Higher Learning Institutions Preparedness, Adoption and Implementation of E-Learning Programmes: A Conceptual Review

The growing global demand for tertiary education and postgraduate education has led to the increased utilization of e-learning approaches around the World. This demand has increased most rapidly in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) which accounts for half of the students currently enrolled in Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). Nevertheless, the adoption and implementation of e-learning programmes in institutions of higher learning has not yielded the expected results. This conceptual study presents literature review on the preparedness of higher learning institutions on adopting and implementation of e-learning programmes. The claim advanced in this paper is that Institutions of higher learning have not adequately addressed critical components of e-learning thus low levels of uptake and adoption of e-learning programs. The conceptual model explaining this relationship posits that ICT infrastructure both hardware and software’s, Management policies and guidelines, Development of quality content and quantity of content development and management systems have a direct relationship with the success of e-learning programs in higher institutions of learning. To explain this relationship, the unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology (UTAUT) becomes relevant. The methodology used in this study included desktop and online review of literature from previous studies not older than 10 years only, creating bias on generalizability of other studies. This review is categorized into four thematic areas: ICT infrastructure, Management policies, quality of content and management system. The paper concludes that if all the higher educational institutions will be fully prepared through equipped ICT infrastructures, clear management policies, adequate content and supportive management systems, adoption and implementation of e-learning programmes will be a success, hence giving chances to all students to be able to access the e-learning programmes. The study recommends that further studies can be done to understand the level of preparedness, adoption and implementation of e-learning programmes to Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to enable students access e-learning programmes and the general population at their phase.