Abstract

This paper aims to present the most important findings of a study conducted in the context of a research project entitled “e-learning conceptual framework”. The main objective of this research was to analyze perceptions of online university staff about e-learning and to create an inclusive definition of its concept, which could set the boundaries for their future activity in this sector. For this purpose, a literature review of the e-learning concept in peer-reviewed journals, web pages, reports and books was carried out. Once the most important definitions were collected and categorized in different groups, according to their approach, four focus groups were organized with the participation of twenty-five academics and managers from the Open University of Catalonia (UOC), in an attempt to understand how they interpret the concept of e-learning. This study provides a valuable definition, which enables us to advance in the identification and analysis of how e-learning is carried out in different models.