Effective combination between E-learning and KM in higher education: By the support of information technology

Since the 21st century, information technology brings huge changes in function, contents, method of education and educator role positioning. E-learning which based on information technology development changes the traditional education mode and provides possibility for realizing lifelong education. In the knowledge economy era, how to make full use of existing network information technology through effective management of knowledge is getting widely concerned. First, this paper points out the concepts of information technology, E-learning and knowledge management in universities, and then divides clearly the relationships of them. Next the possibility and necessity of combination KM in universities with E-learning are exposed after analyzing. Thereby we get the conclusion that the effective integration between E-learning and knowledge management makes contribution to realize orderly management and cultivating students' innovative consciousness ability in higher education.

I. Explanation of Related Definitions

Information Technology (referred to as “IT”) includes all kinds of information systems, communication media and equipments. It has become one of the three most important technologies in the 21st century. Dewett and Jones attribute the affections of IT to two functions: information efficiencies and information synergies. Information efficiencies function which showed in higher education is reducing time and cost of knowledge acquisition process between teachers and students, among teachers, among students, among the organizations in universities and all of above exchange information with external. So-called Information Synergy function indicates that IT can integrate the information which is collected by individual or the department in universities. Moreover, information will cross the organization boundary and be shared by more people. This is a kind of “1 + 1 > 2” effect.