Critical Success Factors of eLearning in Distance Education Program in a Developing Country

Nusrat Zahan Mou,Salah Uddin Rajib

doi:10.12691/education-7-3-16

Abstract

This paper aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) of eLearning in distance education/learning program in a developing country, Bangladesh. Distance education program is accredited in overcoming a number of barriers in education, especially time constraint and geographical location. eLearning is often used as a means of distance education program. In previous researches a number of bottleneck are identified in distance education as well as in eLearning. In Bangladesh, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is solely authorized to conduct the distance education. The aim of BOU is to distribute the knowledge in remote areas and to the community of unprivileged. BOU has taken the eLearning as the premise of strengthening the distance education program. This study aims to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) that are necessary to ensure the effective distance education through eLearning on the priority basis. As Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is recognized extensively for identifying the actions required on priority basis, FAHP is used to conduct the study.

Highlights

The history of distance education is rooted in Isaac Pitman’s shorthand lessons when he offered shorthand lessons through the mail in 1840 in England
This paper aims to investigate the factors that are critically important for adoption of eLearning in the distance education of Bangladesh Open University (BOU) in Bangladesh, a developing country
To define the critical success factors of eLearning four different stages are used in the evaluation scale

Summary

Introduction

The history of distance education is rooted in Isaac Pitman’s shorthand lessons when he offered shorthand lessons through the mail in 1840 in England. Later the distance education systems got institutionalized through the university. The British Open University plays the main role in this regard [1]. The history of education experienced a number of technologies as means of communication. The information technologies, audio visual including radio, television, internet, intranet and others have enriched the means of communication. The communication paradigm of education in distance education is not an exception. ELearning is seen as a means of communication in distance education frequently [2,3]

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