E-Learning Practices in North Cyprus Universities: Benefits, Drawbacks and Recommendations for Effective Implementation

Overview & Synopsis

The nature of higher education is changing in the world today. Rising tuition fees, reduced budgets, and an increasing need for distance education (New Media Consortium, 2007) are pushing educational institutions to reinvestigate how education is delivered. In line with this shifting context, e-learning is being practiced more and more frequently in higher education, providing modern and stimulating occasions for not only educational institutions but also students (Wagner, Hassanein and Head, 2008). Despite the relative benefits of e-learning in higher education, there are some challenges for disorganized, technology concentrated institutions, when attemping to put distance learning courses into practice. This article, therefore, aims at defining the concept of e-learning, providing an overview of e-learning in relation to higher education, expounding types of e-learning, listing benefits and drawbacks of e-learning, summarizing e-learning practices in North Cyprus universities and making recommendations for successful implementation of e-learning in North Cyprus higher education context.