has been stated as an obstacle to its implementation and efficacy.Aim: To determine the students’ perceptions toward BL which in turn will determine their satisfaction and the efficacy of the courses offered.Subjects and Methods: This was a cross‑sectional study conducted at the GMU, Ajman between January and December 2013. Perceptions of BL process, content, and ease of use were collected from 75 students enrolled in the certificate courses offered by the university using a questionnaire. Student perceptions were assessed using Mann–Whitney U‑test and Kruskal–Wallis test on the basis of gender, age, and course enrollment.Results: The median scores of all the questions in the three domains were above three suggesting positive perceptions on BL. The distribution of perceptions was similar between gender and age. However, significant differences were observed in the course enrollment (P = 0.02).Conclusion: Students hold a positive perception of the BL courses being offered in this university. The difference in perceptions among students of different courses suggest that the BL format offered needs modification according to course content to improve its perception.Keywords: Blended learning, Online learning, Students’ perception

The Effects of Gender Differences, Leaner Sources, and Online Interaction on Learners\u27 Perceptions of eLearning

With the maturity and propagation of multimedia and Internet technologies, E-learning has become popular and served as a key source for educational training and individual’s competence development in the information society. Understanding and responding to learner’s expectations is very important for the success of E-learning programs, especially with dramatic environmental changes and increasing competitive pressures. Educators need to adjust their instructional methods to increase education performance and meet learner’s needs under limited financial and human resources. The purpose of this study focuses on investigating the effect of gender differences, learner sources, and online interaction on learner perceptions of service quality, information quality, and satisfaction. Conducting through a field survey, subjects are from the students in National Sun Yat-Sen Cyber University (http://cu.nsysu.edu.tw) in Taiwan. The findings contribute information to help in planning, design, development, implementation and evaluation of E-learning programs to better meet the demand of Elearning learners

The engagement of mature distance students

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Higher Education Research and Development in 2013, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/07294360.2013.777036.Publishe

The Role of Gender in Social Network Organization

The digital traces we leave behind when engaging with the modern world offer an interesting lens through which we study behavioral patterns as expression of gender. Although gender differentiation has been observed in a number of settings, the majority of studies focus on a single data stream in isolation. Here we use a dataset of high resolution data collected using mobile phones, as well as detailed questionnaires, to study gender differences in a large cohort. We consider mobility behavior and individual personality traits among a group of more than $800$ university students. We also investigate interactions among them expressed via person-to-person contacts, interactions on online social networks, and telecommunication. Thus, we are able to study the differences between male and female behavior captured through a multitude of channels for a single cohort. We find that while the two genders are similar in a number of aspects, there are robust deviations that include multiple facets of social interactions, suggesting the existence of inherent behavioral differences. Finally, we quantify how aspects of an individual's characteristics and social behavior reveals their gender by posing it as a classification problem. We ask: How well can we distinguish between male and female study participants based on behavior alone? Which behavioral features are most predictive