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The Practice of Blended Learning in Taiwan

Author(s)
Ping Lieser
Instructional Designer
University of Chicago
Pearl Chen
Associate Professor of Education
California State University, Los Angeles
Session Information
Academic Planning/Institutional Strategies
Poster
April 19, 2010 - 5:45pm
Salon B
Salon C


Taiwan's government-promoted national e-learning program has drawn attention to e-learning researchers and policy makers worldwide. This presentation focuses on Taiwan's recent efforts to improve the quality of blended courses and to develop e-learning professions through training and certification. Extensive resources will be offered to encourage cross-cultural research.

In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in open and online learning in Asia (Jung, 2007). The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in Asia and strong government initiatives have moved e-learning into mainstream education in countries like China and South Korea (Motlik, 2008). In Taiwan, strong efforts have also been made by the government to promote e-learning in universities, government agencies, industry, and research institutions. E-learning is regarded by the Taiwan government not only as a strategy to retain Taiwan's global competitiveness, but also as a way to transform Taiwan into a knowledge-based society as well as "the center for global promotion of Chinese culture" (National Science and Technology Program for e-Learning, 2008). As a result, Taiwan was ranked 16th globally for e-learning readiness in 2003 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU, 2004). Since the initiation of a comprehensive five-year national e-learning program in 2002, an ensuing five-year program has been established in 2008 to promote e-learning. Currently, the practice of e-learning in Taiwan has focused on serving the traditional on-campus students. In a study of all the 147 universities and colleges in Taiwan, Zhang and Hung (2006) found that blended programs were the most popular in Taiwan's higher educational system. Taiwan's national e-learning program involves thirteen government agencies and is currently the only government-promoted national e-learning program in the world (Chang, Wang, & Chen, 2009). Taiwan's experience has drawn attention to e-learning researchers and policy makers worldwide. Some problems with Taiwan's e-learning policies, practices, constraints, and opportunities related to specific social and cultural factors have been reported. This presentation will focus on Taiwan's recent efforts to improve the quality of blended courses and to develop e-learning professions through training and certification. Extensive resources will be offered to encourage cross-cultural research.