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This paper aims at identifying crucial factors that affect student satisfaction with synchronous e-learning. For this purpose, a research model comprised of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), computer anxiety (CA), self-efficacy (SE), system accessibility (SA), perceived interaction (PI) and perceived flexibility (PF) was developed.

For the purpose of this research, an online questionnaire was used. All of the measures are adapted from previously validated instruments and adjusted to fit the research aim. Accordingly, the questionnaire resulted in 49 items, which yielded eight constructs. To test the hypothesized model, structural equation modeling was employed on a valid sample of 263 higher education students.

According to the results, PU, PI, CA and flexibility were all found to be significant. PU demonstrated the most contribution following by PF and PI.

Even though this study has included some critical factors theorized to influence e-learning settings, it does not incorporate all elements. In terms of sample size, a bigger sample would be more favorable. Lastly, the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, where free movement and social activities were restricted, which may have influenced students' perception of synchronous e-learning.

This research contributes to a greater understanding of the student experience with synchronous e-learning, and its findings can provide relevant stakeholders, particularly e-learning practitioners, with insights into effectively adopting and improving such settings.

This study uses an integrated model of several constructs to investigate student satisfaction in terms of just synchronous e-learning rather than e-learning in general. Several validated instruments were used and tested in a new context and sample. Additionally, the study provides evidence during COVID-19.

Today's requirements concerning successful learning support comprise a variety of application scenarios. Therefore, the development of supporting software preferably aims at modular design. This article discusses requirements regarding flexibility of e‐learning systems and presents important principles, which should be met by successful systems. The purpose of this paper is to achieve a highly flexible system as follows: first of all, the system itself should be capable of easily being integrated into other systems. Second, the approach should allow easy integration of new components, respectively, existing resources without the need to adapt the whole system.

Guided by the results of previous projects and by various experiences in online education the importance of modular structures of an effective architecture as well as for the system usage were discovered. Accordingly, existing e‐learning systems were examined and some deficiency regarding support of synchronous learning activities were found.

The architecture of the Meeting Room Platform (MRP) is introduced as an example implementation of synchronous communication and collaboration systems. In addition to fulfilling explained flexibility requirements, it is configurable in a way so that the user can choose a set of services he wants to provide in online meetings.

With aforementioned aspects of flexibility in mind, the concept of the MRP system differs from existing systems and constitutes a new approach in designing synchronous e‐learning environments. Finally, various use cases as described in this article show the benefit of this approach more detailed.

This study investigates the impact of online synchronous audio and video systems on the performance of cooperative learning in decision making and intellective tasks.

In total, 156 subjects, divided into 46 groups, were invited to resolve decision and intellective tasks in text messaging and audio conferencing e‐learning environments.

For decision‐making tasks, audio conferencing has a significant impact on cooperative learning satisfaction but not on learning performance; while for intellective tasks, neither audio conferencing nor text messaging has an impact on cooperative learning outcomes. There are no cross‐effects between platforms and task types on cooperative learning outcomes. The results indicate that the main effects of platforms and task types are independent. In other words, the impact of platforms on group discussion processes can be examined without the need of considering task types, since the latter will not affect the impacts of platforms.

The main effects of information richness and task types are independent. Major limitation is that the student sample may not be sufficiently representative to allow wider generalization of the findings of this study.

The main effects of information richness and task types are independent as far as learning outcomes are concerned. The learners' attitude toward the synchronous learning system significantly affects the satisfaction of synchronous online cooperative learning.

This study uses empirical data to validate the hypothesized relationships between the independent variables of online synchronous learning systems (audio‐ and text‐based), the moderating variable of task types (decision making vs intellective) and the dependent variable of learning outcomes.

This paper outlines the design and development process of an online annotation system and how it is applied to the sphere of collaborative online learning. The architecture and design of the annotation system, illustrated in this paper, have been developed to enrich collaborative learning content through adding a layer of information in online learning environments. Consideration is given to the role of the collaborative annotation system in the context of formal and informal e‐learning environments.

Distance universities are of great importance for establishing sustainability literacy, as they operate as multipliers for thousands of students. However, despite several advantages of e-learning environments compared to traditional class-teaching, there are still challenges regarding suitable e-learning tools and didactical models. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of several e-learning tools on students’ knowledge and skills growth and to compare two learning paths, synchronous vs asynchronous, exploring how each affects the level of students’ knowledge achievement and skills acquisition.

The empirical analysis is based on an online course “Participatory processes in environmental politics”. International MSc and PhD students who enrolled in the course were from FernUniversität in Hagen (Germany) and Aberta University (Portugal). The course was designed as the flipped classroom, applying different e-learning tools and activities, some synchronous and others asynchronous. A pre- and post-evaluation questionnaire was applied to evaluate students’ knowledge and skills. Descriptive statistical analyses were carried out on this data.

Results showed that in the synchronous group, knowledge about theoretical approaches to citizen participation and sustainable environmental governance improved to a greater extent, whereas the asynchronous group showed greater improvement in nearly all skills related to intercultural communication and e-learning. Also, in the synchronous path, students enhanced their knowledge on “research application” to a greater extent.

Evaluating the effectiveness of different e-learning tools on students’ sustainability knowledge and information and communication technologies skills is a fundamental issue. The study discusses these issues, contributing to enhancing the use of adequate and grounded e-learning models on sustainable development in higher education.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a hybrid model based on the expectation-confirmation model (ECM), flow theory, and updated DeLone and McLean information system (IS) success model to examine whether quality factors as the antecedents to nurse beliefs affected nurses’ intention to continue using the blended electronic learning (e-learning) system.

Sample data for this study were collected from nurses at five hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 500 questionnaires were distributed, 396 (79.2 percent) questionnaires were returned. Consequently, 378 usable questionnaires were analyzed in this study, with a usable response rate of 75.6 percent. Collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Information quality, system quality, support service quality, and instructor quality contribute significantly to perceived usefulness (PU), confirmation, and flow, which together explain nurses’ satisfaction with the usage of the blended e-learning system, and this in turn leads to their continued system usage intention.

First, the application of the ECM with the view of updated DeLone and McLean IS success model reveals deep insights into quality evaluation (including information quality, system quality, and support service quality) in the field of nurses’ e-learning continuance intention. Especially, this study additionally contributes to the identification of instructor quality that may lead to nurses’ continued blended e-learning usage intention. Next, the empirical evidence on capturing both extrinsic motivator (i.e. PU) and intrinsic motivator (i.e. flow) for completely explaining quality antecedents of nurses’ blended e-learning continuance intention is well documented.

This paper aims to provide a methodological road for the next generation of e‐learning environments.

This paper considers a survey of recent publications (1995‐2002), which aim to provide practical and theoretical indications and advice, which are coupled with practical experimentations.

The paper provides road‐mapping elements, indicating the impact on services and systems to be expected by this design approach.

The survey is based on a selection of sources and it is not exhaustive. The methodology experiments that are used for argumentation are based on the authors’ platform.

The paper presents a useful source of knowledge for researchers and advanced students.

This paper identifies a road for advanced e‐learning systems, and can help researchers and those in industry who desire to introduce and understand the design methodological context of advanced e‐learning systems.

The primary purpose of this research paper is to understand the role of national cultural dimensions on e‐learning practices in India. India is considered a major player in the world economy today. US multinationals are significantly increasing their presence in India and understanding cultural preferences will help global companies transition better.

This conceptual paper uses the national cultural dimensions of the global leadership and organizational behavior effectiveness project, which is identified as the most topical theoretical framework on culture. The national cultural scores are used to develop hypotheses for specific cultural dimensions. Examples from the literature are also used to strengthen the proposed hypotheses.

This research proposes that national cultural dimensions of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, in‐group collectivism, and future‐orientation influence e‐learning practices. This study distinguishes between synchronous and asynchronous methods of e‐learning and the role of culture on the same. Future research can definitely empirically test the hypotheses proposed.

This study provides strategic implications for multinationals with a guide sheet identifying the role of the various cultural dimensions on e‐learning. The suggested strategies can be implemented by multinationals in other countries with similar national cultural dimensions also.

This research also proposes a theoretical e‐learning model identifying the impact of national cultural dimensions on e‐learning practices. This research also provides practitioners a strategic implications model that could be implemented for e‐learning initiatives in multinationals.

This study's purposes were to longitudinally examine how interactivity factors as the antecedents to learner beliefs affected learners' intention to use the e-learning system and explore whether the effects on learners' usage intention of the e-learning system would change over time with increasing learners' usage experience of the system.

This study gathered sample data from students at a comprehensive university in Taiwan. The sample data were collected in a two-stage survey and were analyzed by using the longitudinal methodology. A total of 252 students agreed to participate in this study, and 225 students effectively participated in both data collections, with a usable response rate of 89.29 percent. Data were analyzed by using structural equation modelling and multiple group analysis.

Interactivity factors (controllability, responsiveness, two-way communication, and personalization) indirectly affected students' intention to use the e-learning system via the extrinsic motivators (perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU)) and intrinsic motivator (perceived enjoyment (PE)). Besides, students' experience in using the e-learning system moderated the effects of PU, PEOU, and PE on intention to use the system.

Based on the extended technology acceptance model, the empirical evidence on capturing both extrinsic and intrinsic motivators for completely explaining interactivity antecedents of learners' e-learning acceptance is well documented in this study. Besides, it should be noted that this study contributes significantly to the body of research on evaluating whether the effects of learners' beliefs on their usage intention of the e-learning system may change over time with increasing experience in using the system.