Online-learning in the Arab World

The article “Online-learning in the Arab world” by Nidhal focuses on the state of e-learning in the Arab world. It points out in the introduction that online-learning is dependent on various factors such as digital infrastructure, the availability of internet connection as well as the cost of obtaining that connection. This greatly varies from country to country depending on their different levels of development and economic power. For example, the countries in the Arab Gulf are in a much better position as compared to countries such as Sudan and Yemen which are economically weak. As such the implementation of online-learning is not the same in all the countries, some have made great positive strides while other are yet to take any significant first steps.

Various factors account for the current situation. The first is the language factor. The primary language in the Arab world is Arabic which has not been fully integrated into the digital landscape. Secondly, there is the education system factor. The system does not prepare the students in the region with the necessary knowledge to embark on an active, lifelong and independent approach in the e-learning scene. Lastly, there is the issue of internet penetration in the school system, workplaces and homes. This is very unfortunate considering that in some countries, particularly in the Arab Gulf have very well established infrastructure which is not being maximized and as such e-learning has not taken off.

The leaders in the e-learning scene are Saudi Arabia and the UAE. According to research the former leads in academic e-learning, particularly for its substantial student population while the latter leads in business e-learning. Currently, e-learning is receiving a lot of attention more than ever. In a Draft Declaration issued in 2003 by the League of Arab States, e-learning was endorsed as a means that can aid in the elimination of illiteracy and improve the training of instructors and establish universal primary education. This declaration however remained abstract and largely void of any concrete programs that would be used in order to achieve these goals. The article also notes that in the region online-learning is mostly confused with distance education and ends up delaying the implementation of the actual online-learning.

There have been recent effort in the field of online-learning and the author separates them into various categories which are; Governmental efforts, online programs, higher education efforts and both the individual projects and collective exchange. In government efforts, the most outstanding was the Syrian Virtual University which was created in 2002 to serve the entire Arab world and its market. It strives to partner with foreign universities which have strong experience in online education. Online programs have also been implemented in corporate training and it has received significant interest in the Arab Gulf. Businesses in the region have realized how e-learning programs are cost efficient and the need for constant training in the very dynamic business world.