Review Article

Mapping e-learning policy in higher education: Global perspectives and emerging trends

Kai Hu 1 2 , Arumugam Raman 2 * , Fei Ya Shan 3
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1 School of Foreign Languages, Hubei Polytechnic University, Huangshi, CHINA2 College of Arts and Science, School of Education, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, MALAYSIA3 College of Arts and Science, School of Applied Psychology, Social Work & Policy, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, MALAYSIA* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 15(1), January 2025, e202507, https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/15947
Published: 11 February 2025
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ABSTRACT

This paper explores worldwide researchers’ perspectives on e-learning policy in higher education, focusing on an approach that examines English-language and Chinese-language literature, which elucidates the intricate nature of e-learning policy. Despite a number of studies on e-learning policy in higher education context, few have considered using two linguistic databases (English and Chinese) for evaluating global perspectives on e-learning policy. To make sure that the review was composed systematically, the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis was utilized, four English (Scopus, ERIC, Google Scholar, & SAGE) and three Chinese databases—China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chinese University of Hong Kong Library, and Airiti Library—were used to screen pertinent studies for analyzing. Authors reached a consensus on coding 60 studies into six categories, which encompass perceptual, portraying, theory, literature reviews, comparative study, and discourse analysis. The review reveals a clear focus on theoretical articles in both English- and Chinese-language literature, with these articles being the most common across six segments. To further explore emerging trends on e-learning policy research, three primary themes and 19 sub-themes are identified from 60 studies. Implications for advancing future research are outlined.
Keywords: e-learning policy, global perspectives, higher education, systematic literature review

CITATION (APA)

Hu, K., Raman, A., & Shan, F. Y. (2025). Mapping e-learning policy in higher education: Global perspectives and emerging trends. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 15(1), e202507. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/15947

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