The relationship between perceived usability, personality traits and learning gain in an e-learning context

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of perceived usability and students' personality traits on their learning gain in an e-learning context at the university level.

Design/methodology/approach

The factors examined are related to individual characteristics such as students' personality traits, as well as to perceptual characteristics such as the perceived usability of the platform used. A total of 110 undergraduate students participated in the study. A one-group pretest-posttest research design was adopted. Big 5 personality test, System Usability Scale (SUS) and a general knowledge assessment questionnaire were used.

Findings

Perceived usability of Zoom platform is statistically significantly correlated with students' learning gain (r = 0.294, p = 0.002, s). Concerning learning effectiveness in the current e-learning scenario, students' final performance was found to be statistically significantly higher than the initial (p = 0.000, s). A hierarchical regression analysis (R² = 0.146) unveiled that Zoom's perceived usability and personality traits are significant predictors for learning gain (p = 0.011, s).

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this research provide important implications regarding the design of lessons in an e-learning context.

Social implications

A substantial fraction of the educational process is going online, especially in higher education. Thus, a thorough understanding of the factors which influence learning gain in an e-learning context is of significance.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study is that it quantifies the variance of the learning gain explained by two factors, namely, SUS and personality.

Citation

Vlachogianni, P. and Tselios, N. (2022), "The relationship between perceived usability, personality traits and learning gain in an e-learning context", International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 70-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-08-2021-0116