Abstract:
In recent years, higher education institutions have increasingly adopted e-learning courses to remove the barriers of time and space throughout the world, which makes it vital to ensure the conditions for greater student's engagement in online learning environment. In this regard, previous studies have demonstrated a lack of consistent results with respect to the prediction of students' engagement. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between e-learning readiness and students' engagement for both traditional and non-traditional student and the moderating roles of cultural dimensions and personality traits. The theoretical framework is based upon social constructivist theories. Quantitative method is used, whereby an online survey questionnaire was shared to obtain data from 200 postgraduate students enrolled in an online postgraduate certification course in education at ICE and 200 questionnaires distributed to post graduate students enrolled in University of Karachi. The collected data was analyzed using the structural equation modelling technique in conjunction with multi-group analysis. The results shows computer/internet self-efficacy negatively impacting emotional engagement, Skill and performance. Learners control has positive but insignificant relationship with performance and participation. Motivation for learning has negative relation with participation. Online communication self-efficacy has no significant relation with participation and skill. Self-directed learning has negative relationship with emotion, performance and skill and no significant relationship with participation.
