Evidence for e-learning policy

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Abstract
E-learning is becoming an increasingly mainstream feature of educational delivery. The launch of a national e-learning strategy in England signals the Government's commitment to maximising the potential benefits of investment in information and communications technology (ICT). The vision for e-learning set out in this strategy is ambitious. At this time, research has the potential to inform related decisions about e-learning at many levels, though achieving evidence-informed policy and practice requires meaningful dialogue between researchers and policy makers and practitioners. Robust evidence of the impact and added value of e-learning is at a premium, set within the context of broader educational objectives, like widening participation in learning and raising educational standards. This is not a straightforward exercise, due to the difficulties of researching complex social contexts and interventions. The challenge for researchers is to develop methodologies which both recognise the complexities of e-learning implementation and produce robust measures of impact or added value. Greater understanding is needed of the conditions under which ICT deployment impacts positively on attainment, the relationship between learner needs and e-learning, the effective deployment of staff time, assessment in an e-learning age and e-learning in post-16 education.

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