Online-learning and its utility to higher education in the Anglophone Caribbean

Abstract

This theoretical article uses the extant literature to define online learning, weigh its effects on teaching and learning, and examine its utility in higher education within the English-speaking Caribbean. Online learning is defined here as an integrative application of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The article looks at the technical components of online learning, as well as how online learning is impacted by environmental factors such as institutional policy, democratization, quality assurance, and the rise of the mega-university. It also considers the coalescence among tools, audience, and environment to provide suggestions on the utility of online learning to a Caribbean learning community.