Factors That Influence Student E-Learning Participation in a UK Higher Education Institution

E-learning involves the use of information and communication technologies to deliver teaching and learning and is becoming increasingly important in the delivery of higher education. An online questionnaire survey was designed to gather information on students’ participation and opinions of the use of e-learning in a UK higher education institution, and the results show that different student groups are more likely to participate regularly in certain types of study activities than others. An exploratory factor analysis reveals three underlying factors which may be used to classify the different types of e-learning activities, namely, information and communication use, general educational use, and the use of specialised software. These three factors which represent the different applications of e-learning should be considered individually in terms of design, delivery, and management of e-learning support systems, and provision of training for both staff and students.