Structural Relationships among e-Learning Readiness, Presence and Learning Performance in University e-Learning

Abstract

For this study, a survey targeting 420 students from a 4-year university in Cheonbuk Province. The specific findings of this study are as follows. First, the research model devised to examine the structural relationships among e-Learning readiness, presence(teaching presence, cognitive presence) and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning) perceived by the university students was fit. This means there are significant structural relationships among e-Learning readiness, presence(teaching presence, cognitive presence) and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning). Second, when analyzing the direct effects of the variables, the significant direct effects were found between 1) e-Learning readiness and learning satisfaction, 2) e-Learning readiness and intention to persist in learning, 3) e-Learning readiness and presence(teaching presence, cognitive presence), 4) teaching presence and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning), 5) teaching presence and cognitive presence, and 6) cognitive presence and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning), except for the direct effects on e-Learning readiness and perceived achievement. Third, when analyzing the indirect effects of the variables, there were significant mediating effects of teaching presence in the relationship between 1) e-Learning readiness and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning), and of cognitive presence in the relationship between 2) e-Learning readiness and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning). Also, the double-mediating effects of teaching presence and cognitive presence were significant in the relationship between e-Learning readiness and learning performance(perceived achievement, learning satisfaction, intention to persist in learning). This study verified the causal relationships of individual variables, which are relevant to high learning performance in university e-Learning and suggested a methodology to enhance the level of learning performance. In conclusion, the study suggests the need for an instructional design to reinforce e-Learning readiness for enhancing learning performance and for a consideration of teaching presence and cognitive presence factors for an instructional design.