The aim of this study is to investigate male and female college students’ use patterns of a learning management system (LMS) in an e-learning environment. This study evaluated the structural differences between male and female college students in their LMS use patterns through a multifactor model. The research was conducted with 443 participants at a university in Korea. Four factor structures comprising 14 items measured on a five-point Likert scale were used for the analyses. After confirmatory structures for each gender were modified, the equivalence was examined by testing for factorial invariance and the latent means. The results indicated that, for three factors, male students used the LMS more than females and that neither gender preferred communicating and collaborating with each other. It was also found that students understood learning activities in more diverse ways than through theories. The results, which reflected Korea’s general educational context, indicated that a gender digital divide issue remains to be bridged and left recommendations for comprehensive development including the search for strategies for more participative LMS operations.
This study of 1780 college students in Korea explored gender differences in perceptions of competency certification programs in order to enhance sustainability in higher education. Structural equation modeling explained the optimal validity of the two-factor structure of perceptions between female and male students, and the structural relations between the two factors of competency were invariant across gender groups. A significant difference in latent means was found as well. The findings suggest that, for sustainable development, universities should develop systematic competency certification policies to accommodate students’ needs, as well as those of society, and help bridge the gender gap in the job market.
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