A comparative study on e-learning technologies and products: From the east to the west

Among the many technologies that support knowledge management, electronic learning or e-learning has become as popular as business intelligence. Along with the rapid development of modern communications and information technology and the increasing demand for building and maintaining business continuity capabilities, e-learning has emerged into a viable solution for continuous, on-demand training and organizational learning. It becomes critical for organizations to design and develop an effective e-learning system by using well-researched theories and technologies that fit their organizational environment. As we discovered in our study, a successful e-learning system is supported by many critical success factors (CSFs), and technology is the key factor among the CSFs. We also conducted a comparative study on e-learning theories, technologies and products from the perspectives of both western practitioners and Chinese counterparts. Due to the rapid economic development in China and its fast adoption of communications and information technology, the ways Chinese practitioners are developing e-learning theories, technologies and products have inevitably become a focal point in the world of information technology. Through the analysis of the current e-learning technologies and products, we outline the trends of developing e-learning systems and emphasize the importance of proper theories in guiding e-learning systems development. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.