Enablers, Difficulties and Features to Implement E-Learning Technology in Conventional Higher Education: Case Study and Prototype Implication

Abstract

Supporting higher education with modern technologies like E-Learning is very important for one country to improve quality of education, to meet student’s expectations and to continue teaching-learning and training when face to face education is impossible. However, it is in its preliminary stage in developing countries like Ethiopia. This study examined the enabling factors, difficulties and opportunities of E-Learning implementation in Assosa University (ASU), Ethiopia. Its purpose is to find the enabling factors, difficulties and opportunities of E-Learning implementation in ASU and developing prototype of E-Learning system to show its practicality and to identify approaches of students’ and lecturers towards E-Learning. The study employed questionnaires, observation and interview to gather the required information. A sample of 309 students and 64 Lecturers randomly selected from 7 colleges and two schools as well as ICT workers and other concerned bodies in the university. Also prototyping as a methodology was used to implement and test the proposed system for proof of concept. This study investigating the possibility of implementing E-Learning in ASU and important enablers, difficulties and opportunities is identified. Also the E-Learning platform of the university is developed and introduced for students and lecturers to show its practicality. Most students and lecturers showed good motivation in E-Learning implementation and they assumed that it is useful for the university. The result shows that although there are difficulties to implement E-Learning in ASU, the possibility of fully implementing E-Learning in the University is relatively high with mixed method. With this, the approaches of students and lecturers are positively viewed and the opportunities are very noticeable in the University. So, conventional higher education can practically implement E-Learning with mixed approach to use as supportive tool for educational improvements and to reduce physical presence.