Abstract: Most of the educational institutions in Kenya are unable to facilitate full functional services of e-learning using conventional e-learning systems due to various reasons such as providing the necessary information and communication technology support. Rapid advancement of technology has prompted the institutions to enhance teaching and learning. Cloud computing has become an emerging and adoptable paradigm in education around the globe over the years with its promising benefits such as reliability, scalability, flexibility and reasonable cost to provide more effective e-learning systems. This study sought to develop an implementation framework for cloud-based learning in technical and vocational colleges in Kenya with the aim of enhancing educational accessibility, improving instructional quality and fostering technological readiness for an innovative and sustainable e-learning environment. The specific objectives were; to determine the e-learning systems implemented in technical and vocational colleges in Vihiga County; to evaluate the factors influencing implementation of cloud-based e-learning systems in Technical and vocational colleges in Vihiga County; and to develop an implementation framework for cloud-based e-learning systems for technical and vocational colleges. The study was premised on Technology-Organization-Environment framework and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. The study adopted descriptive research design and mixed methods approach. Purposive and stratified sampling were used when selecting the sample size of 91 respondents drawn from the target population of 951 consisting of administrators, trainers from different departments and information and communication technology trainees using published tables. Questionnaires and interview schedules were the main data collection instruments. Content validity was used besides pilot study to measure the validity of the instruments while reliability was measured through the test-retest procedure using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The results of quantitative analysis were presented using frequency tables, charts and graphs. The study established that the utilization of conventional e-learning systems in technical and vocational colleges in Vihiga County was below average and there was a gap in cloud-based e-learning systems implementation. The institutions had inadequate information and communication technology infrastructure and internet connectivity, inadequate technical capacity and policies to effectively implement cloud-based e-learning. The study developed a cloud-based e-learning systems implementation framework for technical and vocational colleges premised on cloud-based infrastructure, institutional readiness and user characteristics as the main influencing factors. The study concluded that the existing e-learning systems were insufficient to facilitate quality and reliable e-learning delivery.
Keywords: E-Learning, E-Learning Systems, Conventional E-Learning Systems, Cloud-Based E-Learning Systems, Cloud Computing, Framework
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DOI:
10.17148/IJARCCE.2024.13727
