Designing a predictive model of student satisfaction in online learning

Higher education institutions consider student satisfaction to be one of the major elements in determining the quality of their programs. The objective of the study was to develop a model of student satisfaction to identify the influencers that emerged in online higher education settings. The study adopted a mixed method approach to identify issues perceived by students as affecting their satisfaction, using focus groups followed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to develop the study model. Data were collected using an online questionnaire from a campus-wide sample of 834 students enrolled in a generic online course at the University of Mauritius. Using structural equation modeling, the study identified four significant determinants of student satisfaction in decreasing importance: the marketing construct of university reputation; physical facilities; faculty empathy; and student–student interactions. Various theoretical and managerial implications are discussed and directions for further research are proposed.