E-Learning Challenges and Benefits in Sri Lanka

Kennedy D Gunawardana, PhD

Senior Lecturer, Department of Accounting

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Sri Lanka

Abstract

            This paper discusses the potential challenges and Benefits of Implementing E-Learning in Sri Lanka by reviewing the awareness and readiness of the selected higher educational institutes. This study also identifies the enabling factors, the bottlenecks and, forecasts the future growth of E-learning in Sri Lanka as a host in Asia. 50 Educational institutes were selected from different specialization areas, 24 out of 50 responded with usable answers. The response rate was 48%, which is an expected rate for such surveys. Awareness of e-learning among the educational Institute is very high but investment to develop an e-learning application is very poor according to the survey. Most of them use Internet related e-learning site just for the sake of it and not to do real online learning. There is a trend of creating a web page in most of the Institutes. Further, findings reveal that these Institutes have also been using e-mail and Internet in addition to developing web pages for transaction of students. They have planned to invest number of funds in future in the selected areas of the e- application. The ANOVA result shows that there are significant differences across both forms of e-learning and type of educational Institutes.