Is the Avalanche of e-learning Coming to the

UAE?Insights from an exploratory study

Dr. Elissar Toufaily Dr. Tatiana Zalan

Dr. Dennis LeeSchool of Business Administration,American University in Dubai, UAE

ICLIE conference, 20-22 April, 2016, Dubai

Which avalanche?

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An Avalanche is Coming sets out vividly the challenges ahead for higher education, not just in the US or UK but around the world. Just as we’ve seen the forces of technology and globalisation transform sectors such as media and communications or banking and finance over the last two decades, these forces may now transform higher education. The solid classical buildings of great universities may look permanent but the storms of change now threaten them. (Larry Sommers, Charles W Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus, Harvard University)•Deep, radical and urgent transformation is required in higher education. •The models of higher education from the second half of the 20th century are broken. •The key message is that the new student consumer is king.•Universities need to seize opportunities offered to them through technology – such as MOOCs and online programs.

e-learning: A New Paradigm? • E-learning is emerging as a new paradigm in

modern education. • While the UAE (and the region) score well on

e-readiness (i.e., adoption of digital technologies)(UNESCO, 2013), the adoption of e-learning has not been as widespread.• Currently, the UAE boasts only one fully

online university, Hamdan bin Mohammad Smart University.

Source: Docebo (2014) 3

Significance of the Research ProjectE-learning is web-based learning which utilizes web-based communication, collaboration, multimedia, knowledge transfer, and training to support learners’ active learning without the time and space barriers (Lee, Yoon & Lee, 2009).

•Factors affecting e-learning performance: Student, Teacher, Course, Technology, System design and Environmental dimensions (e.g. Picolli et al., 2001; Sun et al., 2008). •As reputable institutions enter the UAE market with fully online or blended deliveries in increasing numbers, the barriers and acceptance of UAE students of e-learning are an important topic to explore. •According to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in 2014 the offering of online courses and e-learning program is extensive:

• 105 online foreign universities have been accredited by the UAE. • Of these, 46 are in the United Kingdom, 34 in the United States and five in New Zealand (The National, 2014).

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Purpose of our multi-stage research project • Develop a preliminary conceptual framework explaining the students’

perceptions, attitudes and intention to adopt e-learning; • Refine and further test the conceptual framework using a mixed

method approach; and• Provide guidelines for higher education institutions and policy makers

on institutional change and support for e-learning initiatives.

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Preliminary Conceptual Framework

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Research Design & MethodStage 1 – Interviews, Round 1• The purpose of this stage is to refine the preliminary conceptual framework. • A qualitative research approach is best suited to develop a contextualized

understanding of the research problem.• Semi-structured interviews with undergraduate and postgraduate students who

enrolled at least in one online course (Purposeful sampling)• The number of interviews completed : 11 respondents (Saturation criteria not yet

reached). Interviews were recorded and partially transcribed. • The interview guide has been pre-tested with peers and students.

• The questionnaire asked 30+ questions grouped around core themes: experience before the course (e.g., motivation and influences), technical competence and experience with technology; course content, professor, personality questions and perceptions of the course after the delivery (e.g., satisfaction, job opportunities)

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Demographics of interviewees

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Motivations to enroll in online courses / degrees• Convenience (married, don’t live in Dubai, work during the day)• Self-motivation• Physical distance from universities• Flexibility (time, whenever you want)• Personal situation• Extra learning experience• No offer of the program in the UAE in a F2F mode• Cost (HBSU is less expensive than others)

In general, these motivations are not different from those identified in the literature and from personal experience of the researchers.

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F2F is perceived as more important than online • Traditional mindsets in family / social networks“When I enrolled at Boston university, my father was happy ‘cause the other opportunities were

online universities courses and for him, it was something like a big no, you should not take this… He found online almost like a joke, not real.”

• Credibility, Reputation, Accreditation “Most of my friends make fun of online learning, they don’t take it seriously.”

• Visibility, awareness“Some people in my surroundings when we talk are surprised that such a thing exists. I don’t think it

is so popular, widely known or accepted here”.

• Value perception of online degrees“People do not value highly online degrees. People assume it is a some part time courses” • Novelty“ In the West, online education is better established, here online education is [perceived as] inferior”

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Experience with technology is positive• The interviewees were technology savvy (average to high) • In general, the interviewees had a very positive experience with platforms and

technology (e.g., easy to navigate, easy to access, user friendly platforms; interactive communication, content easily accessible).• Limitations of technology were highlighted (location with no Internet; delays in

slide sharing happens during the class online presentations because of low connection speed; no possibility of mobile connectivity to interact (ex. Viber, WhatsApp voice); cannot refer questions directly to professor)• Tutor and educational support was important for all the sample members “ First I wasn’t confident, I put lot of effort to learn the platform and after I became

interested… I learned more than I expected”

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Use of social media in e-learning• Experience with social media platforms and content creation (via

Blackboard)“We do Powerpoint presentations online and we can share them via Blackboard. We

share YouTube links, we discuss them”

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Almost all the sample didn’t use social networks during their online courses, but believe that:•Social networks can be used as teaching and learning tools.“ Facebook groups are very effective. They have many features; students can use them in group projects. Also WhatsApp and voice notes”

•Social networks’ use depending on the course content“ We used LinkedIn in a Business course, they taught us how to make a professional profile on LinkedIn; In a communication course too, we had to visit YouTube and look at videos, but I didn’t personally posted a video”

•Poor perception of social networks for academic work“…Some people could be spreading wrong information through these channels, e.g., Twitter is not good for education”

Benefits of F2F and online learning contrasted

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Universities are more advanced than online coursesMore serious being in class, online you can do what you want, in classroom you have more control, more engaged, less distraction; Social environment, communications skills can be missed online, you are studying by yourself; More dialogue, better learning, [you can] ask immediate questions so you understand better; online I had no interaction with others; Much more culturally integrated experience.

Less time, less effort, less costly, much easier, super effective, the smart way

Interactivity, social skills development, engagement Efficiency, cost, ease of use

Perceptions of the Professor and overall satisfaction Professor •Interaction with professors varies depending on the course, program, content; timing; and the format (hybrid vs fully online courses) •Once in a month; 2 times during the course; one a week; when students have something to ask •Ideal online professor: uses variety of resources; innovative ways to catch the attention, needs to know technology, how to communicate via email, speed of the response, put forward more than just information online, give feedback about your progress, reach to you; take into considerations the different profiles of learning online versus in school, real time and instant feedback; more interaction; give more time to the course. Overall satisfaction•The respondents are very satisfied. The average is around 7.5/10; the online courses or programs met or exceeded their expectations.

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Future of learning in the MENA region

Most universities will deliver online programs; more integrated and highly used; Integration of e-services is happening in every field, not just education; Not many providers in the UAE; Bright future for hybrid learning; Busy, high speed environment in Dubai; Online learning will work well and could be very helpful given the time constraint. Barriers to adoption of e-learning: limited offerings, infrastructure issues (Internet), no mobile connectivity, good professors who can teach online, many diploma mills in the region and hence poor credibility; traditional mindsets, resistance to change, lack of awareness of the benefits. Drivers of adoption: easier to learn, convenient, flexible, time and cost efficient; helpful for people with personal circumstances (e.g., mothers); ability to acquire new knowledge.

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Job opportunities for online graduates – mixed responses• More opportunities for F2F degrees “I don’t think they will have more opportunities cause till now people still prefer traditional degrees,

compared to online. Maybe, if they done a course, additional course, then yes”“ Companies do not value online degree. They consider online courses as part time”“ Traditional degree will have more value in the UAE”

• Accredited online degrees are no different “Online degrees accredited shouldn’t matter that much but it just depends .. we should standardize

tests for certification if that something that worries people”“I think companies don’t hire people only on the basis of their GPA or degrees. Obviously is one

factor of the criteria but also the extra curriculum activities that one does; their interest in the field. It is not about the degree. It is just a portion of the entire criteria.”

“ It depends on where the degree is from. There is no mention of word online in the degree.”

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Recommendations and conclusions• Better marketing of the e-learning benefits (e.g., convenience, flexibility, cost) to change the

mindset; • Increasing awareness of e-learning (which is still at the introductory level); • Students’ and recruiters’ testimonials will enhance credibility of online course; reinforce

accreditation requirements;• Pedagogical models need to be better adapted to the online environment (e.g., teaching materials

to suit the learning platforms; weekend accessibility of instructors for interaction; provide IT, tutor and educational support);

• Universities need to offer full or partial scholarships to students who wish to study online;• Ensure mobile connectivity (4G, Skype networked)• Social media could be used more extensively to enhance learning.

So, is the avalanche of e-learning coming to the UAE? The future of education in the UAE seems to be hybrid learning and not pure online learning (8/11 of

students)

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Stage 2 – Survey Stage 2 will focus on the quantitative data collection via an online structured questionnaire that includes the constructs identified through the literature review in Stage 1 and refined after the interviews. • Data will be collected from a sample of BA and MBA students in the UAE.

Stage 3 – Interviews, Round 2• The interpretation of the results obtained through the survey will be further

refined using a second round of interviews (n= 15 students)

• Other stakeholders ( policymakers, professors, IT professionals, administrators ) will be interviewed.

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Expected results from Stages 2&3• The expected results will help decisions markers in Higher Education institutions

to face these barriers, to strengthen the implementation of e-learning and build strategies to improve the learner satisfaction.

• The results may provide an opportunity to better understand the media-based, student centered, and interactive learning environments that support active learning and critical thinking.

• The results will help practitioners, and especially students and managers with full time jobs to continue pursuing education and degrees with more flexibility and satisfaction.

• Administrators will be able to ensure all system functionalities and system performance for a better learning. When assessing learners' perceptions of the quality and enthusiasm of instructors, school administrators will have guidelines in selecting and training instructors for e-learning courses.

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Thank you!

Questions?

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The researchers are grateful to a group of capable AUD students who helped us with data collection. Financial support of the School of Business Administration is duly acknowledged.