A Study Of E-learning Adoption And Diffusion In Higher Education In China

E-learning, as an innovative and alternative way of distance learning, provides a strong challenge to the traditional learning with its unique advantage. With the background of strong ambition from western education institutions seeking the distance learning market in China, and the lack of relative studies on domestic e-learning adoption in higher education section in China, this research aims to investigate people's perceptions and attitudes toward adopting e-learning and explore the factors that will affect the e-learning adoption behavior from innovation adoption perspective. This works as a basis for providing the rationalized suggestions for the diffusion of e-learning adoption in China.Rogers' (1995) innovation adoption theory has been employed in order to achieve research objectives. Based on this model, the factors in each of "perceived innovative attributes" that affect the individual adoption behavior will be analyzed to test the relationship between these attributes and e-learning adoption. Findings show that the "perceived relative advantage", "perceived compatibility", "perceived trialability" and "percieved observability" these four perceived innovative attributes do have certain influences on peoples' adoption of e-learning. It is hoped that insights gained based on the study results and the sucssessful experience made by Open University of UK will provide helpful suggestions for e-learning providers and government on e-learning development in China.