Causal Relationship among Questionnaire Variables Investigating Learners' e-Learning Orientation in Massive Online Courses

Abstract

The purposes of this study are to develop a short form of the e-learning orientation scale, examine the scale’s reliability and validity, investigate the changes in learners’ e-learning orientation using the scale, and examine the causal relationship among the scale’s question items. The participants were the learners of massive open online Vol. 41，No. 1（2017） 87 courses in Japan. Questionnaire surveys were conducted both before and after an e-learning course. The scale comprised five main variables: preference, concentration, monotony, flexibility, and isolation. The results indicated that the scale had a one-factor structure, sufficient reliability, and factorial validity. Learners were divided into two groups: learners with e-learning experience, and learners with no experience in e-learning. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze the changes in the learners’ e-learning orientation between the two groups. The results of a 2 (groups) × 2 (time) mixed-design ANOVA suggest that learners with no experience in e-learning can improve their e-learning orientation by completing an e-learning course. A cross-lagged effects model explained the causal relationship among the question items in the pre and post stages of the e-learning course. The results suggest that isolation is an important factor affecting the e-learning orientation of learners.