e-Learning Policy in Malaysian Higher

Education Institutions

By:Prof. Dr. Mohamed Amin Embi

Key Findings on e-Learning Policies

i. A total of 16 HEIs or 38.5% have e-Learning policies. This means that the

majority (61.5%) or 16 HEIs do not have e-Learning policies yet.

ii. For the HEIs that have e-Learning policies, the parties involved in developing

the policies are made up of the top management and representatives of

faculties/centres/departments only. This shows that none of the HEIs involved

the students and external stakeholders in the formulation of their respective

e-Learning policies.

iii. The e-Learning policies are commonly approved by the Senate (60%) or the

top management (40%) of the respective institutions.

iv. According to the e-Learning administrators who formed the sample

population in this study, the various approaches used to disseminate e-

Learning policies to the campus communities include formal training

programmes (80%), university web sites (70%), circulars (60%), pamphlets

(60%), and induction programmes (40%).

v. Most of the HEIs (90%) that have e-Learning policies also have their own

implementation plans.

vi. Most of the HEIs (70%) that have e-Learning policies made the use of e-

Learning (70%) compulsory for lecturers and students.

vii. Less than half of the HEIs surveyed (40%) have implemented their respective

e-Learning policies for more than 3 years or for between 1–3 years, while only

two HEIs (20%) have implemented their e-Learning policies for less than a

year.

viii. The components least detailed in e-Learning policies as compared to other

components are the incentives, awards, and quality assurance components.

ix. For the majority (90%) of the HEIs, e-Learning policy is part of their

respective strategic plans.

x. For most of the HEIs (70%), e-Learning is part of their respective KPI.

xi. Out of the ten HEIs with e-Learning policies, four have no clear e-Learning

implementation plans.

xii. According to e-Learning administrators, in terms of the level of awareness

of the e-Learning policy among the academic staff of their respective

institutions, six HEIs are at the level of 76–100%, one HEI is at 51–75%;

three HEIs are at the level of 26–50% and four other HEIs are at the level of

awareness between 0–25%.

xiii. For the majority of the HEIs (12 out of 20) to date, their respective e-

Learning implementation plans have achieved a success rate of 0 to 50%,

while only eight HEIs have achieved a success rate of between 51% to 100%.

xiv. In general, support from management, faculty/school/department, and

students are at the level of 76–100%, while support from the lecturers is at

the level of 25–50%. This shows that the support from the lecturers is less

than that of other stakeholders.

xv. 80% of the lecturer sample confirmed that there was an e-Learning policy at

their respective institution.

xvi. The majority (92.5%) of the lecturers are aware and know about the e-

Learning policy in their respective HEIs.

xvii. According to them, information about the policy was obtained mainly from

institutional websites (58%), circulars (57.4%), and formal training

programmes conducted by their respective HEIs.

xviii. Only 5% of the lecturers stated that they did not comply with the e-

Learning policy in their respective HEIs. A total of 30.6% complied fully,

and 58.7% complied with a part of the policy, while 5.7% are not sure

whether they complied or not.

Lecturers’ response on the existing e-Learning policy

Awareness of e-Learning policy among lecturers

Compliance with e-Learning policy among academic staff

Number/Percentage of HEIs having e-Learning policies

The stakeholders involved in formulating

e-Learning policies

Approving bodies of e-Learning policies

How e-Learning policy is disseminated and promoted

Number/Percentage of HEIs having e-Learning policy

implementation plans

Number/Percentage of HEIs making

e-Learning compulsory

Duration of e-Learning policy implementation

The components included in e-Learning policies

Number/Percentage of HEIs that make e-Learning policies a

part of their institutional strategic plan

Number/Percentage of HEIs that make e-Learning policies a

part of their institutional KPIs

Number/Percentage of HEIs with clear e-Learning policy

implementation plan

Level of awareness of e-Learning policy among academic

staff

Level of success in implementing e-Learning

Levels of stakeholder support/commitment