EFFECTS OF HELP-SEEKING TARGET TYPES ON COMPLETION RATE AND SATISFACTION IN E-LEARNING

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationships between students’ help seeking target types and e-learning focusing on students’ completion rate and satisfaction. In this research, 292 students in e-learning courses at a university in Japan were categorized into 4 types of help seeking target; (1) Unnecessary of help, (2) Necessary of help, Action (Formal Target), (3) Necessary of help, Action (Informal Target), and (4) Necessary of help, No action. The overall completion rate averaged .843 and the overall satisfaction ranging from 1 (Not satisfy at all) to 4 (Very satisfy) averaged 2.96. For data analyses, overall MANOVA with two dependent variables, completion rate and satisfaction, was significant (Λ=.929, F(6, 574)=3.567, p=.002). ANOVA was conducted for each dependent variable. The results showed that there was a statistical significance between help seeking types and satisfaction (F(3, 288)=5.669, p=.001), although no significance was found for the completion rates (F(3, 288)=1.995, p=.115). The results indicated that Type (3) may have positive effects on satisfaction in e-learning. This means that students who could use other resources as well as formal target such as teachers or mentors may actively engage their learning and lead to positive affective reaction after the course. The research findings should provide significant information to teachers, administrators, and researchers of e-Learning to plan and provide effective and appropriate helps to learners.