A HIERARCHICAL LINEAR MODEL OF ETHICAL PRACTICES IN DISTANCE LEARNING AND E LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

This study examines the issue of ethical practices in distance learning and e-learning settings based on the use of a Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM). The study seeks to determine the effect of institutional support, academic integrity, and data privacy issues on student engagement, satisfaction, and academic performance. The research design adopted was quantitative, where surveys and analyses on student behavior were conducted to gather data on 500 students in three institutions. Using HLM, the study uses individual-level student-centered factors and institutional-level factors to explain differences in data structures. These findings reveal that academic perceived integrity carries a high positive value on student engagement, meaning that students who form perceptions that their academic integrity is higher are more engaged in their learning. Student engagement, on the other hand, is harmed by data privacy issues, whereby increasing the level of concern decreases the engagement. On the institutional level, both student engagement and academic performance have positive relationships with institutional support, implying that an environment with more supportive institutions produces better outcomes among students. The study also brings out the issue of ethical practices in promoting fairness, transparency, and trust in the e-learning settings. The results emphasize the importance of ethical frameworks in enhancing effective learning and better educational results in the digital environment. The study is relevant to the literature because it uses the hierarchical modeling framework to explore how the ethical practices and student success interact in e-learning. The research offers some practical implications to institutions of learning since it indicates that incorporating sound ethical policies and practices in the design of e-learning can enhance interest, satisfaction, and academic success. All in all, the study points to the necessity of the connection of a clear, fair, and supportive learning atmosphere in online education systems.