Volume Two - Academic Conferences

eLearning in German Higher Education: Technology
Implementation as a Challenge for Organizational Change
Novita Yulianti, Michael Lund and Georg Müller-Christ
Bremen University, Bremen, Germany
novita@uni-bremen.de
mlund@informatik.uni-bremen.de
gmc@uni-bremen.de
Abstract: In this research, the implementation of eLearning services is observed from an organizational
viewpoint. It attempts to find out organizational and personal challenges that higher education has to overcome
when eLearning is to be implemented in teaching and learning activities. The current situation shows that most
higher-education institutions have established eLearning services so that eLearning services are now available
for all students and teaching staff. However, only basic services are in use. The administration of universities
shows that the use is often inefficient and not fully implemented in everyday teaching practice. Moreover, the full
potential of the eLearning services that could make teaching more effective and interactive are neither
acknowledged nor employed. This paper focuses on analyzing the main barriers that hinder teaching staff from
adopting a new culture of teaching based on digital media and becoming familiarized with eLearning services. A
preliminary study was carried out by interviewing experts and staff from an eLearning service unit in order to gain
insight into the drivers and barriers faced during the introduction and implementation of eLearning services. A
case study will be conducted focusing on higher-education institutions in Germany whose main form of teaching
is on-campus and face-to-face, rather than on open and distanceLearning institutions that encounter different
strategic issues in applying eLearning. A focus group comprising of members from all faculties will be formed
which is intended to enable the adaptation of the learning environment to the behavior and needs of the teaching
staff. However, this participatory challenge also drives the teaching staff to create a new culture of teaching by
using eLearning services. Finally, this research into eLearning implementation in higher education institutions in
Germany also reveals the current organizational problems in the system. In this way, the implementation of
eLearning becomes a tool for organizational development.
Keywords: eLearning, higher education, staff motivation, organization
1. Introduction
Technology has continued to play a significant role in higher education. Its nature has the potential to
alleviate some of the problems faced in higher education and improve the quality of teaching through
the production and transmission of knowledge. Nowadays, most of higher education institutions
provide eLearning services for all students and academic staff. Although basic services are in use, the
administration of universities reveals that the offered eLearning services are not implemented in
everyday teaching practice. Moreover, the potential of the eLearning services that could make
teaching more effective and interactive are neither fully acknowledged nor employed. This paper
focuses on factors within higher education that influence staff in their adoption of eLearning. It begins
by describing the implementation of eLearning in higher education, and then discusses the inhibitors
and facilitators that arise during implementation. Finally, it presents the future work that will be carried
out.
2. eLearning implementation in Higher Education
2.1 Current situation
eLearning becomes increasingly important in higher education institutions. In higher education in
Germany, eLearning—computer- and web-supported teaching and learning—are established and
continually developed over the past few years. Various eLearning formats such as complementary
material for lectures, interactive course programs, virtual classroom courses with tutoring and
collaborative learning, distance lectures, and virtual practical sessions are offered to students in which
the complementary material for lectures is in the format usually offered in higher education and mostly
accessed by students (Bargel, et al, 2008; Kleimann, et al, 2008).
German teaching staff appreciate the use of modern information technology at university, but a lot of
opportunities to make teaching more effective and interactive are still being left unused (Rosenboom,
n.d.). Previous studies show that the integration of eLearning in higher education is so far
disappointing, both in its strategic use as well as at the level of its educational work process.
1015