Factors Affecting E-Learning Effectiveness in a Higher Learning Institution in Afghanistan Ala Abdulhakim Alariqi Science Technology and Mathematics Division, American University of Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan +93729863313 aabdulaziz@auaf.edu.af Mahdi Najafi Science Technology and Mathematics Division, American University of Afghanistan +93790250825 mahdi.najafi@auaf.edu.af Mohammed Abdulrab College of Business Administration University of Hail Hail, Saudi Arabia +601121246299 abdulrabd@gmail.com Christine Murray Social Science and Humanities Division American University of Afghanistan +15203339552 cmurray@auaf.edu.af Habibullah Slimanzai Faculty of Computer Science Shaikh Zayed University, Khost, Afghanistan +93770092519 habibullah@szu.edu.af ABSTRACT The study of effectiveness in e-learning is a challenging and complex task for higher learning institutions. This study aims to understand the factors influencing e-learning effectiveness in the context of tertiary education in Afghanistan. For this purpose, an empirical study was conducted to examine the effect of individual barriers, technological barriers, organizational barriers, and e- learning effectiveness. In general, several prior studies have focused on the factors that influence e-learning effectiveness. However, there is limited research that simultaneously captures and explains the factors impacting e-learning effectiveness in higher education institution in Afghanistan. This empirical study takes a total of 384 students from four Afghanistan universities participating in this study. Findings indicate that individual barriers, technological barriers, and organizational barriers, each had a significant impact on the effectiveness of e-learning. The findings of this study can be useful for university leadership and management, enhancing effectiveness in the e-learning. CCS Concepts • Social and professional topics➝Information technology education. Keywords E-Learning; Barriers; Afghanistan; Higher Learning Institution; Education; Computer Science. 1. INTRODUCTION The Internet has turned into an important way to find sources for research and learning by instructors and students, obtaining and spreading valuable information, especially for e-learning. Yet, according to Valentina Arkorful & Nelly Abaidoo, there is not any common definition for the term e- learning. Definitions of e- learning tend toward the conceptual, thus covering a range of applicable situations, learning methods, and processes [1]. More specifically, Koohang and Harman (2005) had usefully described e-learning as: E-learning is the delivery of education (all activities relevant to instructing, teaching, and learning) through various electronic media. The electronic medium could be the Internet, intranets, extranets, satellite TV, video/audio tape, and/or CD ROM. [2]. As a phenomenon, the idea and applications of e-learning had evolved in various ways affecting businesses, education, and the military. Initially, during the 1960s, there were few available computers with which to apply e-learning in universities. E- learning evolved, then, in various approaches that affected businesses, education, and the military. In higher education, “e- learning” refers to the use of both software-based and online learning. The origin of e- learning refers back to the insightful work of Suppes (1964) and Bitzer (1962). Suppes work was a foundation for today’s e- learning, and after, Don Bitzer at the University of Illinois created a timeshared computer system called PLATO that was concerned with literacy programs. According to Blitzer (1962), PLATO could be used to develop and deliver computer-based education, including literacy programs. It allowed educators and students to use high resolution graphics terminals and an educational programming language, TUTOR, to create and interact with educational courseware and to commtunicate with other users by means of electronic notes, thus being the forerunner of today’s conferencing systems [3]. Nowadays, e-learning is evolving with the World Wide Web as a whole and it is changing to a degree significant enough to warrant a new name, namely e-learning 2.0. The term e-Learning 2.0 is used to refer to new ways of thinking about e-learning, as inspired by the emergence of Web 2.0. From an e-Learning 2.0 perspective, e-learning will concentrate on social [media] learning and the use Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. 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