مجال التميز

تميز دراسي و بحثي

البحوث المنشورة

البحث (1):

عنوان البحث:

E-Learning Contribution to the Enhancement of Higher Education Opportunities for Women in Saudi Arabia (Pilot Study)

رابط البحث:

Click here

تاريخ النشر:

September, 2013

موجز عن البحث:

Establishing the National Centre for E-learning and Distance Learning (NCeDL), and Electronic University are some initiatives to introduce e-learning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), which have led to a fast, strong and impressive movement toward e-learning in the Kingdom.

However, e-learning in Saudi Arabia is still in the early stage of its development due to the many challenges of e-learning that will still have to be faced. E-learning in Saudi higher education has been examined in a number of studies. Yet, focusing on e-learning among Saudi women through the social and religious customs of society is not sufficiently examined.

Therefore, this research seeks to investigate the possibilities that exist for the utilization of –learning in the enhancement of the higher education opportunities of women in Saudi Arabia within the social customs and religious beliefs by identifying the barriers to higher education for Saudi women, the modes of e-learning that currently exist within the higher education programmes in the Saudi higher education system, how e-learning can support higher education opportunities for women in Saudi Arabia and a successful model of e- learning to opportunities for women in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In order to achieve the aim of this research, a pilot study was made using a semi-structured interview as a method of data collection from Saudi females who live with their related mahram) male in

the United Kingdom and a three stage coding analysis of the grounded theory analysed the data collected from the field to formulate a theory and a model.

A primarily model was presented which described the contributions of e-learning to higher education of Saudi women. The model is presented consisting of three main categories: (a) social and religious barriers, (b) women’s use of the internet, and (c) women’s use of e-learning, as well as a number of sub-subcategories. In addition, the need to illuminate the ability of Saudi women to convert e-learning into a valuable educational achievement is demonstrated. The next stage of our research will investigate all of the issues indicated by the pilot study in order to improve the success of using e-learning for Saudi women’s higher education and eventually to devise a research theory.

المؤتمرات العلمية:

المؤتمر (1):

عنوان المؤتمر:

The Future of Education

تاريخ الإنعقاد:

13-14/06/2013

بلد ومكان الإنعقاد:

Florence, Italy

طبيعة المشاركة:

Paper

عنوان المشاركة:

Saudi Women and E-learning

موجز عن المشاركة:

Despite cultural and religious barriers to higher education for Saudi women, female enrolment in higher education has risen, with massive investment in the country’s higher education system with specific provision for women. There has been a rise from a mere seven universities about a decade ago, to thirty three universities, including nine private, today. However, opportunities are still limited because of the restrictions of access put upon women. Women often do not attend universities due to early marriage, mobility restrictions, the vast distances, or because their family does not support their attendance, but most importantly universities are effectively inaccessible to women as they need to be escorted by a male relative. Saudi Arabia is considered to be one of the developing countries that has made vigorous efforts towards transforming itself  in an information society, by investing in information technology and integrating it into various sectors including the education sector. E-learning is one innovation introduced by some Saudi universities along with an E-learning Centre that could assist in expanding educational opportunities for female learners in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia. It should however be realised that access to Higher Education for women as well as the implementation of e-learning in a culturally sensitive environment is challenging but possible. This indicates that the implementation of e-learning is affected by cultural issues in developing countries and not only by financial or technical issues. Our research will therefore seek to investigate how these challenges and possibilities could be explored in order to enhance the higher educational opportunities of Saudi women. To achieve this, a pilot study was made using a semi-structured interview as a method of data collection from Saudi females who live with their related (mahram) male in the United Kingdom and a three stage coding analysis of the grounded theory analysed the data collected from the field to formulate a theory and a mode. A primarily model was presented which described the contributions of e-learning to higher education of Saudi women. The model is presented consisting of three main categories: (a) social and religious barriers, (b) women’s use of the internet, and (c) women’s use of e-learning, as well as a number of sub-subcategories. In addition, the need to illuminate the ability of Saudi women to convert e-learning into a valuable educational achievement is demonstrated. The next stage of our research will investigate all of the issues indicated by the pilot study in order to improve the success of using e-learning for Saudi women’s higher education and eventually to devise a research theory.