Critical success factors for the continuation of e-learning initiatives

• Published in: The Internet and higher education 2014-07, Vol.22, p.24-36
• Main Authors: McGill, Tanya J., Klobas, Jane E., Renzi, Stefano
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Continuance; Critical success factors; Distance learning; e-Learning; Financial support; Institutional aspects; Internet; Learning; Literature reviews; Post-secondary education; Students; Sustainability; Technology; Universities
• ISSN: 1096-7516; 1873-5525
• DOI: 10.1016/j.iheduc.2014.04.001

This paper systematically examines conditions associated with continuation of e-learning initiatives in universities. Conditions associated with institutional, developer, instructor, student and technology issues were identified from a review of the literature. Authors of 64 empirical papers describing e-learning initiatives (20 of which had not continued) published in the peer-reviewed literature rated and explained the role of each condition in continuation of their initiative to the time of the study, which was at least three years after all the papers were published. Initiatives reported on at three different times in the development of e-learning between 2000 and 2008 were represented among continued and non-continued initiatives. Conditions associated with learning and student response were well met in both cases. On the other hand, neither continued nor non-continued initiatives were seen to offer much financial advantage to the university. The conditions that distinguished between continued and non-continued initiatives were dominated by characteristics of the technology and institutional support for the initiative, especially financial support. Technology needed to be up to date, but also sufficiently mature or stable, to support continuation. Continued initiatives were also more likely to have involved other people in development and diffusion following the initial implementation. •Students are positive about sustainable and discontinued e-learning initiatives.•E-learning initiatives generally require financial support for continuance.•Technology needs to be up to date but stable for sustainable e-learning initiatives.•‘Marketing’ skills may help with e-learning sustainability.