Organizational Critical Success Factors for Managing eLearning Implementation

Since all formal eLearning programmes exist within an organisational context, such as universities, corporations or virtual learning institutes, it is clear that the organisation has the power to facilitate or to control development of eLearning courses. By imposing corporate views on course philosophies, learning models and strategies, it can restrict feasible pedagogical models. Through management of the educational setting, and decisions regarding the availability of resources, the organisational context also influences the design of courses and may restrict possible modes of evaluation. Therefore, the organisational context is critical to the success of the eLearning setting in which tutors, learners, courses and ICT are integrated. Introduction and Background The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues relating to the management of online distance education programmes. The term ‘distance education’ is normally associated with courses that are not wholly delivered using traditional face-to-face, on-campus lectures within HE (Higher Education). Nowadays, the use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a delivery vehicle has led to the term being interchangeably used with terms such as: Open Learning, Networked Learning, Virtual Learning and the very recent eLearning. The Use of ICT to Support Learning Numerous authors [1, 2, 3] have discussed the benefits of ICT course delivery for learners, tutors and institutions. Technology has been used as a means of electronically distributing course material; allowing flexibility for students’ favoured learning styles, pace, etc. and giving greater access to information; as well as enabling remote communication between students and tutors, and between student peer groups. On the course management side, it can allow greater communication with the course team and provides flexibility to maintain and up-date course material and documentation. Research Approaches to Facilitate Educational Management Action research is thought to be an appropriate approach for investing issues relating to the management of distance learning. In order to accommodate the new challenges posed by eLearning, McPherson and Nunes [4] reflected on work by authors such as Coghlan and Brannick [5], who suggest action research results from spiral research cycles, starting with a process of identifying a problem area – a pre-step often based on the previous experience in the field of the researcher. The actual cycle comprises Diagnosis (data gathering, analysis and representation), Action Planning, Action Taking, and Action Evaluation as shown in Fig. 1. An important step in the creation of a specific model for educational management was that of an initial framework proposed and discussed by Goodyear [6] and Khakhar [6]. However, as Goodyear acknowledged, this was merely a preliminary model for discussion that did not address some of the numerous complex relationships and processes involved since it did not accommodate evaluation and persistent improvement vital to successful eLearning programmes. An important point to note is that assessment, although generally an integral part of any programme, it is only part of evaluation and should not be considered as evaluation per sé [7]. Accordingly, building on work by Goodyear and Khakhar, and based on seven years of action research at the University of Sheffield, McPherson and Nunes developed a new model to incorporate the essential element of evaluation (Fig.2 overleaf). The Educational Management Action Research (EMAR) model is based upon ongoing evaluation of the MA in Diagnosing Taking Action Planning Action Evaluating Action Cycle 1 Fig 1 Spiral of Action Research Cycles (Coghlan and Brannick, 2001:19) Cycle 2 Diagnosing Taking Action Planning Action Evaluating Action