To What Extent Do Saudi Universities Implement E-learning - Research Proposal Example

Project Proposal To What Extent Do Saudi Universities Implement E-learning King Saudi University and Imam University Case Study Introduction E-learning is an increasingly popular form of knowledge transmission throughout the world. Through the use of e-learning, knowledge at a distance is truly possible. What countries lead the world in e-learning, though? Where do Saudi universities stand in the process? Specifically, to what extent do King Saudi University and Imam University implement e-learning? Research will be approached with an open mind and keen attention to detail. Aims and objectives The aims of this project are to discover where Saudi universities stand with regard to e-learning and to discuss the concept of e-learning. The goals of this project are to study King Saudi University and Imam University and determine the scope of their e-learning capabilities and functions, study any other Saudi universities that may be using e-learning, and discover how Saudi university e-learning compares to other universities and colleges in the world. Scope and definition The process begins with research into e-learning in general and at Saudi universities and ends with the culmination of the final report. A realistic time period for this to take place is over the next several months. . Research context/literature review As much as the word ‘e-learning’ is tossed around, one would think that every aspect of the term has been thoroughly researched. That is not the case. There is a lack of literature focusing on e-learning in certain countries. One of these countries is Saudi Arabia. In order to prime the reader for this project, it is necessary to review some literature on the topic first. Below are several reviews that pertain to e-learning and that can be utilized for the purposes of this study. E-learning, by the Ageless Learner (www.agelesslearner.com/intros/elearning.html) Through studying e-learning, one can quickly note that seemingly endless definitions exist. This website does a great job putting together an all-encompassing one that will be helpful to the research. According to them, it can be defined as: The use of network technologies to create, foster, deliver, and facilitate learning, anytime and anywhere; The delivery of individualized, comprehensive, dynamic learning content in real time, aiding the development of communities of knowledge, linking learners and practitioners with experts; A phenomenon delivering accountability, accessibility, and opportunity to allow people and organizations to keep up with the rapid changes that define the Internet world; and A force that gives people and organizations the competitive edge to allow them to keep ahead of the rapidly changing global economy. King Saud University Acquires ISI Web of Knowledge, by Thomson (http://scientific.thomson.com/press/2005/8285822/) This article reveals an important technological update for the oldest and largest Saudia Arabian University: King Saud University. The university signed a deal with Thomson Scientific to subscribe to “ISI Web of Knowledge — the integrated, Web-based platform designed to support all levels of scientific and scholarly research within academic, corporate, government or non-profit environments.” According to the article, “ISI Web of Knowledge facilitates discovery by offering seamless navigation to high-quality, multidisciplinary journal, patent, and Web content; evaluation tools; and bibliographic management products. ISI Web of Knowledge combines this high-quality, evaluated content with the technologically-advanced tools necessary to analyze and manage the information.” The ISI Web of Knowledge is a big step for King Saud University. It will allow students and college professionals to navigate to high-quality content with ease. “From a single point of entry, ISI Web of Knowledge integrates journal literature from Web of Science® and Current Contents Connect® with patent data (Derwent Innovations IndexSM), proceedings information (ISI ProceedingsSM), life sciences literature (BIOSIS Previews®), analytical and evaluation tools (Essential Science IndicatorsSM and Journal Citation Reports®), bibliographic management resources (EndNote®, ProCite®, Reference Manager®), and evaluated Web content. In addition, ISI Web of Knowledge hosts vital content from CABI Publishing, INSPEC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Food Science and Technology Abstracts.” Cultural Adaptation: Necessity for Global e-learning, by Patrick Dunn and Alessandra Marinetti According to Dunn and Marinetti, “eLearning seems the perfect answer to today’s business needs, especially for large global businesses who have to train and retrain people constantly across national boundaries. The technology is there and so is the knowledge. But it’s not working well. Although most countries are increasing their use of elearning, growing evidence shows that the learners are not happy.” Why could this be? The writers of this article felt a certain theme when they were attending orientation seminars in the United Kingdom. People just seemed to feel like e-learning did not fit because it was not invented there or was for some other reason out-of-place. This attitude can be attributed to a number of different factors, such as “There are many reasons for this apparent lack of enthusiasm: poor technology infrastructures in some regions; lack of design expertise; fear of technology on the part of users, and so on. But there's one readily identifiable cause that seems to go ignored: lack of cultural adaptation. Based on extensive anthropological and cross-cultural research, we suggest that the lack of cultural adaptation is a leading reason why elearning fails to work for a globally distributed audience.” In other words, there is a big cultural difference. One cannot simply use the same materials and content on everybody in the world without looking through it first to make sure there are no culturally offensive remarks, statements, or the like that can cause harm to another culture. This article found that “Current best practice appears to be represented by the process currently referred to as “localization.” This generally consists of two stages: 1.     Write (or re-write) content using very basic language (almost always English); avoid idiomatic expressions and any dual meaning or ambiguity; concentrate on communicating at a most functional level and 2.     Translate and make minor changes to examples and context. For example, Wal-Mart becomes Sainsbury’s, Auchan, Tengelmann, or Daiei. The authors also point out five steps that need to be taken when designing and developing e-learning materials that are culturally adaptive: Find and examine the evidence that adaptation is required. Identify cultural adaptation strategies. Isolate the minimum elements that need adaptation. Design learning objects. Look at the evidence. Global Implications of eLearning, by Marcia Conner This author finds that global eLearning does not always work out as well as one would like. First of all, it’s difficult to find good programs. In addition, privacy issues and concerns abound. Let us not forget about time that could be spent doing other things as well. The author offers two reasons that issues regarding global e-learning need be settled right away: According to IDC, in a new study on globalization: the percentage of American users will drop from one-half to one-third in the next 3 years as global use increases; 92% of the world doesn’t speak English; 43% of today’s Web users are non-English speaking; and over the next few years, Internet use is expected to grow by 79% in Asia, 123% in Latin America, and over 2000% in Japan. This translates into the following: “One e-savvy education department may be able to support people all over the world; Educational programs can be offered just in time, no matter the time; No need for those classrooms, right? Wrong, but at least, you may need fewer; You are likely to save some travel costs (either from flying a trainer in or flying students to another location); Students may have access to a far wider set of programs than your trainer(s) can deliver.” There are a variety of concerns that e-learners across the globe have. First of all, there is privacy. There are concerns knowing when, where, and how e-learning records are being kept. There are concerns about payments and credit card use. “Data stored in learning management systems can include everything from benign resume information and classes you’ve attended to test scores and comparisons with your coworkers on attitude, aptitude, and competencies. No one should treat this information lightly, but I have yet to see instructions to managers requesting they treat this information with the same sensitivity as salary or performance data. Have you added that to your management training yet?” Who should pay is another concern of e-learning. “Historically, in most European, African, Middle Eastern, and Asian countries, the state provided education indirectly through tax dollars. Companies in these regions find it hard to accept the increased responsibility and costs associated with the evolving elearning programs.” Language is another concern. It is ironic that people first consider language when considering studying in another country, yet they actually address that issue last. Just because a program is global does not mean it speaks your language. Once the language barrier is tackled, one must consider localization. Distinctive dialects often exist in different regions of a country. Just because one knows English does not mean that he knows all of the little regional differences one can find in the United States, such as dialects, jargon, and slang terms. Next up is culture. “Culture is defined as the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. These can be from a particular period, class, community, region, or population and particular to a category, such as a field, subject, or mode of expression.” One commonly overlooked aspect of e-learning is the actual time it takes to do so. “People around the world are sensitive to learning business-related matters on their own time and being asked to learn more on top of already-packed workloads. The issues may be different in various parts of the globe, but they all lead to the same concern. The line between working and personal time has blurred forever.” Now we should take a look at the technology it takes to undergo e-learning. Without the proper equipment—including hardware, software, and connection—it is not possible for one to learn via the Internet. These items should always be checked before one goes to the trouble of enrolling and paying for taking online classes. It will do no good if those online classes cannot be accessed or if the learner has to go to a library or other location all of the time just to access his or her classes. Methodology The next step of this project is to perform heavy research. The research for this project will take place via the on-ground library and several online libraries. The two universities in question will be researched via their own websites, as well as through any academic literature that may exist regarding them and the overall topic in any of the libraries. Some high-quality websites may be used if it is found that the information contained on them is valid and significant to the research question. This approach is believed to be thorough enough to gather any existing information on the topic. It is anticipated, however, that the university websites will show only positives with regard to e-learning since their websites are an advertisement for them, and that any negatives will need to be located in existing literature or elsewhere on the Internet. Work plan Starting with the proposal, each of the above phases should take place over the course of 6 June until 10 September. The ultimate goal is presented in the center of the target: the final. Resources The main resource needed for this project is an Internet-connected computer with a printer and all of the standard peripherals. A subscription to an online library may be needed if it is found that they cannot be accessed for free utilizing available resources. Ethics It is not predicted that an ethics committee or anything of the like will be needed for any phase of this project. The researcher should, however, keep proper ethics in mind at all times in case issues do arise. Confidentiality Some information on the specific schools may be considered confidential. In a case where it is asked by the school not to disclose certain information or to keep it anonymous, such will be done. The researcher vows to keep confidential information confidential. Read More