شبكة المعلومات العربية التربوية

A Quantitative study of the impact of the application of Electronic Learning Management System(ELMS) on academic achievement for students (Support level for the economic course as a case study) Summary Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is seriously working for activating the role played by educational technology throughout higher education. The 1427 H witnessed the Royal Decree paving the rout to formulating a national plan for information technology emphasizing the adoption of electronic learning and distance learning in higher education, and the formation of a national center to provide technical support in this respect. Accordingly, the National Center for Electronic and Distance Education was organized to help diffuse such technologies among higher education institutions. King Khaled University has adopted a strategic plan for electronic education with the aim of making such education available for all its students. The implementation of that plan an electronic education center was established and a specialized administration created to manage it. Three levels of Electronic education at KKU. Those are 1) the supportive level in which a specific electronic site is specified for each course to support contacts while leaching proceeded in the ordinary way; 2) The collaborative level in which student attendance is split to ordinary attendance and electronic attendance; 3) The absolute level where all activities are undertaken electronically. It is thought that social science, including economics best suits electronic education for various reasons. However, the academic courses in economic, including related to it such as marketing, accounting, finance, and administration, at KKU are the least in terms of electronic learning (only 8 courses representing 7.3 % are using Electronic education). The academic courses Economics 2 (202) was the first course in economics to employ the supportive level of Electronic education in the first semester of academic year 1430 / 1434 H. This study was conducted on the students who had attended that course; in addition, a survey of electronic education has been made. Results show that electronic education at KKU started in the academic year 1429 /1430 H. with 659 users in 250 academics courses and an average daily review of 1740 pages. In next academic year those figures jumped to 14000/15000, 640, and 110700; respectively. This means that the rate of increase in electronic education amounted to 2046.5 %, 967 %, and 6262 %, respectively. In addition, the collaborative and absolute levels were introduced in the academic year 1430/1431H. Electronic participation of Economics 2 students was found to have a positive impact on students’ achievement in the course. The elasticity of the change in achievement due to number of missed classes and electronic interaction was estimated to be.151 %and.072 %; respectively. This means missing classes leads to decrease in achievement whereas electronic communications leads to increase in achievement. When the data electronically communicating students only was analyzed; the elastic ties of achievement due to missed classes electronic participation, an percentage of electronically communicating students in class were estimated to be 0.07, 0.07; and 0.003, respectively. Those figures may be taken to mean that electronic communication is rather productive compared to ordinary attendance. In view of those results, the following may be recommended 1) Employed electronic education system should be continuously evaluated, particularly those used in courses in Economics. 2) Electronic education at KKU may proceed to the higher level based upon evaluations. 3) Knowledge about electronic education and the results of its use at KKU should be disseminated to convince students and faculty to gain from its benefits. 4) Electronic communication should be available between students of all classes studying the same courses. 5) Studies should be done to estimate the optimum size of student body for each level of electronic education. 6) Coordination between electronic education units at the college and at the university level in implementing and evaluating electronic education. (Published abstract)