Over the worst or at the eye of the storm?

Abstract

Purpose

Using the analogy of e‐learning as “the perfect storm”, the aim of this paper is to explore the disruptive nature of e‐learning in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking a case study of a university, the paper explores the movement from an e‐intensive approach to e‐learning into an on‐campus blended learning approach. What are the lessons for higher education and how responsive are we to the new challenges. Is blended learning creating a new stability after change, or is it placing the university in the eye of the storm, a still small moment within an ongoing change process?

Findings

The paper presents findings from the E‐College Wales (ECW) project, looking at the disruptive effect on such a learning organisation from student, staff and management perspectives. It concludes by moving the focus from the e‐intensive ECW project to focus on the developments during the first year of a blended learning project and the disruption endemic in such a development

Originality/value

The paper will be of special interest to the blended learning policy maker, practitioners and educators. It includes a journey of a case study concerning blended learning.

Citation

Jones, N., Chew, E., Jones, C. and Lau, A. (2009), "Over the worst or at the eye of the storm?", Education + Training, Vol. 51 No. 1, pp. 6-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400910910931805