Structural relationships among self-regulated learning, learning flow, satisfaction, and learning persistence in cyber universities

Abstract

Learning persistence in a cyber-learning environment is not only an index determining the success or failure of individual learners but also a source of important information to establish the management direction of educational programs in an organization. Accordingly, learners need to be motivated to continue to grow in order to ensure both qualitative improvement and quantitative growth of cyber learning. However, previous research on successful and continuous learning has considered the factors relevant to learning persistence independently from satisfaction and only investigated the correlation and prediction, rather than examining the comprehensive causal relationships. Accordingly, the current study established self-regulated learning as an exogenous variable, and learning flow, satisfaction, and learning persistence as endogenous variables. We investigated the structural causal relationships among these variables by using structural equation model (SEM). We collected data from 594 students in W Cyber University and conducted surveys regarding self-regulated learning, flow, satisfaction, and learning persistence. In the study results, the self-regulated learning ability of cyber-university students directly affected learning flow (β = .420), learning flow directly affected satisfaction, and learning flow (β = .464) and satisfaction (β = .354) directly affected learning persistence. The SEM results showed that learning flow intermediated between self-regulated learning ability and satisfaction and between self-regulated learning ability and learning persistence. In addition, satisfaction intermediated between learning flow and learning persistence. In the concluding remarks, we suggest the necessary strategies for planning and managing a successful learning process for effective cyber education.

Keywords:

• self-regulated learning
• learning flow
• learning satisfaction
• learner persistence
• cyber university
• e-learning

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea Grants funded by the Korean Government (2012-045331).

Notes on contributors

Young Ju Joo is a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. Her areas of specialization include instructional design and management of cyber education. Her current research interests include calculation of effectiveness of cyber education in cyber university and corporate training.

Sunyoung Joung is an associate professor at Kookmin University in Seoul, Korea. Her areas of specialization include instructional design and e-learning. Her current research interests include self-regulated learning and group awareness in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL).

Jiyeon Kim is a graduate student at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, Korea. Her areas of specialization include adult education and management of cyber education. Her current research interests include calculation of effectiveness of cyber education in cyber university and corporate training.