No abstract

COVID-19 has significantly changed the teaching-learning process and it may indeed be a permanent change. Schools, colleges and universities have had to switch to remote/e-learning in an attempt to continue their operations during the pandemic. Institutions have struggled to identify the key success factors necessary for effective e-learning. While there have been some studies that have identified a few key factors, there has not been a comprehensive review of the key success factors for effective e-learning. This paper fills that gap by presenting a detailed examination of the critical success factors required for effective e-learning. The results show that success in e-learning is a complex combination of key factors such as institutional/administrative support, systems configuration and technical design, the level of computer skills among learners, learners’ interpersonal behavior, e-learning readiness, learner motivation, computer anxiety, self-efficacy, instructors’ characteristics, environmental factors and the demand it imposes on learners of varying age and cognitive maturity.

Online learning represents a departure from the normal face-to-face teaching, and hence, it presents unique challenges for institutions, instructors, and the online learners. Successful outcome for learners engaged in the e-learning process is not guaranteed, so an understanding of the factors that drive success is critical. This chapter outlines the important factors required by online learners to help in providing the foundation for successful outcome from the e-learning environment. Factors regarded as crucial for successful outcome include instructor characteristics, learner characteristics, institutional support, course structure and design and finally, the need to build a class community. Any failure by the dominant parties driving the e-learning process, that is, the institutions and the instructors, to fully understand their responsibilities, will negatively affect the successful outcome from the e-learning engagement.