The role of usability on e-learning user interactions and satisfaction: a literature review

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JSIT-02-2019-0024
Published date12 August 2019
Date12 August 2019
Pages368-394
AuthorAsela Indunil Gunesekera,Yukun Bao,Mboni Kibelloh
Subject MatterInformation & knowledge management,Information systems,Information & communications technology
The role of usability on e-learning
user interactions and satisfaction:
a literature review
Asela Indunil Gunesekera
Center for Modern Information Managment, Huazhong University of Science and
Technology, Wuhan, China and Department of Computer Science,
General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Ratmalana, Sri Lanka
Yukun Bao
Center for Big Data Analytics, Jiangxi University of Engineering,
Xinyu, China, and
Mboni Kibelloh
Faculty of Arts and Social Science, Tumaini University Makumira Dar es
Salaam College, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study is to review the effect of usability factors on e-learning user
relationships, namely, studentstudent interaction (SSI), studentinstructor interaction (SII) and student
content interaction(SCI), in the existing e-learning literature. Further, this study intended to identifywhether
usabilitycontributes to the satisfaction of e-learners.
Design/methodology/approach This study has undertaken a systematicreview using the PRISMA
methodology to lter the literature in the domainof e-learning with respect to usability concerns using six
databases. An analytical framework has been formulated to evaluate the literature against different
dimensionsof interactions and usability.
Findings Results reveal that while SSI has grabbed 71.4 per cent research attention with respect to
usability factors of e-learningsystems, SCI has been given the least focus, i.e. 26.6 per cent.According to the
results, e-learning systemsusability issues inuence the user relationships and affect the user satisfaction,
which willlead to lack of user continuity.
Practical implications The ndings of this review will provideinsights to instructional designers to
construct more satised learningcontent for the users. The analysis framework of this study will encourage
researchersto drive future research in e-learning along withthe concern of usability.
Originality/value This researchemphasizes on the importance of SCI to focus future e-learningresearch
on a different angle, in addition to SSI and SII. The analysisframework of this study will provide different
dimensions,specically for the empirical research in the domain of e-learning.
Keywords E-learning, Usability, Interaction, Satisfaction
Paper type Literature review
Introduction
The concept of e-learning is an obvious revolution transpired within the eld of education
(Samarraie et al., 2013). E-learning education is fundamentally based on three key
interactions, namely, studentstudent interaction (SSI), studentinstructor interaction (SII)
and studentcontent interaction (SCI). These three interactions are the key relationships
which create a smooth e-learningenvironment (Bernard et al.,2009;Luo et al., 2017). Unlike a
JSIT
21,3
368
Received5 February 2019
Revised9 April 2019
20June 2019
Accepted7 August 2019
Journalof Systems and
InformationTechnology
Vol.21 No. 3, 2019
pp. 368-394
© Emerald Publishing Limited
1328-7265
DOI 10.1108/JSIT-02-2019-0024
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1328-7265.htm
conventional classroom, in e-learning, the distance among students and an instructor is
inconsequential (Andergassenet al.,2015;Capece and Campisi, 2013;Fen, 2007). As a result,
the instructor can no longer monitor studentstasks(Luo et al., 2017). Moreover, not only do
SII suffer, but SSI too face numerous challenges because of isolation of the student within
the learning environment(Kurucay and Inan, 2017;Chang et al., 2015).
Given that e-learning does not entertainsynchronous learning where the student can get
an immediate feedback duringhis or her task (Alhih et al., 2017), it is evident that isolation of
the student has become a key reason for large number of dropout rates in the e-learning
settings(Gomez et al., 2016). According to Xiangmin et al. (2008),while SSI and SII has been
effected by the problem of isolation, SCI seems to suffer from the problems which occur
upon the humancomputer interaction (HCI). The HCI take part in different scientic
disciplines and it directly associates with the design, appraisal and implementation of
interactive systemswhich are designed for human use (Hollender et al., 2010). E-learning is a
discipline in which the HCI plays a major role (Jou et al., 2016). The HCI intertwines all the
three relationships of e-learning through interfaces and these interfaces gearshifts the tri-
relationships, which leads to a higher or poor user satisfaction (Kurucay and Inan, 2017;
Hollender et al.,2010).
According to Harrati et al. (2016), HCI can affect the user satisfaction in e-learning
systems. But more than the SSI and SII, SCI can be seriouslyaffected by HCI, which will lead
the learner to dissatisfaction(Pereira et al., 2015;Jou et al., 2016).Kapenieks (2013)examined
alternatives of user-friendly design for maintaining and facilitatingaction research in an e-
learning ecosystem. Based on this research, usability is one intersection of HCI which
directly deals with the user satisfaction. A usability testing done by Satam et al. (2016)
revealed that layout, color, font and buttons of the e-learning materials are some of the
elements to assess the usability of that interface. The ambiguity of these elements and the
isolation of the learner will make the interaction between studentstudent, student
instructor and studentcontent confusing, leading to raised dissatisfaction subsequently
result to dropping out of the e-learning program (Samarraie et al., 2016;Sorgenfrei and
Smolnik, 2016;Kurucay and Inan, 2017;Hong et al.,2017;Premlatha and Geetha, 2015;
Ping, 2011;Jou et al.,2016;Kapenieks, 2013).
Considering the foremost literature,this study assumed that the inuence of HCI on user
relationships of e-learning is a key root cause for these dropouts. Therefore, this study has
formulated two objectives:
(1) to investigate whether user relationships are affected by usability and which
relationship is severely affected; and
(2) to discover whether the e-learning systemsusability contributes to the user
satisfaction.
This review has primarilyevaluated the foremost literature on e-learningand HCI with a set
of keywords. The keywords comprise e-learning, humancomputer interaction, student
student interaction, studentinstructor interaction, studentcontent interaction, usability
and user satisfaction. The literature which debates about these keywords extensively
reviews the association among user relationshipsof e-learning systems and usability factor
of HCI.
Section 2 of this paper will provide an intuition on the presentliterature to acknowledge
the present research done on SSI, SII, SCI, HCI and usability in e-learning. Section 3 will
provide an insight on the research method used. Section 4 will cover the analytical
framework formulated to deepen the analysis. Section 5 will underscore the analysis
The role of
usability on
e-learning
369

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