NEWS
E-Learning Officials in GCC Countries Call for Maintaining Gains of Distance Learning
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Ali Al-Sabbaq)
June 25, 2022
E-learning officials at universities and higher education institutions in GCC countries called for taking advantage of e-learning systems, maintaining gains in terms of infrastructure, tools and techniques available in educational platforms, and raising awareness among faculty members and students regarding the importance of e-learning and distance education.
The meeting, attended by Dr. Sheikha Fai bint Abdullah Al Khalifa, Director of the E-Learning Center at the University of Bahrain, stressed the importance of verifying students’ understanding of digital content by enhancing critical thinking requirements, enforcing policies and disciplinary committees in e-exams, and using the hybrid learning style in courses that require practical training to enhance the learner’s experience.
The meeting, held on June 15-16 at King Khalid University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, discussed several topics, the most important of which were:equivalency of courses of open platforms in university education, the guideline, and the challenges and difficulties facing the universities of member states in the curricula that need practical training.
Participants recommended the exchange of experiences and best practices in addressing the weaknesses in the educational platforms used in the universities of member states, given the developmental and operational challenges of building a unified learning management system for universities and higher education institutions in GCC countries, especially the expertise and experiences of Saudi electronic universities in this regard.
The members focused on providing capabilities and appropriate infrastructure for the operation of educational platforms, instead of building a unified learning management system, which would contribute to unifying efforts.
The meeting included a presentation of several experiences in the field of e-learning in universities of the member states, including the experience of King Faisal University in Saudi Arabia, the experience of Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University in academic advising, and the experience of University of Jeddah in the fourth-generation education.
The participants agreed on the proposal of the unified guideline for e-learning competencies for the professional development of faculty members and the supporting academic staff in universities and higher education institutions in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, prepared by Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal University in Saudi Arabia.
