Pilot study on applying various research methodologies to investigate the effectiveness of e-learning materials

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on higher education. Students were required to adopt a more independent way of learning, and instructors had to redesign courses to fit the digital space. Increasingly frequent e-learning research provides substantial support for the expansion of online education. The aim of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of e-learning materials among university students using a variety of research methodologies (Groningen Sleep Quality Scale, psychomotor vigilance task, verbal fluency and digit span tests, NASA Task Load indeX and eye tracking). In a pilot study conducted in a laboratory environment, 15 participants were divided into three groups and assigned to study from prepared course pages using content-equivalent e-learning materials. The results demonstrated that the applied research methodologies were appropriate for investigating the issue, allowing the pilot study to reveal a set of criteria encompassing the preferences of students for course structures and e-learning materials.