Abstract :
Computer technology has been harnessed for education in UK universities ever
since the first computers for research were installed at 10 selected sites in
1957. Subsequently, real costs have fallen dramatically. Processing power has
increased; network and communications infrastructure has proliferated, and
information has become unimaginably accessible through the Internet and the
WorldWideWeb. However, perhaps because higher education institutions are
resistant to change, educational technology in universities has not managed to
match the ubiquity of technology in everyday life. The reasons for differences
between everyday experiences and those of higher education may lie in higher
education practice. Higher education practice reflects the wider agendas of
institutions manifested through their organisation, structure, culture and
climate. These factors may particularly impact upon the potential for higher
education to embrace and manage change in its educational activities, especially
technology-enhanced learning such as blended learning and e-learning.
This paper briefly reviews the progress of educational technology, then identifies
critical success factors for e-learning through an organisational perspective
derived from studies of six UK higher education institutions
