Factors that impede adoption of e-learning in developing countries: Advice for moving beyond challenges with integrating e-learning platforms at Polytechnic of Namibia.

This paper examines factors that impede adoption of e-learning in developing countries and proposes strategies for African universities interested in overcoming the challenges posed by technology integration. The findings reveal that when content learning is integral to e-learning, it has the potential to support increased e-learning outcomes, especially if lecturers at the Polytechnic of Namibia align their teaching strategies with many of the goals of Vision 2030 and the Millennium Development Goals. The Polytechnic of Namibia has its own strategic goals for 2013, which are aligned with Vision 2030. Polytechnic‘s 5-year strategic goals focus on accessibility, technical support and resource allocation. Polytechnic lecturers provided insight into e-learning benefits and challenges, which lead to recommendations that can be generalized for institutions in developing countries. Introduction Within the last decade, universities and academic institutions in Western economies have been successful at integrating e-learning systems across disciplines. In the late 1990‘s, Blackboard and WebCT were preferred systems for university professors teaching Education, Communication and in other fields (Chotiner, 2007). In many ways, it is still used by many institutions across the United States and Europe. While Blackboard and WebCT have gained notoriety in the West, many developing countries have decided to take one of two routes with regard to integrating e-learning systems: One is to use mainstream online systems or take advantage of inexpensive open source elearning programs such as Moodle and KEWL (Keats, 2003; McMullin & Munro, 2004). Developing countries are also experiencing an influx of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in all areas of life that are propelling them for global competitiveness. The impact of ICTs has benefited industries throughout Africa but it is also important to note that ICTs have huge potential to galvanize tertiary education (Beebe, 2002). The drive to integrate ICTs throughout many developing countries is supported on national and regional levels; particularly in Namibia, tertiary institutions such as the Polytechnic of Namibia (www.polytechnic.edu.na) support implementation of ICTs through their five-year Strategic Plan and the overall national coordinating entity, which is NOLNET (Beukes-Amiss, 2006). More specifically, Polytechnic‘s Strategic Plan strongly proposes that academic offerings in distance education mode will be expanded significantly within five years. The strategic document emphases that 50% of academic courses will be available online by 2013, providing increased flexibility of access and fostering life-long learning. However, it is important to note that such goals are challenged by lack of resources, technical support and Internet accessibility. Millennium Development Goals for Africa (MDGs) The Millennium Development Goals for Africa clearly proposes to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and increase employment by 2015, which will result in increased productivity throughout Africa. While this remains true, the goal achievement faces many challenges with regard to increasing education and access for all people. A report summary published in 2008 (UN Department of Public Information, 2008), acknowledges the following, ―the goals from many African countries are off track (pg. 1). ‖ Thus, education at all levels still remains problematic; however, as educators who have adapted to the technologically enhanced learning environment, we believe that goal achievement can be accelerated through the integration of fully-fledged e-learning platforms. Vision 2030 While Vision 2030 does not explicitly promote e-learning as a method that schools and universities should embrace, it is important to recognize its impact for education reform. The broad strategies of Vision 2030 plainly state that