To read this content please select one of the options below:

Assessing the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of cloud-based e-learning systems in the COVID-19 era

Luyan Teng (School of Education, South China Normal University, Guangdong, China) (Shenzhen Institute of Education Sciences, Guangdong, China)
Qinyi Tan (Center for Studies of Education and Psychology of Ethnic Minorities in Southwest China, Southwest University, Chongqing, China)
Ali Ehsani (Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, Arak University, Arak, Iran)

Kybernetes

ISSN: 0368-492X

Article publication date: 13 July 2021

Issue publication date: 5 September 2022

603

Abstract

Purpose

One of the most significant threats of COVID-19 in the world is the closure of universities, schools, training courses and even companies and organizations. In such a situation and with the free time that has arisen, this threat of education closure can become a golden opportunity for learning and progress in virtual education. E-learning uses information technology (IT) to distribute knowledge and information for training and education. Also, cloud computing is a technology utilized in the IT domain. It can be employed in performing e-learning. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to assess the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of CELS in the COVID-19 era.

Design/methodology/approach

Cloud-based e-learning system (CELS) provides all e-learning requirements like software and hardware resources to promote conventional e-learning technologies. The CELS stands on several factors of diverse aspects that have been of high significance in CELS success. So, these systems must be checked to analyze their significance rate and successfully carry out their effectiveness. On the other hand, these days, the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) changes our daily lifestyles. Therefore, the present investigation provides a new model investigating the development and success of CELS in the COVID-19 era. Also, an online questionnaire was used to gather the data. The content validity of the questionnaire was obtained by applying the opinions of ten experts from e-learning specialists. The collected data are analyzed using LISREL and Smart PLS software.

Findings

The results from the path coefficient and the sample t-test have implied that skills and knowledge positively influence CELS in the COVID-19 era. In addition, the relationship between cultural characteristics and CELS in the COVID-19 era has been positive and significant. The relationship between the economic situations and the CELS in the COVID-19 era is positive and significant.

Practical implications

The proposed model helps managers get a big picture of CELS necessities and more effectively in the COVID-19 era. This research has a unique impact on universities to develop an e-learning platform to facilitate the education process in the COVID-19 era. It provides guidelines for educational institutions to effectively implement the learning management system to facilitate students' education.

Originality/value

CELS are getting increasingly essential to offer training courses more efficiently in educational institutions. Although the intersection between cloud computing and e-learning has increasingly grown in both practical and academic contexts, few studies on the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of CELS in the COVID-19 era. This paper explores the ignored but critically important subject of CELS. This paper's main contribution is to present a new and integrated model containing the essential aspects of the development and success of CELS in the COVID-19 era. The proposed framework comprises cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge aspects simultaneously, as well as sub-criteria denoting each element.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

Expression of Concern: The publisher of Kybernetes is issuing an Expression of Concern for the following article: Teng, L., Tan, Q. and Ehsani, A. (2021), “Assessing the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of cloud-based e-learning systems in the COVID-19 era”, Kybernetes, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print, to inform readers that concerns have been raised regarding the authorship of this paper. An investigation is ongoing and is currently unresolved. Further information will be provided by Kybernetes as it becomes available.

This study was supported by MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences [Grant No. 16XJC880003] and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities [Grant No. SWU1909325].

Citation

Teng, L., Tan, Q. and Ehsani, A. (2022), "Assessing the impact of cultural characteristics, economic situations, skills and knowledge on the development and success of cloud-based e-learning systems in the COVID-19 era", Kybernetes, Vol. 51 No. 9, pp. 2795-2813. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-12-2020-0838

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles