The Adoption and Diffusion of eLearning in UK Universities: A Comparative Case Study Using Giddens’s Theory of Structuration

This exploratory study identifies the factors that influence the adoption and diffusion of instructional technology at five prominent universities in the United Kingdom. The study examines the organisational factors that enable and inhibit organisational adoption and diffusion of innovation. Five diverse approaches to adoption and diffusions of instructional technology were examined; top-down, integrated top-down and bottom, research driven and project driven approach. The paper argues that senior management need to acknowledge the need to bridge the gap between ‘local context’ and top-down strategic change. The findings suggest there are tensions between ‘signification of meaning’, ‘power and dominance’ and cultural norms in adoption and diffusion of eLearning.