Factors affecting e-Learning adoption by faculties

Universities are increasingly investing in e-Learning, raising the importance of gaining teachers' acceptance i.e. increasing their willingness to redefine their pedagogical approach, which would lead to a more active involvement in new information technologies. Some will jump right into new technologies while others will strongly resist. Some argue that adequate support from the university and proper funding are the key answers to faculty involvement, while others suggest that only intrinsic rewards such as improved teaching can motivate faculty to change their methods. For a better understanding of this phenomenon, the teaching staff of one of the top Canadian business schools created a questionnaire seeking to unravel the attitudes towards new teaching tools. The results confirm many of the previous international research findings, mainly that faculty members are not reluctant to e-Learning but must consider the resources needed to engage in building and delivering quality courses. They reveal that the majority of faculty members are motivated by intrinsic as opposed to extrinsic rewards. Implications for management are outlined, as well as potential outsourcing as a consequence of e-Learning.