Critical success factors in e‐learning ecosystems: a qualitative study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the critical success factors for sustainable e‐learning in an e‐learning ecosystem framework. Three critical components of the e‐learning ecosystem including principles and methods, processes and systems, and substance and content are considered based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature in e‐learning.

Design/methodology/approach

Systematic interviews are conducted with experts in e‐learning for identifying the critical success factors to sustainable e‐learning within an e‐learning ecosystem framework. This leads to the development of an e‐learning success model that describes the underlying relationship between and among the identified critical success factors.

Findings

A comprehensive analysis of the interview results shows that there are several barriers to the effective adoption of the proposed e‐learning success model for improving the effectiveness of e‐learning. These barriers include a lack of understanding of the technologies behind various pedagogies, insufficiencies of the popular learning management systems, and the sustainability of the learning objects repositories.

Research limitations/implications

The paper highlights the criticality of synergizing the three components of e‐learning ecosystems namely pedagogies, technologies and management of learning resources for achieving a sustainable e‐learning success.

Practical implications

A better understanding of these barriers would help e‐learning stakeholders develop appropriate strategies and policies for the implementation of the proposed e‐learning success model towards creating a sustainable e‐learning environment.

Originality/value

Specific contributions of this research to the entire e‐learning community are discussed with recommendations for concerted policy measures to eliminate the identified barriers in the process of adopting the developed e‐learning success model.

Citation

Sridharan, B., Deng, H. and Corbitt, B. (2010), "Critical success factors in e‐learning ecosystems: a qualitative study", Journal of Systems and Information Technology, Vol. 12 No. 4, pp. 263-288. https://doi.org/10.1108/13287261011095798