Institutional dynamics and project strategies in the Swiss Virtual Campus

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the development of Swiss Virtual Campus (SVC) projects and the interaction with their institutional context. We show that the views of the SVC program and of the universities on what eLearning is and how it should be implemented are different. In this context, SVC projects were led to partially abandon the original model proposed by the SVC towards the development of original solutions adapted to each use context. These experiences lead to a revision of the eLearning concept at the level of the whole program (towards a blended learning approach) and, to some extent, also to a change in implementation strategies, with the introduction of university support centers. However, we show that many questions are still open, especially on how to organize and to finance this eLearning model.