Universal Journal of Educational Research

ABSTRACT

This paper aims to evaluate and determine student outcomes from e-learning specifically in the context of remedial/developmental English education for university students in Japan. The study explores the methodology for evaluating individual competency in depth, utilizing content-based reading instruction to assess achievement and predict future reading skills. The methodology involved a case study using editor-based e-learning content implemented at University A that was not initially customized for individual optimization. Students were encouraged to study off-campus, using multimedia classrooms, and were permitted to use screenshots and digital cameras to investigate and retry content parts at their own pace. Key metrics tracked included the number of units completed, total advance points, learning hours, and the Learning Rate (calculated as Total Points divided by Total Learning Time). Results suggest that individual ability and time are closely related to the ability to finish the contents and the overall task. Analysis revealed three clusters of performance: students who took less time to finish, those who took less time but did not finish, and those who took more time to finish the contents. Since the utilized materials were not individually optimized, the paper concludes that further challenges involve developing materials and systems with a high correlation to the learning rate. Implications propose a conceptual design aimed at autonomous learning—the final purpose of remedial education—by incorporating personalized learning assessments, individual learning histories, and personalized content optimization.