Social perspective of e-learning in universities

Abstract

In today's knowledge society, advances in science and technology exist alongside broad social problems which must be tackled in order to analyse the problems relating to education. In recent years, the presence of the state has decreased in every sphere. The US model of privatisation and commercialisation has created new realities, such as the need of rich countries to control, among other factors, services, knowledge and new technologies. In this context, and in light of the growing commercialisation of education as a service, even from international bodies, now more than ever the developing countries need access to higher and research educational institutions which permit them to advance towards sustainable development. We are witnessing a process of elitisation in which education is no longer a public asset but has become a private asset, as is reflected in the education systems of a number of countries.

There are various reform processes of the education systems in developing countries that have the aim of providing access to knowledge. Many of the measures that should be applied involve the use of new technologies and the exchange of knowledge through international cooperation that moves away from commercialisation and allows access by everyone to the knowledge society.