Reflection on the Use of Technology in Education in the UAE - Essay Example

Reflection on the Use of Technology in Education in the UAE Reflection on the Use of Technology in Education in the UAE Introduction Technology is a crucial tool for teaching and learning in the United Arabs Emirates (UAE). This follows the adoption of e-learning and distance learning programs that require the students to attend lectures and hold discussions on their computer. Almost every college and university in the UAE makes use of technology, especially the digital technology, to deliver the course content to its students. The system of digital learning has been supported by many stakeholders in the education sector. Nonetheless, there have been increased concerns among some UAE policy makers that excessive use of technology in education may lead to the development of poor personality characters in the students. It makes the students poor in face-to-face communication and makes them rely on the computer for almost everything. This paper reflects on the use of technology in education in the UAE. The viewpoints of different stakeholders in education will be considered in the paper. The United Arabs Emirates is among the countries that have been in the forefront to embrace the use of technology both in learning and in the workplace. Following the digital migration and the increased globalization tendencies, many organizations have shifted their service delivery systems to become electronic. This would place a great challenge to fresh graduates joining the workforce with little or no expertise in the use of the digital technology (Albadri, 2013). This is one of the arguments that educationists have used to endorse the opinion of the use of technology in learning. Institutions of higher learning in the country strive to ensure that students and fresh graduates are strategically oriented to the work environment by learning the use of technology in all aspects of the learning process. Another factor that has allegedly caused the country to adopt the use of technology in learning and teaching in the institutions of higher learning is the increasing number of students. Every year, the country has reported a significant increase in the number of students enrolling for different courses in the institutions of learning. Eventually, the number of instructors has decreased below the recommended student: teacher ratio. At the same time, many institutions of learning have made education a form of making profits by admitting as many students as possible. The higher the number of students in institutions of learning, the lower is the capability of the lecturers to deliver to all the students. The result has been the use of different technologies in education. Among the popular technologies used in the UAE includes power point presentations, e-learning, and the use of computer-generated learning models. Technology-related presentations have been used to ensure that many students can be accommodated in a single lecture hall and can get all the contents taught (IFIP TC 3 World Conference on Computers in Education, Tatnall, Jones, & IFIP Technical Committee, 2009). In some institutions, lecturers send class notes to their students and only attend classes to hold discussions with students to ensure that all the concepts are satisfactorily understood. Nonetheless, the success of the use of technology in teaching and learning heavily depends on the perceptions and attitudes of both the educators and the students. The perception has been primarily positive following the digital technology campaign and the need for technology literacy in schools. Institutions that do not implement technology learning in the UAE are seen as outdated and ones that do not instill the required skills to their students. In the earlier years, the use of technology in education in the UAE was a debatable topic that attracted varying opinions. Many people in the country discussed the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in education. However, as many institutions started adopting the use of technology, its benefits now seem to outweigh its shortcomings. Education has taken a new dimension and meaning with the use of technology. It leaves everyone in the country with no doubts that the national education system has been transformed to suit the modern workplace. Technology and education are now seen as the best combination for students and instructors in institutions of learning. The adoption of technology in the UAE education system has helped to increase access to education. Learners, instructors, and parents now have access to simple learning tools at their finger tips. One of the popular ways that technology in education has benefited the stakeholders of education in the UAE is that learners and teachers can now easily collaborate online. Technology has aided learners to communicate with teachers and colleagues across the world. At the same time, educators have explained that technology has helped to sharpen the research skills among learners (Gunn, 2012). UAE students can now access quality information at an early age, and this has been led to the digitization of all other aspects of life. Technology is one of the primary factors that have significantly expended the education sector in the UAE. Learners can now access different types of educational materials that are both credible and resourceful. At the same time, instructors in the institutions of learning in the country now advise students to learn online because online learning is equally accessible and credible. In other words, technology has been a preferred option for the delivery of academic lessons in the UAE. Learners also enjoy using technology because it substitutes the need for visiting the library everyday and carrying many books. With the possession of a laptop or a desktop computer, learners can read the course content and discuss with colleagues without having to travel distances. This is the major factor that has popularized e-learning and other modes of application of technology in education in the UAE. Nonetheless, despite the advantages of the use of technology in education aforementioned, technology has also transformed learners in the country in a great way. Traditionally, reading involved visiting the library and reading many books and other resources to look for the required information. Students struggled to get and use information unlike in the modern day where Google search and other search engines are the preferred technology alternatives for searching academic information online (Information Resources Management Association., & Khosrow-Pour, 2006). The lack of the physical interaction with books has been the major cause for criticism of the adoption of technology in learning and teaching in the country. Critiques argue that students are being turned into living robots that only record what is recorded in technology devices. Another widespread negative opinion on the use of technology in education in the UAE is the loss of communication skills among students. The point is backed by the fact that students now take most of the time on the computer and have no time to make social connections face-to-face. At the same time, students have developed a community of online friends who are not physically known to them. Students in the UAE can, for instance, communicate and share ideas with other students in the US and other regions of the world. This is perceived as both a benefit and a shortcoming (Information Resources Management Association, 2015). On the positive side, it has helped to open up the world and has, therefore, encouraged globalization. On the negative side, it has made students poor in face-to-face socialization. My opinion on the use of technology in teaching and learning is that technology has benefited all the sectors of the economy and should be endorsed in education. Students are the future leaders and must learn the use of technology and how to apply different digital aspects. This will make them able to deal with different organizational issues, especially in the modern age of digital migration. I endorse the adoption of technology in education because it makes students sharp and increases accessibility to different sources of academic sources. Although technology has had some shortcomings in the education system in the UAE, policymakers and educators have continually come up with strategies to increase technology adoption in the education system. I have been using technology to learn and acquire knowledge from my teachers and have enjoyed it more than visiting the library to look for information. In conclusion, the United Arabs Emirates has been in the forefront as far as the digitization of education is concerned. Technology in education was initially not popular in the country but has now hit the headlines as the most popular education system in the country. Based on research and experience, I have enjoyed using technology in education and would advise future generations to also learn the use of technology in lower levels of education. Technology is the way to go in the UAE education system. References Albadri, F. (2013). Information systems applications in the Arab education sector. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference. Gunn, C. L. (2012). Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: Reflections from the Classroom. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Pub. IFIP TC 3 World Conference on Computers in Education, Tatnall, A., Jones, A., & IFIP Technical Committee 3, Education. (2009). Education and technology for a better world: 9th IFIP TC 3 World Conference on Computers in Education, WCCE 2009, Bento Gonçalves, Brazil, July 27-31, 2009 : proceedings. Berlin: Springer. Information Resources Management Association. (2015). Open Source Technology: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications. Information Resources Management Association., & Khosrow-Pour, M. (2006).Emerging trends and challenges in information technology management. Hershey, Penn: Idea Group. Read More