Value-Satisfaction Grid of E-Learning Systems

This chapter provides the rationale of the first of three tools suggested in this book to assess value and satisfaction of e-learning systems in order to provide an assessment of the effectiveness of such systems. The other two tools are presented in the following chapter. The first tool proposed by the conceptual model is the Value-Satisfaction grid which aggregates the learners’ value and satisfaction with e-learning systems in order to indicate the learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems. The Value-Satisfaction grid also helps indicate the action and improvement priorities that are needed for the characteristics and dimensions of an e-learning system under study. A proposed method of aggregation of learners’ perceived value of e-learning systems and satisfaction with e-learning systems to construct the Value-Satisfaction grid and the two tools presented in the following chapter is also presented in this chapter. The understanding of the Value-Satisfaction grid provides the first building block toward a complete set of assessment tools of learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems. The development of this set of tools is a significant achievement as scholars have suggested that prior research in technology mediated learning (TML) lacked the overall system approach and concentrated only on one or two dimensions at a time (Alavi & Leidner, 2001a, p. 9).

The General Conceptual Model

In this chapter, a general theoretical model is proposed that links learners’ satisfaction and learners’ value of e-learning systems in order to assess learners’ perceived effectiveness of such systems. The central research question in this study is: Is there a relationship between learners’ perceived satisfaction with e-learning systems and learners’ perceived value for learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems? The significance of the value construct in the context of e-learning systems has never been evaluated. How the value of e-learning systems relates to other constructs, such as satisfaction with e-learning systems and ultimately whether the value of e-learning systems can be used to indicate learners’ perceived IS effectiveness remains open. In this chapter, a general conceptual model or framework is proposed to address this phenomenon in the context of e-learning systems. The proposed model or framework will provide procedures to identify and measure the key constructs (satisfaction with e-learning systems, value of e-learning systems, and effectiveness of e-learning systems). This chapter also defines precisely the individual characteristics and four major dimensions (categories) for evaluating value of e-learning systems and satisfaction with e-learning systems based on comprehensive literature reviewed in Chapters II and III. Additionally, this chapter proposes five specific research questions that are addressed in Chapter VII. Two additional specific research questions are proposed in Chapters V and VI.

Value, Satisfaction, and Effectiveness

In this chapter, a comprehensive review of the major literature streams is presented and serves as a foundation for this book. To identify the relevant theories of value, this chapter starts with a discussion of the value theory from the field of behavioral research psychology and explores its implications on research in the fields of education, marketing, and information systems (IS). Rokeach’s Value Survey (RVS) theory, List of Values (LOV) theory, and value of information systems are discussed as the theoretical foundation for this study of learners’ perceived value of e-learning systems. To identify the relevant theories for studying user satisfaction of information systems, this chapter provides a discussion of two valid theories of user satisfaction from the IS field. User Information Satisfaction (UIS) theory and End-User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS) theory are presented as the foundation for guiding the assessment measures related to learners’ perceived satisfaction with e-learning systems. In the pursuit of development of a sound instrument to assess learners’ perceived e-learning systems effectiveness, this chapter continues with a discussion of IS Effectiveness theory from the field of information systems. Technology mediated learning (TML) literature from IS and education is presented (e.g., Alavi, 1994; Alavi, Wheeler, & Valacich, 1995; Hiltz & Johnson, 1990; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997; Leidner & Jarvenpaa, 1993; Marks, 2000; Piccoli, Ahmad, & Ives, 2001; Webster & Hackley, 1997).

Discussion and Conclusion

This chapter provides a discussion of findings and a summary of the results of the case study conducted. The discussion also includes a section on the limitations of the case study followed by two sections highlighting the contributions of the theoretical model, the effectiveness benchmarking tools proposed, and the results of the case study. The first study contributions section includes implications for business and practice, while the second contributions section includes implications for research, scholars, and recommendations for future studies. The chapter concludes with a summary.

The Case Study

This chapter provides details on the case study that was conducted in order to validate the research model and framework proposed in Chapter IV. Additionally, it seeks to validate the three tools proposed in Chapters V and VI. This chapter is guided by the seven research questions proposed in the previous three chapters and presents both the methodology used as well as the results of each section of this study. Straub (1989) suggested a three-phase method for valid and sound results of survey instruments in IS research. The first phase that he proposed included a qualitative technique of exploring the phenomena and developing a theoretical framework grounded in previous theories. The second phase includes quantitative empirical techniques in order to explore the proposed theory. The third and last phase includes conceptual refinements based on the findings in the previous phases. The methodology proposed in this study follows closely these three phases for the development of valid and sound instruments to assess the value and satisfaction of e-learning systems.

Introduction

Many universities and private corporations are investing significant capital in e-learning systems. Full understanding of the factors contributing to learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems will help institutions channel funding to effective factors and redesign or eliminate non-effective factors. However, learners’ perceived effectiveness of such systems has not been fully explored in prior studies. Piccoli, Ahmad, and Ives (2001) argue that interest in e-learning environments is growing rapidly; however, “a broad framework identifying the theoretical constructs and relationships in this domain has yet to be developed” (p. 403). Alavi and Leidner (2001b) concluded that “research that helps uncover the important attributes of VLS [virtual learning systems]…will be critical to our understanding of VLS effectiveness” (p. 30). In prior study, Alavi and Leidner (2001a) also concluded that: “most of the recent attempts at studying TML [technology mediated learning] in IS [information systems] research tended to adopt an overly simplistic view of this phenomenon” (p. 9).

Learners' Value Index of Satisfaction (LeVIS)

The previous chapter provided a review of the first tool (Value-Satisfaction grid of e-learning systems) to assess the effectiveness of e-learning systems using learners’ perceived value of e-learning systems and learners’ perceived satisfaction with such systems. The second tool, which is proposed in this chapter, is the Learners’ Value Index of Satisfaction (LeVIS) that is developed in order to provide a precise numeric score for the learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems. The Value-Satisfaction grid proposed in the previous chapter provides a key tool to indicate action and improvement priorities for e-learning systems as well as an overall map to indicate the learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems. However, the Value-Satisfaction grid cannot provide a precise indication of the level or specific score of the learners’ perceived effectiveness of such systems. Consequently, an index (i.e., the LeVIS index) would be useful to provide a measure of the magnitude of the learners’ perceived effectiveness of e-learning systems utilizing the aggregated value and satisfaction scores. By the definition of the LeVIS index, it provides the ability to look at constant levels of the learners’ perceived effectiveness within the Value-Satisfaction grid that are called effectiveness curves. The combination of such effectiveness curves and the Value-Satisfaction grid yields the development of the third tool suggested by this framework. The third tool is called the effectiveness grid which will be defined and proposed in this chapter. The effectiveness grid provides an overall map and an indication of the specific effectiveness level under one tool; in essence, it combines both the Value-Satisfaction grid as well as the LeVIS index into one tool. The four quadrants of the Value-Satisfaction grid proposed in the previous chapter are divided by the effectiveness curves resulting in two segments per quadrant or a total of eight segments indicating various levels of effectiveness proposed in the effectiveness grid. Clearly, prior to the review of the effectiveness grid, a clear understanding of the LeVIS index is needed in conjunction with the understanding of the Value-Satisfaction grid proposed in the previous chapter.

Values, Beliefs Attitudes, and Behavior

In three books on issues related to the construct of value, Rokeach (1969, 1973, 1979) contributed significantly to the overall understanding of value construct as a psychological phenomenon. In his first book, titled Beliefs, Attitudes, and Values: A Theory of Organization and Change, Rokeach (1969) presented a philosophical argument for the importance and association of value to other psychological aspects such as beliefs and attitudes. In his second, book titled The Nature of Human Values, Rokeach (1973) presented his value theory and an instrument to assess value, known as Rokeach’s Value Survey, or RVS, as well as the rationale and validity of his survey instrument. In a third book, titled Understanding Human Values, Rokeach (1979) discussed the validity of his value theory along with a review of research studies that employed his theory in different research fields. Rokeach (1969) discussed the differences between: values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. He suggested that values are underlying dispositions for individual’s beliefs, attitude, and behavior. In the following section, a review of such differences is presented in the context of information systems in general and e-learning systems in particular. Although the aim of this study is not to provide empirical evidence for such a sequence (i.e. value impacts on beliefs, attitude, and behavior), the relationships presented in literature among such constructs are valuable in developing a framework to assess e-learning systems’ effectiveness that is built upon value theory. Furthermore, some IS scholars include attitudes and behaviors (or system usage) as constructs contributing to IS effectiveness. However, a review of these constructs in value theory literature is essential as it suggests these are mediating constructs rather than effecting constructs such as value and satisfaction.