• The different approaches to e-learning production between Sheffield and BNU had as much an impact on the development of the e-learning module as pedagogic differences.

• At Sheffield, as e-learning practitioners and researchers we are directly responsible for developing and producing e-learning courses with the support of our institutional Learning Development and Media Unit. We would then be responsible for teaching the course. At BNU, e-learning content is determined by academic experts but is passed on to non-academics for reuse in academic settings. The teaching and learning support for the course may take place in local study centres provided by local tutors with no expert subject knowledge.

• As we at Sheffield are interested in collaborative e-learning, we try to embed collaborative learning processes through group work in the design of the course. At BNU the emphasis is more on course content with textbooks being used as the source of content.

• The organisational model for producing e-learning is important. At Sheffield, academic departments have autonomy in the way e-learning is developed and produced. At BNU, e-learning production is centrally organised and production is separate from academic departments.

• The organisational model at BNU for e-learning production has to take account of the scalability requirements for tutor/student ratios in China which are high – one tutor to 50 students is common. At Sheffield, we have much lower tutor/student ratios, particularly at postgraduate level, so do not have the experience of designing and producing e-learning for large numbers, an essential requirement in China.