The transformative landscape of eLearning center for innovative education and communication technologies: Institutionalizing eLearning

Abstract

In May 2005 the University of the Western Cape (UWC) established an eLearning Division (ED) that over the past 18 years has accelerated into the institutionalization of the efficient center for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies (CIECT). The initial objective of the ED was to align itself with emerging technologies as a result of the digital transformation that has impacted Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) globally. In this paper, we present how UWCs eLearning Division (established May 2005) evolved first into the eLearning Development and Support Unit (EDUS) and then into the Centre for Innovative Education and Communication Technologies (CIECT). CIECT was strategically separated from the Department of Information and Communication Services (ICS) in 2009 and repositioned as an independent structure of UWC. We highlight the transformative eLearning landscape at UWC by presenting a detailed account of the shift in practices using a comparative research method. By doing so we determine the initial perceptions and objectives of the eLearning division of UWC and its growth. The object of the study is to compare the rate of growth of the eLearning division across a five-year period. By comparing the progressive growth of the eLearning division longitudinally, we will be able to document its successes and achievements. These successes and achievements can serve as a benchmark for future research. More research that delves into the effectiveness of having an eLearning division at HEIs in support of students’ teaching and learning is needed.