Multi-criteria decision making approach in E-learning: A systematic review and classification

•A review regarding application of MCDM techniques in E-learning is conducted.•Five major databases have been considered for this review.•ScienceDirect, Emerald, Taylor and Francis, IEEE, and Springer have been selected.•A systematic and meta analysis methodology called “PRISMA” has been proposed.•Papers between 2001 and 2015 have been considered for this review.

Academic research on E-learning has increased extensively over the past few years. Although, many multi-criteria decision making methods have been proposed to evaluate and examine the effectiveness of E-learning, there is a lack of study concerning systematic literature review and classification of research in this area. Regarding this, five major databases including ScienceDirect, Emerald, Taylor and Francis, IEEE, and Springer have been selected and a systematic methodology proposed. Consequently, a review of 42 published papers appearing in 33 academic journals and international conferences between 2001 and 2015 have been obtained to achieve a comprehensive review of MCDM application in E-learning. Accordingly, the selected papers have been classified by the year of publication, MCDM techniques, and journals and conferences in which they appeared. In addition, the significant criteria in evaluating E-learning were found. This study supports researchers and practitioners in effectively adopting MCDM techniques regarding E-learning evaluation and provides an insight into its state-of-the-art.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide