Unpacking online Learning Experience: online Learning Self-Efficacy and Learning Satisfaction

INTERNET AND HIGHER EDUCATION

Unpacking Online Learning Experience: Online learning self-efficacy

and learning satisfaction.

Names: BERNARD ROTICH

Student No: R1711D3951883

Course: UU-Msc- IND100-ZM

Tutor: Avgi Christou’s name

17th March,2018

Introduction

The article under review was authored by Demei Shen, Moon-Heum Cho, Chia-Lin Tsai and Rose

Marra titled, Unpacking online learning experience: Online leaning self-efficacy and learning

satisfaction. Internet and Higher education 2013.

The key subject of the article is self-efficacy in the context of online learning. The article defines

self-efficacy as “peoples judgement of their capabilities to organize and execute a course of action

required to attain designated types of performance” (bandura, 1986 p.391). Shen, D., Cho, M. H,,

Tsai, C. L. & Marra, R. (2013) identifies self-efficacy as the determinant factor of ones’ success.

High self-efficacy has been demonstrated as a determinant of high likelihood of high achievements

in leaning and performance. The objective of the article was to analyze self-efficacy in relation to

the variables that are within the online learning environment. To achieve this the research had a

preset research questions seeking to know the dimensions and variables of self-efficacy in regards

to online learning, it also seek to analyse the extent to which self-efficacy is related to students’

online learning satisfaction. The author identified three aspects of online learning as technology,

online learning experience and social interaction between the instructors and learners. The research

was carried through an online platform targeting the learners who were registered for online

courses at the time the research was conducted.

The study was aimed at investigating the role of self-efficacy in online learning environment with

a view of identifying the features of online learning, the variables and extent to which self-efficacy

is related to the performance of learners in an online learning environment. The researchers

developed two instruments aimed at first to identify dimensions of online learning and self-efficacy

and second to measure online learning satisfaction.

In the article online learning self-efficacy was conceptualized into six types of self-efficacy which

were then evaluated against a generated pool of 120 items. The evaluations was by a team of

members comprising of five doctoral students and two faculty members with extensive experience

in online learning. The learning satisfaction was also measured with five items on a scale of 1 to

5. The authors’ intent was to integrate all the findings that have been reported as one article and

identified areas for further research.

The researchers collected data from two universities in the Midwestern US through and online

platform with the assistance from the instructors who were able to convince the student to respond

to the research questions. The research findings in the article were that gender was a determinant

factor in all the variables set for study on self-efficacy to complete an online course, except the

self-efficacy to interact with classmates. The online course experience was found to predict on

completion of online course and interaction with classmates for academic purpose. The academic

status was found not to be related with most of the dimensions of online learning self-efficacy, and

this was in concurrence