Some factors influencing student satisfaction in e learning a study of university students in ho chi minh city, viet nam

To be more specific, it examines the impact of some dimensions, including instructor dimension, learner dimension, and technology dimension on the e-learner satisfaction.. To be more spe

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY

International School of Business

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NGUYEN HUU QUY

SOME FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT SATISFACTION IN E-LEARNING A STUDY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN HO CHI

MINH CITY, VIET NAM

MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours)

UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS HO CHI MINH CITY

International School of Business

-

NGUYEN HUU QUY

SOME FACTORS INFLUENCING STUDENT SATISFACTION IN

E-LEARNING A STUDY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN HO

CHI MINH CITY, VIET NAM

ID: 22110050

MASTER OF BUSINESS (Honours)

SUPERVISOR: Dr Nguyen Dong Phong

Acknowledgement

The process of writing this thesis is a challenging task and an insight full research It

is almost impossible for me to reach the goal and successfully complete the thesis without the love, the care, the full support, and guidance from my professors and my friends

The first person I would like to express a great gratitude is my thesis advisor Dr Nguyen Dong Phong for his assistances and guidance in conducting this research and thanks for his generous as well as his support during the time I take part in studying here Dr Dinh The Hoang is the second person I would like to thanks for his dedicated guidelines in data analysis section And further thanks go to the members of

my thesis committee for their feedback, comments and encouragement The thesis would not have achieved this quality without their devotion helps

Great thanks to my best friends in for their helps in my life and study Special thanks

to responders with enthusiasm to help me collect the data and thanks to special ISB friends for happy moments we spent together

Ho Chi Minh City, Mar 2, 2014

Nguyen Huu Quy

Abstract

As a matter of fact, thanks to technology innovations and Internet, we cannot deny the fact that people have many diverse ways to approach courses of universities through Internet, comprising e-learning, online education In addition, in Vietnam, students are increasingly demanding online access, and universities, colleges, and institutions are working to meet demands As a result, e-learning is emerging as the new paradigm

of modern education in Vietnam The purpose of this paper therefore finds the factors

of student satisfaction with e-learning at Vietnam universities

In order to do this, data of the quantitative survey is gathered from university learners, having been experienced the e-learning method in one of the biggest cities, Ho Chi Minh City Then, the analysis is done via the SPSS software Next, both the results and the relations among the factors are explained

The results are expected to support the proposed hypotheses They are able to be essential to provide universities, institutions, and colleges with more information about the student satisfaction of e-learning in Vietnam Limitations, discussions and

suggestions will be explained the results in research and practice

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement………i

Abstract………ii

Table of Contents……….iii

List of tables……….vi

List of figures……… vii

Chapter I: Introduction……… 1

1.1 Background……….1

1.2 Research problem………… 3

1.3 Research objectives……… 4

1.4 Scope of the research……… 4

1.5 Significance of the research……… 5

1.6 Organization of the thesis ……… 5

Chapter II: Literature review and hypothesis ……… 7

2.1 Elearning……… 7

2.1.1 Definition of e-learning……….7

2.1.2 The benefits of e-learning……… 8

2.1.3 E-learning in Vietnam……… …………9

2.2 Student satisfaction……… 11

2.3 Theoretical Background of student satisfaction model ………13

2.4 Factors influencing the student satisfaction with e-learn……… 18

2.4.1 Instructor capability……… ….18

2.4.2 Learner attitude toward computers……… … 20

2.4.3 Technology dimension………21

Chapter III: Methodology………24

3.1 Research process ……….24

3.2 Preliminarily qualitative research……… 27

3.3 Sampling design……….27

3.4 Measurement……… 28

3.5 Quantitative Research ……… …28

3.6 Data analysis……… 29

Chapter IV: Research Results ……… … 30

4.1 Data statistical analysis……… 30

4.2 Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of reliability test……… 32

4.3 Exploratory Factor Analysis ( EFA) result………35

4.4 Independence of residual……… 38

4.5 Test of normality of residual and heteroscedasticity……….39

4.6 Multicollinearity test……… 39

4.7 No significant outliers or influential points………40

4.8 Hypotheses Testing……… 41

4.9 Summary of the Results……… 43

Chapter V Discussion, Implications, Limitation, and Conclusion……… 46

5.1 Discussion ……… 46

5.2 Implications and suggestions……… 47

5.2.1 Instructor capability……… 47

5.2.2 Learner attitude toward computers……… 49

5.2.3 Technology dimension……… 50

5.3 Conclusion……….51

References……… 54

Appendix A Questionnaire……… 60

Appendix B: Chart………67

Appendix C: Table……… 70

Appendix D: Preliminarily research……….73

List of tables

Table 4.1.1: Description ……… 31

Table 4.2.1: Reliability Statistics……… 33

Table 4.2.2: Item-Total Statistics……… 33

Table 4.2.3: Reliability Statistics……… 33

Table 4.2.4: Item-Total Statistics……… 34

Table 4.2.5: Reliability Statistics……… 34

Table 4.2.6: Item-Total Statistics……… 34

Table 4.2.7: Reliability Statistics……… 35

Table 4.2.8: Item-Total Statistics……… 35

Table 4.3.1: KMO and Bartlett's Test ………36

Table 4.3.2: Total Variance Explained……… 37

Table 4.4.1: Model Summary ………39

Table 4.6.1: Coefficients……… 40

Table 4.7.1: Casewise Diagnostics……….40

Table 4.8.1: ANOVA……… 41

Table 4.9.1: Results of the Testing Hypotheses……… 44

List of Figures

Figure 2.3.1 Partial model of student satisfaction and retention……… 14 Figure 2.3.2 A conceptual model of user’ satisfaction, behavioral intention, and effectiveness toward e-learning……… 15 Figure 2.3.3: Research model……….16 Figure 2.3.4 Dimensions and antecedents of perceived e-learner satisfaction…….17 Figure 2.5.1: Factors of e-learner satisfaction model………23 Figure 3.3.1: The Structure of the Method approach for this Research……… 26 Figure 4.9.2: The final research model……… 45

Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Background

As a matter of fact, it is almost impossible for governments to develop their countries in all aspects without paying attention to education In other words, education is viewed as means for growing the society, economy, and politics of a country The crucial of education and its delivery to the citizens is therefore imperative Moreover, modern society requires people to be able to study regularly, continuously and all their life In addition, its core is self-learning, self-striving ability

to improve specialty, professional skills and quality of life E-learning is one of the methods satisfying these demands To build a successful learning society in Viet Nam, the State and Party have concerned very much According to the eleventh Congress of Communist Party of Viet Nam (2011), promoting the study encouragement movement, building a learning society, and expanding e-learning mode would be goals of the State

Vietnam’s movement toward a market-oriented economy and participation in the World Trade Organization (WTO) have opened the doors to greater opportunities

as well as challenges for business To be more precise, new markets for goods and services exports, access to imported raw materials and technologies, and more chances for international business co-operation are opportunities when Vietnam is a market-oriented economy and a member of WTO A more open market, however, leads to stronger competition and to imposition of stricter business standards, such as product quality and safety (Nguyen, & Nguyen, 2010) Among several challenges, lack of knowledge about business management is possibly one of the most difficulties for Vietnam In addition, the rising demand of people in updating knowledge and

hence, play an important role in providing qualified business graduates for the Vietnamese labor market (Nguyen, 2009) Knowing the labor market’s need for competent learners, the Vietnamese universities and colleges make constant efforts to satisfy customers, especially students

According to the education laws in 2012, higher education covers undergraduate and postgraduate studies Master degrees and doctor degrees belong to postgraduate studies In contrast, undergraduate studies can lead to diplomas and bachelor degrees In Vietnam higher education system, the structure of higher education institutions is including universities, research institutions, and colleges Universities can offer college, undergraduate, master and doctor programs as assigned

by the Prime Minister Research institutions can afford doctorate programs In addition, the institutions cooperating with universities can make available master programs subject to permission from the Prime Minister Unlike universities and institutions, colleges can offer college degrees and other lower level of undergraduate programs Over the past 11 years, higher education, and the tertiary education institutes system in Vietnam have experienced many changes, consisting of expansion

as well as establishment of new educational institutions with diversified types and improvement in quality (Nguyen, Oliver, and Priddy, 2009) According to the statistics of Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam has about 386 universities and colleges Furthermore, nowadays, thanks to technology innovations and Internet,

it is easily for people to study at universities To be more precise, we can have many diverse ways to approach courses of universities through Internet, comprising e-learning, online education Online education has generated huge excitement in the education system Some people think that it offers the potential to provide learning to

transform learning delivery and the competitive landscape (Poehlein, 1996) The rapid growth of the Internet, combined with the increasing interest in lifelong learning and budget restriction, has created a significant incentive for universities to apply e-learning in some subjects and academic disciplines As the modern technologies are now available and relatively user-friendly, those universities without embracing the technologies will be left behind in the race for globalization and technological development

1.2 Research problem

E-learning is making use of technology innovations and Internet to deliver information for education and training (Sun, Tsai, Finger, Chen, & Yeh, 2006) Thanks to the progress of information and communication technology development, it

is impossible for people to deny the fact that e-learning is emerging as the paradigm

of modern education As regards e-learning, it actually has some advantages, comprising liberating interactions between learners and instructors, or learners and learners, from limitations of time and space through the asynchronous and synchronous learning network model (Sun et al., 2006) It is obvious that the characteristics of e-learning fulfill the requirements for learning in a modern society However, some students feel unpleased and disappointed when experiencing e-learning at Vietnamese universities, including: University of Science Ho Chi Minh city, Ho Chi Minh city Open University, Hutech University, Ho Chi Minh city University of Technology, and University of Information Technology

The researches about student satisfaction are vital in ascertaining whether colleges and universities are fulfilling their mission It is well known that a qualified graduate is the most crucial product of educational institutions Satisfaction is a

satisfied individuals are likely to be willing to exert more effort than unsatisfied individuals (Bryant, 2006; Ozgungor, 2010) Thus, satisfied students have ability to make more effort to study by taking actions, including regularly attending their classes and becoming more involved in their coursework

Consequently, exploring the elements influencing the satisfaction of Vietnamese students is a need for academics and university administrators as well For that reason, the purpose of this study is to investigate some important factors of satisfaction of Vietnamese students To be more specific, it examines the impact of some dimensions, including instructor dimension, learner dimension, and technology dimension on the e-learner satisfaction

1.3 Significance of the research

It is obvious that the research play an certain role in the education aspect To

be more precise, the results of the research will help universities understand clearly about the components affecting to satisfaction of e-learner In addition, the results also show institutions how to improve learner satisfaction and further strengthen their e-learning implication In other words, the findings of the study will help universities recognize the vital role of applying technology innovations in teaching, and having suitable policies in order to train and upgrade teaching capability of instructors

1.4 Research objectives

According to above-mentioned discussion, this study aims to figure out what are key factors associated with e-learners’ satisfaction firstly and then, identify the strength of each factor on student satisfaction with e-learning In details, the main objectives to this study are:

To examine the factors impacting student satisfaction in e-learning in

interaction, learner attitude toward technology, technology quality, and internet quality

1.5 Scope of the research

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the major business and education centers in Vietnam, so the empirical in this particular research is the e-learning in the context of

Ho Chi Minh city To be more specific, the population of this study is the e-learning students from Ho Chi Minh In other words, the data collected from the universities in the city and put into the analysis The last point needs to be mentioned in the research scope is that the object of study and survey is focused on the post-graduate students, and the graduated students; others types of students in the university are not considered in the thesis

1.6 Organization of the thesis

The paper’s organization is constructed in five parts The first is the introduction of the study The second is the literature review and hypothesis The methodology is the following part The next part is the research results The final one

is discussions, implications, limitations, and conclusion

ƒ Chapter 1 – Introduction

This chapter reflects the current situation of education in Vietnam, as well as discusses about the existing researches in e-learning As a result, it leads to propose the research problem, research objectives and significance of this study also presented

in this section

ƒ Chapter 2 – Literature review and hypothesis

In this chapter, the theoretical foundation of the research, including the definition of each concept, namely, instructor capability, learner attitude towards

context, and their relationships in literature are presented or showed From that, the hypotheses are derived and proposed for this research

ƒ Chapter 4 – Research results

The findings of this research are showed in this chapter The results are exhibited corresponding to each step of the data analysis As a result, the research hypotheses are tested

ƒ Chapter 5 – Discussions, Implications, Conclusion, and Limitations

The last chapter of this study discusses the research results by affirming the exploratory values as well as connecting to the realistic conditions to suggest the practical application Limitations in the chapter are recognized in order to direct for further research in the future Finally, the generalization about e-learning is performed

in conclusion

Chapter II Literature review and hypothesis

According to the objectives of this study, the research tries to review and explore the e-learning subject, and student satisfaction with it in the developing country – Vietnam In addition, models and factors impacting satisfaction are concerned In the mean time, the hypotheses are formulated, proposed, and discussed

2.1 E-Learning

2.1.1 Definition of E-learning

In essence, e-learning is the most recent evolution of distance learning To be more specific, distance learning is a learning situation where instructors and learners are separated by distance, time, or both ( Raab, Ellis, & Abdon, 2002) E- learning uses net-work technologies to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere In other words, it can be thought to be basically a web-based system that makes available information or knowledge to users or learners and disregards time restrictions or geographic proximity (Sun et al., 2006) Similarly, Burgess and Russell (2003) states that e-learning allows institutions and universities to deliver education and training consistently to all learners; to update training content when necessary; to reduce travel costs to outside training facilities; and to provide training

to students on demand, anytime and anywhere For instance, e-learning can be made full use of its own ability to present online lectures through the use of live stream audio and video technology, textual materials in the form of electronic PowerPoint slides, and discussions through the use of message boards and chat rooms Many researchers from psychology and information system fields have recognized important variables dealing with e-learning Some of them have partially contributed

to understanding e-Learning success, such as the technology acceptance model (Ajzen

expectation and confirmation model (Bhattacherjee, 2001; Lin, Wu, & Tsai, 2005;

Wu et al., 2006)

2.1.2 The benefits of e-learning

Many articles have discussed about the benefits of e-learning (Liaw, Huang, & Chen, 2007) According to Bouhnik and Marcus (2006), e-learning has some advantages, including: freedom to decide when each online lesson will be learned; lack of dependence on the time constraints of the lecturer; freedom to express thoughts and ask questions without limitations; the accessibility to the course’s online materials at students’ own election Similarly, Capper (2001) explores the e-learning benefits, such as any time, any place, asynchronous interaction, group collaboration, new educational approaches To be more precise, any time means that a participant can access the learning program at any time, that is convenient for learners Any place

is that the participants do not have to meet Asynchronous interaction is understood that interactions can be more succinct and discussion can stay more on-track Group collaboration means that electronic messaging creates new opportunities for groups to work together by creating shared electronic conversations and discussions New educational approaches show that many new options and learning strategies become economically feasible through online courses They also can provide unique opportunities and learners to share innovations in their own works with the immediate support of electronic groups

There are many innovations and improvements compared with traditional forms of learning, e-learning promises to provide students with the perfect combination of visual, audio and proactive E-learning makes training to be more effective for different learners, cut the cost of printing, publishing and distribution

passive forms applied in the classroom In addition, the e-learning sync helps learners

to be able to control high through put you suitable learning rate, ignoring the simple instructions unnecessary and still meet the overall progress of the courses Moreover, cost saving training is also an advantage that brings e-learning Teacher salaries, classroom rental costs, travel expenses, accommodation for students, and reduced-productivity costs due to loss of time students have to go to school are other advantages of e-learning (Thuy, 2010) In other words, the advantages of e-learning are including: making full use of high quality faculty resources from around the world, reducing learning time of about 40-60 %, consistent content transmission in accordance with the requirements of the school; completing results training programs automated ,and informing to learners accurately and objectively (Thuy, 2010) For students, accompanied by an increase in the ability to continue to meet the job, reducing time, students can learn anytime, anywhere allowing students to complete a training program upon overtime work or at home

2.1.3 E-learning in Vietnam

Along with the explosion of information technology and communications, online training is a type should be expanded to provide opportunities for learners to self-study, self- study and cram Growing social, educational needs of the growing population, but the school system has been investing boom in quantity and quality, but also cannot meet the learning needs most types of learners Due to these facts, the orientation of the Party is the promotion of learning movement in the form of people with formal education and non-formal, implementing education for everyone, and a learning society in the country (Tam, 2013) From the above directions, the Sector of Education and Training has developed strategies for educational development It has

mobilization potential of the community, to build social learning opportunity for people of all abilities, all ages, anywhere can lifelong learning, appropriate to the circumstances and conditions of each individual, contributing their knowledge and the quality of human (Tam, 2013) E-learning is one of the training methods contribute to achieving this goal

With Vietnam joining the WTO and integration into the world economy deeper, Vietnam's education is facing the challenge of training the future citizens have sufficient ability, intelligence, self- school, in order to upgrade their environment increasingly fierce competition Forms of e-learning are not strangers around the world According to Elearn (2010), nearly 90% of universities in Singapore have e-learning and this method used in USA is over 80 % In Vietnam, the stormy development of information technology leads to skyrocketing Internet users Along with this rapid growth, how to work, study, entertainment of Internet users in Vietnam changed with the new formula Today, in Vietnam, people can find e-learning programs via three main channels, comprising: the courses from the universities, the programs from overseas into Vietnam, and the courses established by companies

The Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training also had many positive moves to encourage bringing information technology into teaching, bringing the knowledge of online learning to the managers, teachers who care about education and students Currently, the Ministry has built the e-learning website (el.edu.net) to disseminate and access technology Vietnam has turned open source software Moodle

to build and manage an online learning system Moreover, the Ministry has used technologies SCORM, recognized worldwide, to develop and cooperate in the field of information technology (Thuy, 2010) The managers have been ongoing transferring

publish the compliant formats of file SCORM, such as Exe , Lectora , Voilet, etc, consistent with the needs of our country Ministry of Education and Training has linked fiber optic cable connects 34 Mbps, and 2 Mbps in order to go abroad Viettel, the national information technology cooperation, offers highest quality packages of NET to the educational institutions Connecting optical cable from the Ministry of Education and Training Department is four Mbps (elearn, 2010)

Unlike the developed countries, such as Singapore, Taiwan, USA, etc, learnig in Vietnam is not still in the high level In addition, e-learning in Vietnam has

to face trouble, such as the low quality and quantities, the limitation of scope and learner participation, the lack of necessary facilities The other problems of e-learning

e-in Vietnam are that the rate of onle-ine e-interaction between teachers and students on the network is not high, the answers must be done cold guide, the lack of methodology and teaching staff remains universities Some universities run achievement, have development scale much faster than their ability to ensure the quality of training, compared with the conditions of teaching staff members and teaching assistants (Thuy, 2010) Appreciating the true worth of universities’ quality in e-learning still remains limitations This is an extremely practical difficulty in the e- learning process

As a consequence, many people doubt the quality of e-learning, and have e-learning dissatisfaction

2.2 Student satisfaction

To begin with, student satisfaction, student perception of quality, and student self-confidence are simple ideas to gasp However, there are a large number of articles making an attempt to clarify these concepts, develop measures to quantify them, and determine what their impact is on one another and on other constructs Concepts that

One of the quoted definitions of satisfaction is that offered by Hunt (1977, p.49): “Consumer satisfaction with a product refers to the favorableness of the individual’s subjective evaluation of the various outcomes and experiences associated with buying it or using it” Similarly, Tse and Wilton (1988) defined the customer satisfaction:” The consumer’s response to the evaluation of the perceived discrepancy between prior expectations (or some norm of performance) and the actual performance of the product as perceived after its consumption” (p.204)

As regards the context of education, student satisfaction refers to the favorability of a student’s subjective evaluations of the various outcomes and experiences associated with education (Oliver & DeSarbo, 1989) Since satisfaction is based on experience, student satisfaction is constantly being by the students’ overall experiences (Oliver, 1980) and, as Seymour (1993) noted, what happens to students in the classroom and with their academic choices is not independent of all other experiences on campus life and the combination of all experiences affects the overall satisfaction with the university According to Parasuraman et al., (1985, 1988), customer satisfaction is based on the disconfirmation of consumer expectations in what widely known: satisfaction occurs when perceived performance meets or exceeds the student’s expectations and dissatisfaction results when there is a negative gap between performance and expectation

While student satisfaction is regarded as a short-term attitude resulting from the student’s educational experience, perceived quality is a general perception often affected by objective information and reputation and not necessarily tied to personal experience For government officials and administrators alike, program quality is often linked to objective achievements, retention rare, time to graduate, enrollment

trends, average starting salaries of graduates, percentage of students going to graduate programs, and passing rates on professional consumer satisfaction (Letcher & Neves)

Similarly, Astin (1993) defines student satisfaction as the students’ perceived value of their educational experiences at a university According to Muilenburg & Berge (2005), there are significant differences that still exist in the way students perceive their online experiences during e-learning It is doubt that perceptions about their learning experiences can affect students in their making decision to continue with the course whether or not (Carr, 2000) It can also influence levels of satisfaction with overall online learning experiences (Kenny, 2003) Generally, in the context of the research, student satisfaction can be understood that it is the students’ perceived value of their online experiences during e-learning

2.3 Theoretical Background of student satisfaction model

In the online-learning environment, it obvious that there are some several elements affecting student satisfaction Bolliger and Martindale (2004) identifies that three key factors central to e-learner satisfaction, including: the instructor, technology, and interactivity Other components are communication with all other course constituents, course management issues, and course websites or course management systems used According to Liaw (2008), students’ perception of task value and self-efficacy, social ability, quality of system, and multimedia instruction have been identified as crucial constructs Students also need to be confident that they can be successful in the online learning environment (Bolliger & Wasilik, 2009) Student satisfaction is linked to the students’ performance, and student satisfaction is an vital element in the investigation of faculty satisfaction According to Bolliger and Wasilik (2009), the correlation between faculty satisfaction and student learning is quite high

Actually, there are many researchers from psychology and information system

fields have identified essential variables affecting student satisfaction The below figures (including: figure 2.3.1, figure 2.3.2, figure 2.3.3, and figure 2.3.4) are available models that describe factors impacting student satisfaction

Figure 2.3.1 Partial model of student satisfaction and retention (Oscar, Ali, &

Erdener, 2005)

According to Oscar, Ali, & Erdener (2005), the model of figure 2.3.1 is focused on the links between faculty, advising staff, and classes so that the researchers can consider the impact of these critical factors on students’ experience with universities, which in turn affects student satisfaction In other words, they use

the model to consider the influence of unique set of variables to explain part of the college experience in higher education institutions on student satisfaction

- Cognitive development

- Career progress

- Business skills

SATISFACTION

Figure 2.3.2 A conceptual model of user’ satisfaction, behavioral intention, and effectiveness toward e-learning ( Liaw, 2008)

Liaw (2008) proposes a conceptual model for investigating satisfaction, behavioral intention, and e-learning effectiveness among learners (figure 2.3.2) The figure shows that learners’ perceived satisfaction and perceived usefulness of a product will be influenced by learners’ characteristics In the conceptual model, perceived satisfaction, perceived usefulness and e-learning effectiveness will also affected by environmental characteristics Moreover, the model shows that the perceived satisfaction and perceived usefulness will positively impact learners’ behavioral intention of e-learning usage ( Liaw, 2008)

Perceived usefulness

Behavioral intention of using e- learning

E-learning effectiveness

Figure 2.3.3: Research model ( Eom, Ashill, and Wen, 2006)

The figure 2.3.3 illustrates factors potentially affecting e-learning outcomes and perceived student satisfaction To be more specific, the primary objective of the researchers in the model is to investigate essential elements of students’ perceived learning outcomes and satisfaction university online education using e-learning systems The research model consists of factors, comprising: student self-motivation, student learning style, instructor knowledge and facilitation, instructor feedback, interaction, and course structure

Learning outcomes

Course

structure

Figure 2.3.4 Dimensions and antecedents of perceived e-learner satisfaction (Sun et al., 2006)

According to Sun et al (2006), the figure 2.3.4 is a summary model of the literature relevant to all the factors vital to the activities of e-learning, and affecting learners’ satisfaction with e-learning There are six dimensions are used to assess the factors, including student dimension, instructor dimension, course dimension, technology dimension, design dimension, and environment dimension It is obvious that the six dimensions have thirteen factors involved in the model (Sun et al., 2006)

Learner dimension

- Learner attitude toward computers

- Learner computer anxiety

- Learner Internet self-efficacy

Instructor dimension

- Instructor response timeliness

- Instructor attitude toward e-Learning

Course dimension

- E-learning course flexibility

- E-learning course quality

computer anxiety, and learner Internet self-efficacy The factors of instructor response timeliness and instructor attitude toward e-learning are in the instructor dimension, and e-learning course flexibility, e-learning course quality in the course dimension The technology dimension is technology quality and Internet quality Finally, perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use are identified in the design dimension, and diversity in assessment and learner perceived interaction with others in the environmental dimension These factors have discussed in some studies by previous researchers

2.4 Factors influencing the student satisfaction with e-learning

According to the theories and models in the previous studies and based on objectives, scope of the research as well as the current situation in Vietnam, the study will apply the above models into this research model In this study, there are three necessary dimensions central to online student satisfaction at Vietnam universities, including instructor capability , learner attitude, and technology

2.4.1 Instructor capability

According to Marks (2000), researchers have agreed that instructor capability

is a multidimensional concept even though there are a lot of perspectives on instructor capability The difference is based on the number and contents of its components Take Braskamp and Ory (1994) as an example, they recognize six components of instructor capability, such as: course organization and planning, clarity and communication skills, instructor-student interaction and rapport, course difficulty and workload, grading and examinations, and student self-learning Similar to Braskamp and Ory, Marks (2000) shows five components comprising course organization, course difficulty and workload, expectation and fairness of grading, instructor liking

such as student-instructor interaction, responsiveness, course organization, instructor likeability and concern Ginns et al (2007) based on student perception of teaching quality to suggest five components, including good teaching, clear goals and standards, appropriate assessment, appropriate workload, and generic skills

According to Arbaugh (2000), the more learners’ interaction with others, the higher the e-learning satisfaction In a virtual learning environment, interactions between learners and instructors can help handle problems and improve progress Piccoli et al (2001) said that interacting electronically could improve learning effects Students with teachers, students with materials, and students with students are three kinds of interactions in e-learning activities (Moore, 1989) However, people cannot deny the fact that interactions between instructors and students play a certain role in e-learning (Webster & Hackley, 1997) Without conspicuous interactions between teachers and students, learners are more prone to distractions and difficulty concentrating on the course materials (Isaacs et al., 1995) E-learning requires better concentration than in traditional face-to-face interactions because it is capable of proceeding in almost everywhere ( Kydd& Ferry, 1994) For this study, the definition

of learners’ interaction with others is learners’ perception of the level of interactions between students and instructors

Among the components of instructor capability mentioned above, it is obvious that there is a considerable overlap For that reason, this study mainly focuses on three components of instructor capability, including teaching capability, course organization, and instructor-student interaction The instructor’s knowledge and investment in the course, clarity, and communication skills belong to teaching capability Course organization refers to the structure of the course and instructor-

class attention, comprising asking questions, expressing ideas, and open discussions

in the class According to Biggs (1999), it is impossible to deny the important role of instructor capability in teaching and learning simply because such capability will help students in catching the materials of the course Besides, instructor capability also assists students to understand the value and benefits of their learning Students highly evaluating their instructor capability will therefore be more interested in the course, leading to a higher level of satisfaction to their learning (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2010) They will spend more time and make more effort in their study

H1a Teaching capability will have a positive impact on student satisfaction with e-learning in Vietnam

H1b Course organization will have a positive impact on student satisfaction with e-learning in Vietnam

H1c Instructor-student interaction will have a positive impact on student satisfaction with e-learning in Vietnam

2.4.2 Learner attitude

It is impossible for researchers to deny the important role of learner attitude towards tehnology, such as computers or IT, in e-learning satisfaction (Sun et al., 2006) As regards the definition of learner attitude, it is students’ impression of taking part in e-learning activities through computer usage To be more specific, students mainly depend on the use of IT as assisting tools in e-learning In other words, professors or instructors publish their materials on the Internet, and learners have to use diverse kinds of technology or computers connected Internet to have these materials The more positive attitude toward technology or computers studiers have, the more satisfied and effective learners are in an e-learning environment (Sun et al.,

Cole, 1983) There is no doubt that the positive attitude of students toward technology

or computers lead to the increase in the chances of successful learning for themselves

By contrast, learners will reduce their own interest in study when having negative attitudes Hence, it is obvious that attitudes of learners towards technology or computers are considered as a crucial factor in learning satisfaction Hypothesis 2 will test assumption

H2 Learner attitude towards technology will positively influence student satisfaction with e-learning in Vietnam

2.4.3 Technology

As regards technology dimension, some researchers believe that technology quality and Internet quality significantly have effects on student satisfaction in e-learning (Sun et al., 2006) It is easy for studiers to use a software tool with user-friendly characteristics, such as learning and memorizing few simple ideas and meaningful keyboards In other words, this software tool only demands little effort from its users As a result, learners will feel satisfied when being willing to adopt such

a tool with few barriers (Sun et al., 2006) Therefore, the higher the quality and reliability in IT, the more effective the learning of students will be (Piccoli et al., 2001) Other equipment such as video conferencing may also be used to discussion and studying in e-learning (Isaacs, Morris, Rodriguez, & Tang, 1995) It is therefore clear that both technology quality and Internet quality play important roles in e-learning (Webster, & Hackley, 1997) To be more specific, quality and reliability of technology, as well as network transmission speed were shown to affect the learning

of students Technology quality is defined as the learners’ perceived quality of IT applied in e-learning, comprising microphones, earphones, electronic blackboards,

etc Similarly, the definition for Internet quality is net work quality as perceive by learners

H3a Technology quality will positively influence student satisfaction with learning in Vietnam

H3b Internet quality will positively influence student satisfaction with learning in Vietnam

e-2.5 Research model

The research model in this study showing factors vitally impacting student satisfaction with e-learning in Vietnam is built on the conceptual frameworks of researchers, such as Oscar, Ali, & Erdener (2005), Sun et al (2006), Liaw (2008), and Eom, Ashill, and Wen (2006) Three dimensions are used to assess the factors, comprising instructor capability, learner attitude toward computers, and technology In the instructor dimension, the factors are course organization, teaching capability, and student-instructor interaction Learner attitude toward technology is the factor in the learner dimension The factors of technology quality and Internet quality belong to the technology dimension This study develops such a framework including those factors shown in Figure 2.5.1

H2

H3a, H3b H1a, H1b, H1c

Figure 2.5.1: Factors of e-learner satisfaction model

Learner attitude toward technology

Chapter III Methodology

This chapter’s purpose is to present methodology applied in the study Firstly,

the research process is introduced Secondly, preliminarily qualitative research is mentioned Sampling design, measurement, and quantitative research are discussed in next sessions Finally, data analysis methods applying to report the research’s data are presented

3.1 Research process

Defining the research problem was the priority step In other words, it was placed like the first step in the study After that, literature was reviewed to find out relevant concepts associated with the student satisfaction with e-learning To be more precise, these concepts simultaneously played a critical role as a foundation for proposing the research model and hypotheses of the research in the next step Continuously, the research design was conducted to determine data resources, methods of collecting data, measurement scale adapted in the study, sampling design and data analysis methods Based on the measurement scales borrowed from previous studies, a draft questionnaire was designed and translated into Vietnamese Then, the researcher’s supervisor revised the draft questionnaire in order to correct its mistakes before launching research

The research was undertaken through two steps, including: preliminary and official The preliminary step included a qualitative research and quantitative pilot survey While the qualitative research was conducted by a focus group to adjust the measurement scales, a quantitative pilot survey was conducted to assess the reliability

of the measurement scales After that, in the official step, the final questionnaire was used in a quantitative main survey to collect data for data analysis process ( reliability

based on the results were provided to complete the study The below figure 3.3.1 shows the whole process of the research

Final questionnaire

Reliability analysis

Validity analysis

Hypothesis testing

ƒData needs and data resources

ƒData collection method

ƒMeasurement scale

ƒSampling design

ƒData analysis methods

Focus group (n = 6)

Revision scale

Pilot survey (n = 60)

Main survey (n = 299 )

Conclusions and

Recommendations

Reliability analysis (Cronbach’s Alpha)

Delete low total correlation items (< 0.3)

item-Cronbach’s Alpha

Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

Multiple Regression Analysis

3.2 Preliminarily qualitative research (Focus group)

It is necessary for all students to well understand the questionnaire in order to have correct answers form students Hence, researchers were completely going to make the questionnaire by both languages, including English and Vietnamese (see Appendix A) The study, comprising a pilot study and a main survey, was carried out

in Ho Chi Minh City, one of the principal business and education centers in Vietnam Although most of the measures of constructs were available in the literature, it is crucial to assure they were appropriate for the context of this study by examining how instructor capability, learner attitude towards computers, and technology dimension affect student satisfaction We were therefore going to begin a pilot study It is no doubt that a qualitative study and a pilot quantitative survey were the steps of the pilot study In-depth interviews with six students taking part in the master program at University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) are means of the qualitative study (see Appendix D) The purpose of this study is to check the contents of the measures

In addition, the pilot quantitative survey with participation of sixty learners was undertaken at universities in Ho Chi Minh city

3.3 Sampling design

As to the sample size, it depends on some aspects, embracing the expectation

of reliability, methods of data analysis, etc According to Hair, Anderson, Tatham, and Black (1998), the minimum of sample size is between 100 and 150 elements Similarly, Bollen (1989) suggested that the minimum sample size equals five elements for one estimated parameter When using regression analysis technique, Harris (1985) used a mathematical formula: n >= 104 + m ( n is sample size and m is the number of independent variables) In the case of Exploratory Factor Analysis (

size equals 50 elements and better is 100 and each parameter needs minimum five elements As regards the main survey in this research, implementing the survey for about three hundred university students was therefore based on means of electronic tools or e-mails, and paper-and-pencil surveys Data collected through questionnaire survey was considered as the primary data of this study Similarly, other sources, such

as related articles, business journals, information from internet and websites, were used like the secondary data in the research

3.4 Measurement

According to above-mentioned literature, instructor capability, learner attitude, technology dimension, and learner satisfaction have total 27 items All items will be measured by a five-point Likert scale, anchored by 1 – strongly disagree and 5 – strongly agree This research will, moreover, use Statistical Package for the Social Sciences ( SPSS) for the statistic analysis

3.5 Quantitative Research

Similar to other researches, first, the research was begun with the determination of the actual situation The actual situation determined in this research comes from the problems of e-learning in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam The research purpose was, then, identified The next step is to determine research purpose After that, literature review was done and focused on the definition of the factors affecting student satisfaction in e-learning and using the model in the research in order to have theoretical foundation for the research The research frame was designed after that with the research approaches: mail survey and paper survey

Next, the questionnaires for mail survey and paper survey will be developed based on literature reviews with consultancy from several experienced academic

measurement on validity and reliability perspectives Later, quantitative data was collected from mail survey and paper survey with self-administrative questionnaires Finally, conclusions and suggestions were made marking the end of the research process

The research started from August of 2013 with the beginning step by identifying research dilemma and research objectives The developed questionnaires, after being reviewed and refined following pilot test and expert consultancy, were delivered to respondents in Ho Chi Minh city in September, 2013 and collected after 2 months Collected data were being analyzed in December 2013; results of analyses were interpreted in February, 2013 Finally, the research procedure was ended by the end of March by completing writing reports

3.6 Data analysis method

As regards the data analysis, it was including some steps There is no doubt that a descriptive analysis was initially performed to provide information pertaining to the demographic respondents Then, coefficients Cronbach’s Alpha was applied in order to test for reliability Next, Exploratory Factor Analysis ( EFA) showing an associated between a numbers items and constructs was run in the thesis After running EFA, it was necessary to conduct a test for the multi-colinearity existence in the research The next step, performing regression analyses, the researchers had the ability to test the relationship between the whole set of predictors and the dependent variables in the current study After that, hypothesis testing was conducted because the test had proven itself as a dispensable part of the research In other words, hypothesis tests helped the researcher determine whether hypotheses proposed in the study were supported or not In the end, the implication of the results from the

Chapter IV Research Results

This chapter presents the results of the research’s data analysis about key factors contributing to student satisfaction with e-learning at universities of Ho Chi Minh city To be more specific, its structure includes some parts: Data statistical analysis, Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of reliability test, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) result, Independence of residual, Test of normality of residual and homoscedasticity, Multicollinearity test, No significant outliers or influential points, Hypotheses Testing, and Summary of the results

4.1 Data statistical analysis

By performing surveys via electronic tools or mails, and papers, there were total 600 questionnaires collected from students at universities in Ho Chi Minh City

In fact, 301 questionnaires were uncompleted or sloppy done Most of respondents have experienced e-learning The usable number obtained to put into analysis was 299 observations, including 75 questionnaires via e-mails and 224 ones via papers

According to the gender table of appendix C, in the 299 respondents, there were 167 females, equivalent to 55.9% In comparison with females, males were lower, accounting for 44.1%

In the age table (see appendix C),most ages of respondents reported belonged

to the range 22-35 years of age, making up 69.9% (equivalent to 209 people) In comparison with the type of 22-35 years old, the sort of 36-45 years old was lower, accounting for 30.1% (90 persons) None of the respondents belonged the over – 45 – year – old sort

Following the education table 3 in the appendix C, most of the people surveyed were bachelors and masters, making up 42.1% (126 persons) and 57.9%

The results of the descriptive statistic evaluating and presenting the

questionnaire variables of the respondents were displayed in table 4.1.1 and table 4 (

see Appendix C) The framework had 27 items, embracing 12 items of instructor

capability, 5 items of learner attitude, 6 items of technology dimension, and 4 items of

learner satisfaction As shown in the table 4-1-1, the results of mean and standard