The European eLearning Programme(s): Between rhetoric and reality

Abstract

This article presents the findings of a qualitative study conducted by the author on the implications of e-learning programmes for the higher education systems of the member states of the European Union. The study takes a look behind the scenes of the eLearning Programme and other elearning actions within other European programmes by tapping into the perceptions of academics at universities in the European Union (in three principal countries -Germany, Portugal and Swedenand six secondary countries -Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom) who have participated in or have knowledge of the logistical and administrative burdens of European e-learning projects. Through a series of in-depth open-ended interviews conducted on location, via the telephone or over the Internet, the study investigates the interactions of academics and researchers with the European-funded programmes in e-learning. Several interviews with members of the European Commission offer an inside look at the dynamics of the programmes and confer a 'humanistic' perspective to the stern letter of the legal documentation. The personal accounts are used to build a 'composite picture' of common themes related to the processes involved in developing and conducting e-learning projects under the eLearning Programme and other European programmes, shedding new light on the levels of initiative that go into the actual preparation of e-learning projects.

Building a policy space via mainstreaming ICT in European education: The European Digital Education Area (re)visited

“…They are not doing a good job. So, if already there is little possibility and then we have underperforming projects, that is not a pity, but rather a waste As was the case with previous ICT initiatives, such as the eLearning Action Plan (Salajan, 2007(Salajan, , 2013, and with rhetorical discourse now familiar in policy narratives on the EU (Salajan, 2018), the DEAP uses the urgency of action to meet the challenges stemming from the rise of artificial intelligence and the prospect of big data, predictive analytics, the Internet of things, blockchain, etc., impacting human agency in socioeconomic and educational | 599 SALAJAN domains. Although the nature and sophistication of technologies have advanced, the challenges are similar to those addressed in the eLearning Action Plan or the eLearning Programme.…”

Two Decades of E‐Learning Policy Evolution at EU Level: motivations, institutions and instruments

“…Current research on e‐learning policies in the EU consists of a combination of policy analysis and technical evaluation, exploring both supranational and national levels of policy influence. Thus, a number of studies suggested that the European Commission's policies stimulated collaboration in e‐learning approaches throughout the EU, but that their overall impact on the educational systems of the Member States was limited, largely because of the weak sustainability of projects designed via the e‐learning programmes operating under these policies (Dondi, Szücs & Wagner, ; Hodgson, ; Uzunboylu, ; Salajan, , ). Other studies have pointed to a need for closer alignment of national e‐learning policies with those formulated at EU level (Brown, Anderson & Murray, ; Goeman, ; Németh, ).…”

“…As such, these policies strive to complement policies at Member State level, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity enshrined in the Treaty on the European Union (TEU). E‐learning policy formulation has relatively recently become a domain of interest for the European Commission, mainly as a result of the initially disparate approaches to the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in education at Member State level (Salajan, , ). In the last two decades, a greater involvement of the European Commission can be observed in initiating, drafting and proposing policies that include ideas for a more cohesive approach to ICT implementation in the educational systems of the Member States.…”

Policy Formulation and Networks of Practice in European eLearning: the emergence of a European E‐Learning Area

“…Proof that a process of accruing jurisdiction for e‐learning policy actions is taking place at Community level can be found in the e Learning Action Plan, which operationalised the terms of the Initiative between 2001 and 2003, and its successor, the e Learning Programme, which extended into further areas of concern for the educational use of ICTs between 2004 and 2006 (Salajan, 2007a; 2007b). Here, I only refer to the policy formulation for Community involvement in e‐learning mentioned in these documents to underline EELA's legal framework.…”

“…However, the boost in Community monitoring for e-learning is partly a process in its own right, since e-learning actions infiltrate other sectors in which ICTs support critical and routine tasks, whether they relate to office environments, social situations or industrial settings. Proof that a process of accruing jurisdiction for e-learning policy actions is taking place at Community level can be found in the eLearning Action Plan, which operationalised the terms of the Initiative between 2001 and 2003, and its successor, the eLearning Programme, which extended into further areas of concern for the educational use of ICTs between 2004 and 2006 (Salajan, 2007a;2007b). Here, I only refer to the policy formulation for Community involvement in e-learning mentioned in these documents to underline EELA's legal framework.…”