Evaluation Of E-learning Platforms: A Case Study

Informatica Economică vol. 16, no. 1/2012155Evaluation of E-learning Platforms: a Case StudyCristina POPAcademy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romaniacristinel19@yahoo.comIn the recent past, a great number of e-learning platforms have been introduced on the marketshowing different characteristics and services. These platforms can be evaluated usingmultiple criteria and methods. This paper proposes a list of selected quality criteria fordescribing, characterizing and selecting e-learning platform. These criteria were designedbased on e-learning standards. I also propose a mathematical model to determine theprobability that a student uses an e-learning platform based on the factors (criteria) thatdetermine the quality of the platform and the socio-demographic variables of the student. Thecase study presented is an application of the model and the input data, intermediatecalculations and final results were processed using SAS (Statistical Analysis Software).Keywords: E-Learning Platform, E-Learning Standards, Learning Object, LogisticRegression, Quality Criteria List, Univariate Analysis1IntroductionThe World Wide Web is a repository ofcontent (files, databases, datasets, images,video or audio clips, simulations, animations,etc.) of all known formats and standards. Theexcessively increasing load of information onthe Internet leads to an inevitable overload ofuseless information or information forcommercialization purposes. Teachers andstudents may not use this information fortheir educational need but rather as a globalnetwork for communication, interaction andsharing. Within the online context, the usercan be a content “producer” and “consumer”simultaneously [1], thus leading to a hugeamount of raw information, produced by ahuge number of heterogeneous users withoutany didactic reformation applied andincapable to support classroom learningdesign. In the education sector, there isalways a quality control procedure takingplace against the educational material of theschools from the Ministry of Education.Therefore in the classical media context, isalso need of multiple criteria and methods toapprove the quality of e-learning content ande-learning software.2 E-learning platformTraditional means of learning restrict thelearner to certain learning methods, at aspecific time and place whereas e-learningservices create wider horizons fororganizations and individuals who areinvolved in the learning process. Theseenvironments facilitate the delivery of thelearning materials so the learner can accessthem at home or at the office.The most part of contemporary e-learningplatform can be viewed as organized intothree fundamental macro components: aLearning Management System (LMS), aLearning Content Management System(LCMS) and a Set of Tools for distributingtraining contents and for providinginteraction [2]. The LMS integrates all theaspects for managing on-line teachingactivities. The LCMS offers services thatallow managing content of the units while theSet of Tools represents all the services thatmanage teaching processes and trators).An e-learning platform can be characterizedthrough the following management services: services for including and updating userprofile; services for creating courses andcataloguing them; services for creating tests describedthrough a standard; user tracking services; services for managing reports on coursefrequency and use;

156 services for creating, organizing andmanaging own training contents orcontents provided by other producers [3].3 E-learning standardsImportance and need of specifications andstandards are well known to all of us indifferent areas of activity. Standards imposecertain order providing more uniform andprecise access and manipulation to e-learningresources and data. There are number oforganizationsworkingtodevelopspecifications and standards such as: ADL,IMS, ARIADNE, IEEE, ISO etc to provideframework for e-learning architectures, tofacilitate interoperability, content packaging,content management, Learning ObjectMetadata, course sequencing and many more[4].The ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning)initiative “is to provide access to the highestquality learning and performance aiding thatcan be tailored to individual needs, anddelivered cost effectively at the right time andat the right place” [5]. The ADL isaccountable for the Sharable Content ObjectReference Model (SCORM), a well-knownand accepted standard for all users of elearning platforms. This standard consists ofthree separate specifications: Content Aggregation Model (CAM) forassembling, labeling, and packaging oflearning content. The basic units ofinterest in the Content Aggregation Modelare Sharable Content Objects (SCO) andContent Packages that are used to delivercontent Run-Time Environment (RTE) whichincludes Launch (describes how a LMSprovides Content Packages to the tioninterfacebetweenContent Packages and LMS duringexecution) and Data Model (LMS recordsthe result of interaction between learnerand learning object using data model). Sequencing and Navigation (SN) forsequencing and content navigation. Thismodule controls and monitors theinteraction between users and LMS. TheseInformatica Economică vol. 16, no. 1/2012specifications are based on IMSConsortium specifications.Instructional Managements Systems (IMS)Global Learning Consortium is a consortiumof e-learning solutions providers. Thestandard IMS focuses on the development ofXML-based specifications. Several IMSspecifications have become worldwidestandards for delivering learning productsand services: IMS Content Packaging specificationdescribes data structures that can be usedto exchange data between systems thatwish to import, export, aggregate, anddisaggregate packages of content [6]; IMS Learning Design specification allowsa wide range of teaching techniques inonline learning; IMS Meta-data specification describes alearning object and allows to specify anannotation to search these educationalresources efficiently; IMS Question and Test Interoperabilitydescribes a standard data model forrepresenting the test items and reportsevaluation results; IMS Learner Information Package is acollection of information about the learner(individual or group learners) or theproducer of learning content (teachers orproviders); IMS ePortfolio specification was createdto make ePortfolios interoperable acrossdifferent systems and institutions.Alliance of Remote Instructional Authoringand Distribution Networks for Europe(ARIADNE) has created a standards-basedtechnology infrastructure that allows thepublication and management of digitallearning resources in an open and scalableway. ARIADNE aims to provide flexible,effective and efficient access to large-scaleeducational collections in a way that goesbeyond what typical search enginesprovide[7].IEEE Learning Technology StandardsCommittee (LTSC) “is chartered by the IEEEComputer Society Standards Activity Boardto develop accredited technical standards,recommended practices, and guides for

Informatica Economică vol. 16, no. 1/2012learning technology [8].” The IEEE/LTSC isorganized in working groups to developdifferent aspects of learning technology.International Standardization Organization(ISO). A subcommittee of the worldwideoperating standardization body ISO, theJTC1/SC 36 committee, is working onstandardization issues in informationtechnology for learning, education andtraining in liaison with the IEEE/LTSC. TheISO/JTC1/SC36 committee is organized ology;learnerinformation; management and delivery oflearning, education, and training; qualityassurance and descriptive frameworks [9].I would also like to propose severalspecifications for the quality of e-learningcontent (Learning Object, LO):1. LO objectives – at the beginning of eachLO teacher should clearly define theobjectives, so the students should beaware of what they learn.2. LO should be designed by level ofdifficulty – the students have not the samelevel of understanding, therefore teachersshould design LO by level of difficulty(very advanced, advanced, average,beginner).3. LO should be completed within a certaintime (i.e. from 5 to 15 minutes) – thecontent of the LO should be limited to acertain period of time so students do notget bored.4. Glossary – new terms should have a briefexplanation in the glossary of each LO5. Recapitulation and summary – at thebeginning of each LO should be apresentation (recapitulation) of theconcepts that should be known for a betterunderstanding of the new content. At theend of the LO should be a summary of thelearning content. Student may choosewhether to read the entire content of theLO or just the summary.1576. Detailed feedback on learning progress student should review certain chapters,paragraphs, etc.; teacher should highlightthe positive aspects; student should accessexternal links for more information.4 Quality criteria listThe growing number of available e-learningsystems and the commercialization of thesesystems highlight the necessity of qualityevaluations of online published learningmaterials. Although quality evaluation oflearning materials in e-learning systems havebecome increasingly important, the actualevaluation standards and methods forinformation quality (IQ) in such systemshave not yet reached a consensus [10]. Theevaluation of e-learning systems is importantfor all the actors involved in the learningprocess. Teachers and students need toevaluate the benefits of using e-learning incomparison with the classical methods oflearning [11].Evaluation of e-learning platforms requiresevaluating not only the implementingsoftware package (Learning ManagementSystem), but also the e-learning content(Learning Object). Both pedagogical andtechnological aspects must be carefullyevaluated. The following quality criteriawere developed based on the e-learningstandards (i.e. Scorm, Learning ObjectMetadata, IMS Specifications, etc.).I outline below six basic categories for theevaluation of the Learning boration,accessibility/effectiveness,management of e-learning content and users,administration, tools and technology) andothers six categories for the evaluation of theLearning Objects (didactic and pedagogicalevaluation, metadata, content evaluation,multimedia presentation, evaluation of theusers, technology).