Abstract
Developing countries face a number of challenges in their efforts to compete successfully in the new global economy. Perhaps the most critical resource needed to achieve these goals is trained human capital. While many developing countries are trying to address this need through traditional means, this may not be the most effective or efficient response. e-Learning has been suggested as an alternative approach that can overcome many of the challenges involved in reaching underserved students. But most educational institutions in developing countries are unfamiliar with eLearning, have low levels of computer availability, access, familiarity and Internet penetration which leads to skepticism about the feasibility of this approach. In an effort to assess the potential of e-Learning in meeting the needs for developing human capital in Cambodia, this paper reports on the experience and achievements of the Provincial Business Education through the Community Information Centers (CICs) project. Key findings are that e-Learning was able to successfully deliver tertiary educational opportunities to underserved provincial students, Cambodian students were able to overcome serious challenges and that female Cambodian students demonstrated superior performance in online classes. These results suggest that eLearning is an effective alternative for delivering tertiary education in Cambodia.
Highlights
Developing countries face a number of challenges in their efforts to compete successfully in the new global economy
Two hundred eleven (n = 211) out of a starting group of 272 Cambodian students successfully completed one or more of the five online courses developed under the project
More than 75 percent of these students received passing grades which was similar to other Cambodian students at Institute of Cambodia (IIC) enrolled in traditional classroom sessions
Summary
Cambodia is a country currently engaged in a concerted effort to overcome years of stagnation and decay as a result of political instability and war that “destroyed the physical infrastructure but the intellectual one as well” (Jones, n.d. ¶ 2). It is widely recognized that, “as this conflict-scarred, largely agricultural country in Southeast Asia tries to rebuild itself, poor education remains a critical stumbling block, slowing down labour productivity and weakening Cambodia's ability to create a sound economic base” (Chatterjee, 2006, ¶ 8). The magnitude of this problem is severe. A key objective of the project was to determine if eLearning could address the challenges associated with reaching students outside of Phnom Penh These provincial students represent the vast majority of Cambodia’s potential learners as less than 10 percent of Cambodians live in Phnom Penh Province (Census of Cambodia, 1998). Similar estimates of Internet penetration for the region are 9.9 percent and for the world 23.1 percent (Internet Usage in Asia, 2005)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
