How to Compete in a Global Education Market Effectively? A Conceptual Framework for Designing a Next Generation eEducation System

Computer-aided instruction (CAI) has existed for decades. Its third generation system using Internet and Web technologies to deliver university education (so called virtual universities) has been a hot research topic in recent years. However, few such virtual universities have been as successful as expected. Why didn’t eEducation systems turn out to be a silver bullet for virtual universities as expected? What are components and elements that have been missed in current eEducation systems? How can we learn from past experience and lessons so that a conceptual framework could be proposed to design a better next generation eEducation system that could help universities and corporations to gain competitive advantages in a global education market? This research paper tries to explore these important issues. Based upon a comprehensive literature review, a conceptual framework is proposed with the aim of guiding the design of a next generation eEducation system.