A comparative study on e‐learning technologies and products: from the East to the West

TLDR

E‑learning has become a mainstream knowledge‑management technology, offering continuous, on‑demand training and organizational learning, and its rapid adoption in China has made it a global focal point. The study aims to guide organizations in designing effective e‑learning systems by analyzing current technologies and products, outlining development trends, and emphasizing the role of appropriate theories. The authors performed a comparative analysis of e‑learning theories, technologies, and products from Western and Chinese practitioner perspectives. The study found that technology is the key critical success factor for successful e‑learning systems, and it identified development trends and the importance of suitable theories. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Abstract Among the many technologies that support knowledge management, electronic learning or e‐learning has become as popular as business intelligence. Along with the rapid development of modern communications and information technology and the increasing demand for building and maintaining business continuity capabilities, e‐learning has emerged into a viable solution for continuous, on‐demand training and organizational learning. It becomes critical for organizations to design and develop an effective e‐learning system by using well‐researched theories and technologies that fit their organizational environment. As we discovered in our study, a successful e‐learning system is supported by many critical success factors (CSFs), and technology is the key factor among the CSFs. We also conducted a comparative study on e‐learning theories, technologies and products from the perspectives of both western practitioners and Chinese counterparts. Due to the rapid economic development in China and its fast adoption of communications and information technology, the ways Chinese practitioners are developing e‐learning theories, technologies and products have inevitably become a focal point in the world of information technology. Through the analysis of the current e‐learning technologies and products, we outline the trends of developing e‐learning systems and emphasize the importance of proper theories in guiding e‐learning systems development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.