Infrastructure and e-Learning Readiness in Bangladesh

Abstract

Corporate and business world is the ultimate goal for business students to show professional competence whether they study through traditional system or through open and distance learning (ODL). The ODL system is a new genre for business studies and this ODL system faces challenges for the same acceptance as much as traditional education has in Bangladesh. This study demonstrates that e-Learning offers a platform for professional skills developments to the learners of the academic programmes, Commonwealth Executive Master in Business Administration (CEMBA), Commonwealth Executive Master in Public Administration (CEMPA) and Master in Business Administration (MBA) of Bangladesh Open University (BOU). BOU has offered these programmes through ODL. To cope with the contemporary ODL system and challenges in business world, BOU is working to develop e-Learning material and train its manpower to be competent for making the learning material available for learners through local area network or intranet and through Internet. In this perspective, the study has tried to find out what the additional benefits as well as supports e-Learning system introduction can offer to the distant students through online academic materials and lectures. A research initiative has been taken to know the availability of mobile phone, laptop and desktop computers with Internet connection and the skills of students as users of computer and mobile devices for learning. In the study, the respondents are learners of the programmes e.g. CEMBA/CEMPA, MBA which are taught in distance mode. The methodology of the research work is both qualitative and quantitative since the data collection techniques involve structured questionnaire as well as open-ended questionnaire. Few focus group discussions (FGDs) were also arranged at the classroom to cross-check the information, the respondents have provided in the structured questionnaire. The research report will definitely support the university authority to decide whether open universities would be with the e-Learning and would explain its impact on learners’ skills improvement in assuming the role of acting as development workers for national development.