This paper examines the e-learning strategies adopted by universities, from
the perspective of three common objectives: widening access to educational
opportunity; enhancing the quality of learning; and reducing the cost of higher
education. The discussion is illustrated by drawing on case studies of universities
in Europe and the United States. It is concluded that the most striking characteristic
of the e-learning strategies adopted by universities is their diversity,
and inherent characteristic of adaptability in use and flexibility in application.
The implicit compatibility with institutional aims suggests that the e-learning
strategies universities adopt reflect, rather than influence, institutional ethos
and that by virtue of the capacity to adapt to different contexts, e-learning may
be more adaptable - and ultimately less threatening - to academic mores than
some observers fear. |