Dissertation: Effective Use of a Learning Management System Improves Students’ Academic Performance
18.12.2012
M. Sc. A. K. M. Najmul Islam’s doctoral dissertation titled Understanding e-learning system users’ post-adoption usage behavior and its outcomes. A study with a learning management system in Information Systems Science, investigating educators and students perspectives with a Learning Management System (LMS) has found that educators use an LMS mainly due to its useful features such as ease of knowledge/information sharing, better control over the course, students’ appreciation, and flexible teaching. They also consider the quality of an LMS when they decide to use it in their teaching.
From students perspective the dissertation found that an LMS assists students in their study, which leads to better academic performance. However, it has been found that both educators and students often underutilize the system features, i.e. ineffective use of system features. Hence, although the system has many possibilities that can be used to augment traditional face-to-face teaching in order to achieve better academic performance, the underutilization often hinders to reap the possible benefits.
Data has been collected from 175 educators and 249 students who have been using Moodle for teaching and study purpose in the University of Turku in order to investigate the drivers of their usage behavior and possible impact on students’ academic performance. Several models regarding the relationships among quality variables, satisfaction, usage behavior, and students’ academic performance have been developed using theories and tested with the collected data in this dissertation.
The dissertation provides important guidelines for LMS system designers, LMS support people, educators, heads of departments, and rectors from a university perspective. The developed models can be used by the designers as the diagnostic and evaluation tools for an LMS.
Najmul Islam defends his doctoral dissertation on 8th June 2012. The opponent is Professor Øystein Sørebø (Buskerud University College, Norja) and the custodian Docent Timo Lainema.
Further information:
Najmul Islam
najmul.islam(a)utu.fi
+ 358 45 880 3868
From students perspective the dissertation found that an LMS assists students in their study, which leads to better academic performance. However, it has been found that both educators and students often underutilize the system features, i.e. ineffective use of system features. Hence, although the system has many possibilities that can be used to augment traditional face-to-face teaching in order to achieve better academic performance, the underutilization often hinders to reap the possible benefits.
Data has been collected from 175 educators and 249 students who have been using Moodle for teaching and study purpose in the University of Turku in order to investigate the drivers of their usage behavior and possible impact on students’ academic performance. Several models regarding the relationships among quality variables, satisfaction, usage behavior, and students’ academic performance have been developed using theories and tested with the collected data in this dissertation.
The dissertation provides important guidelines for LMS system designers, LMS support people, educators, heads of departments, and rectors from a university perspective. The developed models can be used by the designers as the diagnostic and evaluation tools for an LMS.
Najmul Islam defends his doctoral dissertation on 8th June 2012. The opponent is Professor Øystein Sørebø (Buskerud University College, Norja) and the custodian Docent Timo Lainema.
Further information:
Najmul Islam
najmul.islam(a)utu.fi
+ 358 45 880 3868