Validation of E-Learning Courses in Computer Science and Humanities: A Matter of Context

Abstract

In order to offer a unified framework for the empirical assessment of e-learning (EL), this chapter presents findings from three studies conducted at a comprehensive technological university. The first, an archival study, centers on student performance in undergraduate computer science and humanities courses. The second study, a survey given three times within EL classes, investigates the variables of learning style, general expectation, and interaction in student performance. The third study investigates student performance on computer-mediated information literacy. Taken together, these three studies—focusing on archival, process, and performance-based techniques—suggest that a comprehensive assessment model has the potential to yield a depth of knowledge allowing shareholders to make informed decisions on the complexities of asynchronous learning in post-secondary education.