Development and validation of a knowledge quality instrument for e-learning content / Mehwish Waheed

Waheed, Mehwish (2015) Development and validation of a knowledge quality instrument for e-learning content / Mehwish Waheed. PhD thesis, University of Malaya.

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Abstract

This study presents a conceptual and operational measurement of knowledge quality by exploring and understanding the knowledge quality phenomena in existing literature and by identifying the student’s perspective on knowledge quality in the eLearning environment. This further assists in developing a measurement instrument for knowledge quality. The following research objectives have guided the research process: i) explore the dimensions that meet the demand of quality knowledge based on epistemological belief; ii) identify students’ perception about the key dimensions of knowledge quality in eLearning context; iii) examine the influential relationship between knowledge quality and student satisfaction and its subsequent effect on student’s attitudinal loyalty and learning outcomes in terms of perceived academic performance and perceived learning effectiveness. To achieve the stipulated purpose of this study, a sequential Mixed Method design is opted. Qualitative and quantitative research method has guided this study for knowledge quality instrument development and also in investigating its relationship with student satisfaction, student attitudinal loyalty and learning outcomes. University of Malaya's eLearning environment i.e. SPECTRUM (Student Powered e-Collaboration Transforming UM) is selected as the learning platform that is used in this study for developing knowledge quality instrument. Open-ended questionnaires were used for qualitative data collection to understand and explore the knowledge quality characteristics perceived by students using eLearning environment (SPECTRUM). Based on analysis of these dimensions from grounded data and verification with existing dimensions in the literature, a 34 items survey instrument was generated for quantitative data collection and empirical testing of the knowledge quality measurement instrument. The final knowledge quality instrument was examined for reliabilities, factor structure, and measurement model. Satisfactory model fit of the knowledge quality framework allowed the research to further test the hypothesized relationship between knowledge quality and satisfaction and the subsequent influence of satisfaction on student’s attitudinal loyalty, and student’s learning outcomes. AMOS 20 was used to test the hypothesized relationships by employing the path analysis as a Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) technique. Result of the path analysis supported all of the proposed relationships between the latent variables. It reveals that knowledge quality significantly influences students’ satisfaction from eLearning content. Subsequently, the students’ satisfaction significantly influences students’ learning outcomes (perceived academic performance, perceived learning effectiveness), and attitudinal loyalty. The findings indicate that, to improve students’ learning outcomes and their loyalty towards the eLearning environment, it is important to maintain and improve the quality of knowledge gain. It will increase students’ satisfaction. The framework would be useful to measure the knowledge quality of eLearning environment in terms of the knowledge gained by the user in an academic setting. An examination of the relationship between knowledge quality, satisfaction and subsequent eLearning academic and behavioural outcomes can suggest a better understanding for the improvement of eLearning environment.

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