E-learning critical success factors: an exploratory investigation of student perceptions

Information Technology (IT) and intense competition are reshaping universities worldwide. Universities have begun to utilise and integrate IT in teaching and learning in order to meet the instructors' and students' needs. E-learning, one of the tools that has emerged from IT, has been integrated into many university programmes. There are several factors that need to be considered while developing or implementing university curriculums that offer e-learning-based courses. Since e-learning is a relatively new learning technology, this paper is intended to identify and measure its Critical Success Factors (CSFs) from student perceptions. In line with the literature, four CSFs were identified and measured, namely, instructor characteristics, student characteristics, technology infrastructure and university support. Student attitude towards using e-learning was empirically tested. A sample of 37 class sections with 538 responses was used to validate the proposed e-learning CSFs. The results revealed that students perceived instructor characteristics as the most critical factor in e-learning success, followed by IT infrastructure and university support. The student characteristics factor was perceived as the least critical factor to the success of e-learning.