Selection of suitable distance education platforms based on human–computer interaction criteria under fuzzy environment

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected not only the health industry but also the education sector. E-learning systems have recently become a compulsory part of all education institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities worldwide because of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The objectives of the current study were twofold: (1) to conduct an analytical approach for ranking of distance education platforms based on human–computer interaction criteria and (2) to identify the most appropriate distance learning platform for teaching and learning activities by using multi-criteria decision-making approaches. Selection criteria were grouped into human–computer interaction-related criteria, such as ease of use, possibility of causing mental workload, user-friendly interface design, presentation method, and interactivity. In the selection procedure, a spherical fuzzy extension of Analytical Hierarchy Process was utilized to identify the weights of selection criteria and to rank distance education platforms. The results revealed that the most important criterion was the possibility of causing mental workload while the most preferable e-learning system was identified as “A3”.