mgr Alina GUZIK – Gdańsk University of Technology, ul. Gabriela Narutowicza 11/12, 80-222 Gdańsk, Polsnd, e-mail: alina.guzik@pg.edu.pl
Received 6.07.2026. Accepted 3.08.2026
pp. 2-8
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this article is to present the results of qualitative research on the quality attributes of e-learning courses, which become visible when they are not met, understood as a lack, defect or inconsistency, and to propose a model explaining how the non-fulfillment of an attribute reveals its relevance for perceived course quality.
Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory qualitative approach was employed. The material comprised 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews: 11 with e-learning course users and 14 with designers. Transcripts were thematically analyzed, coding expected attributes, forms of non-fulfillment, user reactions, and design or control practices that mitigate defect risk.
Findings/conclusions: Four areas of quality revealed by deficiency were identified: technological reliability, navigational clarity, content organization and cognitive load, and teaching effectiveness. Based on the analysis of the responses, a model of quality attribute disclosure by deficiency was proposed, demonstrating the progression from the attribute’s invisible correctness, through its disruption and attempted compensation, to negative evaluation or course withdrawal.
Research limitations: The study is exploratory in nature; the results are not intended for statistical generalization. The model is interpretive in nature and requires further validation in research, including observation of user behavior and analysis of data from e-learning platforms.
Practical implications: The results can support the design and evaluation of e-learning courses by identifying attributes that are rarely spontaneously identified as sources of quality, but whose absence, defect, or inconsistency disrupts learning. The proposed model can be used in critical incident analysis, usability testing, and QA procedures to translate user problems into desired quality attributes.
Originality/value: This article conceptualizes e-learning course quality as a phenomenon that is also revealed by the absence, defect, or inconsistency of an attribute. Its original contribution is a theoretical model of how a quality attribute is revealed by its absence.
Keywords
product quality, e-learning, EdTech, quality attributes, new product development