A practical guide to elearning sustainability
Cathy Gunn
University of Auckland, New Zealand
This paper presents the findings of a study of factors that challenge or enable sustainability of elearning initiatives within New Zealand tertiary institutions. The literature identifies this as a common challenge internationally, though opinions vary on where responsibility for action to address it lies. The immediate aim of the study is to inform implementation of a forward-looking institutional elearning strategy. A high level of interest generated by the small-scale study suggests the findings may be useful to other institutions and national organizations.A qualitative study used thirty semi-structured interviews to gain insight into the experience of elearning practitioners, project managers and learning support staff. The sample size and range supported identification of common factors rather than producing a comprehensive picture of tertiary elearning initiatives nationally. The assumption was that identifying contributing factors would point to areas for action and further research.The retrospective study used evidence from real cases. The different perspectives of participants are summarized as recommendations. One conclusion is that common barriers to sustainability remain to be addressed to increase rates of return on investment. This includes rewards for creative enterprise as well as financial return. Positive action is also required to reduce the risks of reliance on elearning systems initially developed and maintained in an ad hoc manner. Various strategies identified as effective in promoting sustainability underpin recommendations for action by different stakeholders.Completion of the study coincided with publication of a report from a JISC supported initiative with similar aims (Guthrie et al 2008). While the scale was grander, results are strikingly similar, though the recommendations reveal important points of difference. This suggests complementary strands of action rather than conflicting opinions on how to address the complex challenge of sustainability. Common conclusions are: a) sustainability of elearning initiatives is a common and context specific challenge across the tertiary sector; b) accommodating different stakeholder perspectives is a critical success factor; and c) key areas for action to promote sustainability have been identified and strategies that have proved successful in different contexts are available for consideration. The presentation will use illustrative cases to support recommendations for action.Guthrie, K., Griffiths, R. & Maron, N. (2008), Sustainability and revenue models for online academic resources: An Ithaka report, Strategic Content Alliance, accessed January 17th 2009 at http://sca.jiscinvolve.org/files/2008/06/sca_ithaka_sustainability_report-final.pdf