Planting the seeds of innovative e-learning platform in higher education institutions in Ethiopia: The case of ET online college

Abstract

Many institutions of higher education systems worldwide are transitioning from face-to-face modality to e-learning as a means of solving issues of limited resources and access to quality education. One of the crucial prerequisites for the successful implementation of e-learning is a careful consideration of emerging technologies and the underlying pedagogy of how learning takes place using a virtual platform. In practice, however, this consideration is often a neglected aspect in developing countries’ context, and this neglect results in several challenges in academic setups. This study identifies and evaluates clusters of e-learning features and implementation strategies in use and challenges sought at the ET Online College located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The features of these strategies are briefly discussed, as well as how these strategies evolved during the implementation processes. The college’s e-learning components have achieved merits for quality by their primary users (online students, e-course instructors, and technology, instructional design, and curriculum experts), web designers and graphic designers, and administrators within the college. These also achieved acceptance nationally by the larger key stakeholders. The findings and recommendations of the study can be used as empirical evidence-base to help policymakers strategically think about the implementation of e-learning in the Ethiopian Higher Education institutions, and other similar contexts at large.