Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that contribute towards learning effectiveness in e-learning courses. A review of previous studies was carried out to determine those factors that are most applicable to a tertiary teaching environment and to propose a model to assess effectiveness in online courses. The virtual learning environment (VLE) was defined to establish the boundaries for measurement. Constructivism was explored as a teaching approach in tertiary online courses. This model provided the input for a demonstration of an online course measurement and feedback tool using Moodle. A current student group was used to demonstrate the tool's use and recommendations were made from the findings. Areas for improvement were discussed and recommendations made for future studies. Design/methodology/approach: In this study a literature analysis approach was followed to establish theoretical bases for the practical application of the theory. The objective of the study was to demonstrate a model to measure the effectiveness of an LMS in aiding learner success as the most important success indicator of an e-learning system. Findings: The demonstration of a survey tool in Moodle showed a possible method to determine preferences and measure the extent to which it was achieved in an online course. This study endeavoured to explore the factors that contribute towards improving learning effectiveness specifically in the e-learning environment. A model was proposed with the teacher, learner and design dimensions in the constructivist approach. Originality/value: This study sets out to answer the following questions: What is learning effectiveness and what factors influence learning effectiveness in e-learning? What factors are significant in measuring e-learning effectiveness at the Military Academy? And what general high-level framework can be used to develop a measurement instrument for future positivistic studies? (Contains 2 notes, 4 tables and 16 figures.)