Abstract
The most crucial determinant of success in any service environment is the perception of the customers about the service quality or the product quality as it derives satisfaction and loyalty. Considering this imperative, the present review focuses on the service quality of online teaching, which has become a new normal during the pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in a paradigm shift of imparting education from brick to click classrooms. Hence, this article reviews the literature on the factors influencing service quality of click classrooms and mentions the parameters that lead to learners’ satisfaction. The systematic review helps in understanding how the research in this field has progressed. It is evident from this review that creating an interactive learning environment, giving prompt feedbacks, providing rich digital resources and course content, competent and skilled faculty members and continuous student support play a crucial role in enhancing the service quality of click classrooms leveraging learners’ satisfaction. The findings of this study support the educational institutions towards developing a sound and sustainable online learning environment by comprehending the students’ expectations about the service quality of an online learning environment. The study aims to propel future research works towards improving the service quality of click classrooms and enriching learners’ experience to impart quality education for all the stakeholders.
Keywords
A Paradigm Shift in the Pandemic
The 2020 Pandemic has entirely transformed how the various service organizations are delivering services. The service sector has been hugely affected due to COVID-19 pandemic and changed the way of service offerings. There is a vast service transformation, keeping into account the safety concerns. The pandemic has entirely transformed the global lifestyle, thus resulting in the emergence of a virtual world, wherein service delivery through various online platforms has become a new normal. Various service industries such as banking, retail, insurance and information technology (IT) are offering online services, and the education industry is also not left unaffected by the same. Almost all educational organizations, including schools and colleges, have made a paradigm shift and turned their base to the virtual platform for online classes. In the context of management education, teaching and learning of practical courses in the finance domain in an online mode was rarely carried out before the pandemic. But the present situation brought out new avenues and innovative pedagogical techniques to teach financial courses online. When the classes shifted from the offline to online mode, due to the sudden outbreak, various online platforms like Google Meet and Zoom were initially used. Gradually, as there is a realization that the pandemic is going to continue for a longer time, help from various tech firms has been taken to create a robust platform for a better learning experience and to increase the level of student engagement. Considering the current pandemic situation, the International Student Survey report on the students’ interest in studying in the European Union universities featuring in QS World Universities ranking, released by World QS Ranking in 2020, has highlighted the fact that technology is the key indicator of teaching quality and is also an important factor to be considered by the prospective students throughout the globe for making decisions regarding admissions in universities. As per the report, the paradigm shift caused due to the pandemic has resulted into a challenge to embrace the possibilities for universities around the globe to play their best part during the post-COVID-19 recovery, by offering all they have, ranging from skills and employment to the latest technology and innovation during the pandemic times (EU International Student Survey, 2020). Thus, as per the report, many universities have shifted towards click classrooms.
Form Brick to Click Classrooms
Virtual or online classrooms referred to in this study as click classroom has emerged as an alternative to the brick classroom, that is, the ordinary face-to-face classes and paved new ways of educating the students of all stages from school to university level. There is a massive surge in demand for online courses amid lockdown. Online learning is being preferred globally by all educational institutions to ensure students’ safety. Various stakeholders, including government and private organizations, are paving the way towards the betterment of online education through enriching their online platforms, apps, online courses and training the instructors for the successful delivery of knowledge through these online platforms. Online education will evolve the concept of continuous learning across different age groups by basically three kinds of needs: employability—to stay up to date and skilled in the job market; social learning—casual learning and social skill development; and, lastly, entrepreneurship (Khaitan, 2017).
As click classrooms have become a new normal and will surely continue post the COVID-19 pandemic with various governmental interventions and approvals towards online degrees and diplomas, it becomes crucial to understand the service quality of the online platforms and its effect on the learning environment and student satisfaction. As service quality refers to ‘how effectively the service delivered matches customer satisfaction’ (Parasuraman et al., 1985), offering high-quality service for student satisfaction and academic achievement plays a crucial role while providing education in click classrooms. Thus, the study’s main objective is to identify the factors that educational institutions need to take care of enhancing the student satisfaction level in the click classrooms. In light of this, the study will attempt to answer the following research questions:
How has the research on service quality, online teaching or online classrooms, learners’ satisfaction progressed throughout the years? What are the essential factors contributing to the service quality of click classrooms? What are the prominent parameters driving learners’ satisfaction in terms of click classrooms? What are the benefits and challenges of imparting education through click classrooms? What critical aspects do the educational institutions need to take care of while imparting education through click classrooms?
Answering these research questions and fulfilling the main objective of this study will help improve the service quality of click classrooms and contribute towards enhancing the learners’ satisfaction level. Thus, the remaining part of the study is organized as follows: research methodology, results and analysis, discussion and implication of future research opportunities in the mentioned study area.
Research Methodology
As literature review forms the base of a descent research work, it becomes necessary to analyse and synthesize the research works carried out in the study area. Therefore, a systematic literature review (SLR) has been conducted to identify the factors related to the study variables. The three faces of SLR, as mentioned by Tranfield et al. (2003), has been adopted.
((‘service quality’) AND (‘online classroom’ OR ‘online teaching’ )): ((‘online classroom’ OR ‘online teaching’) AND (‘Learner Satisfaction’ OR ‘students satisfaction’)) ((‘service quality’) AND (‘Learner Satisfaction; OR ‘students satisfaction’))
Results
To study the bibliometric profile of the selected articles, bibliometric analysis has been performed, as it helps to identify the various quantitative and qualitative changes in the area of research (Kumar et al., 2020). In context to the study purpose, descriptive and relational indicators and bibliometric tools have been employed (Danvila-del-Valle et al., 2019). Biblioshiny, which is a web application under R package, has been used to perform bibliometric analysis for this study (Aria & Cuccurullo, 2017). Descriptive analysis has been performed so as to understand the contributions and research trends in the study area. Descriptive analysis such as frequency distribution of published articles author wise and country wise, top globally cited articles, annual scientific production, word cloud, most relevant words, trend topics and word growth were the major indicators that have been used. Thematic map, which is an indicator of relational analysis, has also been used in the study to understand the conceptual structure.
Frequency Distribution of Published Papers in Leading Journals
The distribution of review articles in the leading journals is presented in the Figure 1.
Frequency Distribution of the Published Article Year-wise
From Figure 2, it can be interpreted that, from the year 2019, the research on the present study has been increasing. The pandemic can be the major reason, as the shift to click classrooms has occurred during this period.
Geographical Distribution of the Publications
The top five countries with the highest number of publications in the research area can be interpreted from Figure 3. It incudes the USA (145), Malaysia (130), Indonesia (76), India (67) and Australia (50).
Frequency Distribution of Most Globally Cited Articles
Figure 4 presents the most globally cited document graphically. It helps to identify the research works that have influenced the literature related to study variables on the premise that the author cites only those documents that contribute significantly to this research work (Danvila-del-Valle et al., 2019).
Word Cloud
Figure 5 presents the most frequently appearing authors’ keyword of the selected articles in the area of study. From the size of the words and its centrality in the word cloud, it can be interpreted that, online education has been widely used in higher education context. It can also be interpreted that during COVID-19, there has been a lot of research on service quality and students’ satisfaction with e-learning and online teaching.
Trend Topics
Figure 6 presents the topics that are in the highest trends related to the present field of research. It can be interpreted that due to the outbreak of the pandemic, the scope of e-learning and online learning is widening, and the demand for research works in this area is also high.
Thematic Map Using Relational Analysis
The motor themes include higher education service quality, servqual, reliability, satisfaction, loyalty and trust. It suggests that the themes are developed and vital. From the remaining quadrants, we can say that the research work on service quality and student satisfaction in online teaching is still emerging, and there is a vast scope of research in these areas.
Findings
Service Quality of Click Classrooms
The primary focus of various service industries is to provide high-quality services to their customers to encash the benefits obtained from customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. As the current business scenario is highly competitive with many global players entering the market, it becomes highly significant to ensure that the best quality services are offered to warrant a vast customer base. Service quality can only help a firm stand apart to ensure differentiation of goods and services from competitors (Poor et al., 2013). To attain a competitive position and higher edge, it becomes significantly important to understand the service quality perception of the customers, that is, to know what our customers are thinking about the services being offered by us (Vaz & Mansori, 2013). To measure the customers’ perception of service quality in any industry, the SERVQUAL model forms the base for all the service providers and practitioners (Al-Fawzan, 2018). The SERVQUAL model, also known as the gap model, helps identify the difference between expected and perceived service quality by a customer. However, SERVPERF, which adopts a performance-only approach, is a method wherein the service quality is measured based on what the customers perceive about the service quality of the services being rendered by an organization (Paposa et al., 2019; Clemes et al., 2007). The various determinants of service quality include tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and technology (Adil et al., 2013; Paposa et al., 2019).
As educational institutions are also regarded as the service industry, service quality becomes an essential factor for all the stakeholders (Gray & DiLoreto, 2016; Hemsley-Brown, et al., 2010). Better Service quality leads to higher students satisfaction which in turn has a positive impact on students loyalty (Tsinidou et al., 2010; Helgesen & Nesset, 2007). The education industry is also changing by leaps and bounds. With the New Education Policy (2020) introduced by the Indian government, there will be a drastic change in the Indian education system with the entry of foreign universities. As there is a considerable transformation of education from traditional education to modern vocational education, the quality of the learning environment will matter greatly. Thus, ‘curriculum, pedagogy, continuous assessment, and student support are the cornerstones for quality learning’ (New Education Policy, 2020) and will denote the brand image of an educational institution. Among the top five factors considered by the students when choosing a university, only those universities that can prove their teaching quality credentials can attract students throughout the globe. The first factor is scholarship. The second factor is how welcoming is the university towards international students. The third, and very important, factor is a university that offers high-quality teaching. The fourth factor is that the university offers a course of choice. The fifth is the reputation of the university in the chosen area (EU International Student Survey, 2020). Thus, from this report, we can understand the importance given to quality teaching.
During the pandemic, it has been observed that almost all educational organizations globally have turned their base to online mode in the form of click classrooms instead of brick. The service quality of the click classrooms has caught the attention of many educational leaders. In click classrooms, technology plays a significant role in creating a better learning environment for the students. It becomes highly crucial to understand the students’ perception regarding the online learning environments to curate better careers and futures. Service quality in the case of online education is determined by the quality of personal support services provided through the online learning environment. Click classrooms can include various features such as online registration, course selection, financial aid by institution, online technical support services, online evaluation and continuous feedback from the faculty members.
Essential Factor Contributing Towards Service Quality of Click Classrooms
The pandemic has brought a paradigm shift globally in the culture of education being delivered through online mode and will surely continue in some or the other form post the COVID-19 pandemic also. According to a report from KPMG entitled ‘the online teaching of India: 2021’, some of the intrinsic forces of online education are convenience, ease of concentration at home and reduced travel time. Perceived service quality (PSQ) is a crucial construct as it reduces an organization’s cost and increases profitability. Moreover, PSQ also affects customer satisfaction and retention. Table 1 represents the various factors which signifies the perceived service quality. The various dimensions of PSQ in an online environment can be ‘Web site functionality, design, personalization, security, speed, interactivity, usefulness, responsiveness, reputation’ (Rareş, 2014).
Factors of Service Quality
Learners Satisfaction Online
Learners’ satisfaction plays a significant role in the success of an online learning environment. It has a positive correlation with high-quality learning outcomes. Various factors play a crucial role in increasing the learners’ satisfaction level for better learning outcomes. Identifying these factors is the need of the hour as it will significantly contribute towards developing a better learning environment. Table 2 represent the various factors which contributes to the Learners’ satisfaction in an on-line learning environment. Ability to communicate and learn online, having a clear understanding of the requirements to succeed in a course unit and knowing their performance level are the factors that have a significant effect on learners’ satisfaction while studying online (Palmer & Holt, 2009). Another study on learners’ satisfaction in online classes has reported that the three factors contributing significantly towards learners’ satisfaction are clear and consistent course structure, constructive and constant interaction of the instructor with the learners, and a valued and dynamic discussion among the learners themselves. The online platforms should, thus, pave the way for continuous interaction of a learner with content, instructor and classmates (Swan, 2001). The curricula to be taught online need to be more student-centred, engaging them in various instructional tasks and activities supported with some authentic examples, judicious feedback and self-efficacy enhancements (Bangert, 2006; Ozkan & Koseler, 2009). The primary goal in an online learning environment is to engage the students in collaborative and reflective learning (Taylor & Maor, 2000).
Parameters of Learners’ Satisfaction
Benefits of Imparting Education Through Click Classroom
Analysis of the selected articles for the study indicates that imparting education through click classrooms has been genuinely beneficial and has helped avoid academic loss during the pandemic. The significant benefits of the click classrooms to the students and teachers is presented in Figure 8.
Challenges of Imparting Education Through Click Classrooms
Lack of personal touch.
Online students often drop out, and their attrition rate is relatively higher.
Click classrooms cannot overshadow individualized learning as in the case of brick classrooms.
It is a challenge to teach technical subjects or subjects that involve experiments or hands-on experience through laboratory work.
Students may feel disconnected from their classmates and instructors.
End-term or final assessments through online mode is difficult to moderate, and there are chances of adopting unfair means.
A sudden shift to online mode also leads to anxiety among the students to attend class using an online environment.
Implications for the Educational Institutions to Impart Education Through Click Classrooms
Educational institutions need to ensure that the interactivity between students and instructors plays a very crucial role in an online environment.
The preference of interactivity and the type of features of the online environment differ according to the level of students.
Creating an online learning environment that is student-friendly and backed with strong technical support.
The click classrooms should promote deep and meaningful learning.
Students need to be trained and equipped with the skills required to study in a completely online mode.
Assessments need to be carefully designed and executed in an unbiased and formal manner.
Interesting course material with live examples, case studies, video content, teaching notes and mandatory tasks need to be designed to maintain connectivity of the students with course content.
Educational institutions need to evaluate the degree of engaging students through blended learning or online collaborative learning.
Teachers need to be trained to develop a class structure that arouses social interactions, encourages critical thinking and fosters independent learning skills.
The click classrooms should be equipped with features such as recording the students’ login time; recording the views to the learning modules; and the facility to record the self-reported information from students through surveys, feedback, reflections and discussions.
Creating a learning environment that motivates the students to study online and make them feel glad to pursue online courses.
Conclusion and Agenda for Future Research Work
As online learning through click classrooms has become a new normal, educational institutions need to give due importance to increase the service quality of the online learning environment to overcome the challenges being confronted because of online learning. Educational institutions need to take all the necessary steps to make a sound and technically equipped click classrooms with enriched course content to ensure maximum learners’ satisfaction (Lin, 2007). The online platform should provide various features such as automated way of marking students’ attendance, recording of lecture, giving chat options, option to raise hand, option to send a message individually or in a group by a student or a faculty. It should also facilitate the faculty by providing various features such as uploading of lecture slides or notes, which can be later downloaded by the students, sharing of screen and use of a secondary device to share the workspace like a board or notebook in which the faculty can solve a practical sum and explain it stepwise. It should also provide facility to take an instant quiz with a feature to publish the pool results quickly. This feature plays a huge role in checking the attentive levels and promptness of the students as it highlights the learners who will not respond to the quiz question. The various courses, such as cost accounting, financial accounts and income tax, can be taught by using a spreadsheet package. Additionally, case studies can be extensively used to generate learners’ interest and make them aware of the practical situation. Simulative teaching for various courses like corporate strategy and decision can also be adopted. Moreover, strategies like discussions on the stock market, financial health of the country, policies and major decisions of the government related to the financial sector and its effect on the economy can also be discussed. Additionally, in order to enrich the learners’ experience and knowledge, guest lectures and workshops by financial experts from the industry can also be arranged.
During literature review, it has been identified that most of the studies generalized findings among the distinct learners’ groups. More studies are required that explicitly address the drivers of learners’ satisfaction among the different learning groups. The factors of service quality differ among the various studies of similar nature. There is a need for a future study that addresses this gap and proposes a sound model of service quality of click classrooms. The authors suggest a need for research works that integrate and employ the different models of service quality being used in the service industry for the satisfaction of the end users in a technology-based learning environment and will positively influence the learners’ satisfaction in the educational institutions. A study focusing on the click classrooms for imparting financial education can also be undertaken. The present review has contributed in a manner through highlighting the manner in which the current area of research has progressed throughout the years. It has emphasized on the emerging themes in the study area. Through this study, authors have also attempted to identify the factors of service quality and parameters of learners’ satisfaction which future research should consider for finalizing a model for empirical research work. Finally, the study has also indicated the benefits and challenges of imparting education through click classrooms and the implications for educational institutions to develop a robust online teaching system. This review has certain limitations that need to be considered while conducting future research works. As the review is a blend of SLR and qualitative analysis by the authors, certain factors may be missed that may affect learners’ satisfaction. Moreover, due to the adopted research methodology, some relevant literature may not have been captured because of which a need to do a comprehensive review backed with qualitative methods like focus groups and interviews can be conducted to overcome the limitations of the present study. The present review was conducted with an aim to improve the service quality of click classrooms and enrich learners’ experience so as to impart quality education for the benefit of all the stakeholders.
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.