A Comparative Institutional Analysis on the Integration of E-Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter discusses and compares the different approaches of integrating e-learning into higher education in three countries: China, Singapore, and Japan. The analytical framework of comparative institutional analysis is utilised to systematically present and compare the different e-learning strategies in the three contexts. Through analysis, the authors found that the resource-sharing mode—encouraging students to use the internet to share and acquire knowledge—has been widely applied in Chinese higher education; the (a)synchronous learning mode—making teaching progress innovative in class and prompting students to use information and communication technology (ICT) after class to continue their learning—has been developed in Singapore; and the education-expanding mode—increasing the number of potential learners to acquire higher education through online courses—is being constructed in Japanese higher education.