Factors affecting effectiveness in e‐learning: An analysis in production management courses

Abstract

Abstract E‐learning may help to open up new channels for the traditional teaching of engineering but there are many questions about what makes e‐learning an effective and satisfactory method, in particular, in the field of industrial engineering. This article evaluates the potential factors affecting the effectiveness of engineering e‐learning courses by applying structural equation modeling in a sample of students of multiple production management courses for industrial engineering students. This way, the gaps and methodological weaknesses detected in prior studies has been avoided. The findings of this study suggest that interaction is key to getting successful outcomes, that the right mixture of human and technology must be found, that it is crucial to teach students to learn online and that special attention must be directed to non‐traditional students who have the additional pressure of resolving time conflicts between e‐learning, work and/or family life. These findings can help engineering colleges and schools offering e‐learning courses to learn more about how to enhance students' success. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 19: 572–581, 2011