E-learning in the digital era: How e-learning system quality shapes student satisfaction in public universities in Kenya

This study examines the influence of e-learning system quality on student satisfaction in selected public universities in Kenya. Although the adoption of digital learning platforms following COVID-19 expanded in most universities, empirical evidence on the relationship between the quality of the e-learning system and student satisfaction remains underexplored. The Resource-Based View (RBV) theory and Information Systems Success (ISS) models guided the study. This paper employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. The study targeted 364,998 undergraduate fourth-year students, 2,031 deans, 20,771 lecturers, and 31 system administrators in six universities. A sample size of 446 participants—400 students, 20 deans, 20 lecturers, and 6 administrators—participated. The data were collected using questionnaires and interview guides and analyzed using descriptive, inferential, and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that e-learning system quality positively and significantly influences student satisfaction (B = 0.358, SE = 0.043, β = 0.415, t = 8.394, p = .001, p < .05, 2-tailed). This implies that a unit change in e-learning system quality is linked to a change of 0.358 units in student satisfaction. This paper recommends that universities invest in efficient assessment systems and education accessibility through digital inclusiveness in affordable data, mobile access, and offline collaborative user-friendly platforms.