Mapping the landscape of e-learning: A science approach to global research trends

Abstract

In an era characterised by rapid globalisation and digital interconnectedness, e-learning serves as a critical bridge for educational equity. E-learning has emerged not merely as a supplementary tool but as a transformative pedagogical framework that offers unprecedented flexibility and accessibility. Meanwhile, this study aims to explore research-related e-learning publishing patterns and trends using the most commonly used author keywords in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases. The eminent software, ScientoPy and VOSviewer, are used to analyse relevant publication data retrieved from Scopus and WoS. The results showed a positive trend in the growth of e-learning literature in both databases since 2005. The top three research areas that dominate this topic are “Education & Educational Research”, “Computer Science”, and “Engineering”. Based on a country analysis, the United States has become an active publisher, followed by China and the United Kingdom. Importantly, this study emphasised that the scholarly practices prevalent in e-learning research have been impressively propagated. The trends will assist researchers in acknowledging various fields by identifying their respective core areas, proactive institutions, and productive authors' respected publications in this field for supplementary investigation. By examining the most popular keywords, researchers will be able to develop further any potential research in areas, particularly concerning this study annual growth rates, which have been trending for the last five years.