JEDDAH, 26 April 2008 — Queen Rania of Jordan will deliver the keynote address at the formal opening of the two-day 6th annual Learning and Technology Symposium at the Jeddah Hilton tonight. The event is being supported by Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal.

Among the high profile speakers at its various sessions are David Sample, vice president, Blackboard, who will discuss ‘Institutional Effectiveness and Student Engagement; and Majid Al-Ghaslan of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, who will give a presentation on “Disruptive Technology in Higher Education — Future of learning in a networked world.”

Representatives from Edutech are participating in a discussion on ‘PeopleWare Upgrade’. There will also be an ‘Edunet’ workshop during the event.

“Our commitment to organize this event annually is a testament to our inclination toward the utilization of technology-backed learning methods through stronger research, teaching and training methods. We are optimistic that the participants will gain a deeper understanding of the e-learning processes and technologies and recognize the outstanding benefits of integrating learning content within a virtual learning environment, where students can feed their curiosity and be more experimental in their learning,” an Effat College spokesman said.

“Our main goal is to promote adoption of technologies to gain institutional effectiveness, which will produce more able students who are better equipped to become future leaders of the nation.”

The event is taking place at a time when the Kingdom’s e-learning industry is projected to reach $125 million in 2008. It is set to grow at a compound annual rate of 33 percent over the next five years, according to a recent study.

The growth is being driven by the Ministry of Education’s initiatives for the integration of information and communication technology and the education sectors, including pilot e-classrooms in five secondary schools in Riyadh.

The symposium will feature a plenary session in the morning with the welcome address by Dr. Annette Lagman, vice dean for information and educational technology services of the college. Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa of Kuwait-based Teshkeel Media Group will speak on “The 99: Alternative Digital Media.”

The session will continue with presentations by Dr. Hoda Barka of the Egyptian Ministry of Communication and IT on “Egyptian Educational Initiative,” Dr. Waleed Fitaihi, CEO of Jeddah’s International Medical Center, on “Technology and Training in the Medical Field” and Dr. Vinod Chachra of US-based Visional Technology in Library Solutions on “Virtual Research Environment.”

The day will also be marked by the launch of a professional development network, followed by presentations and panel discussion.

There will be sessions on emergent technologies, teaching and learning, and social and cultural issues, as well as 21st century skills, and tools, systems and infrastructure.

Tomorrow, the plenary session will continue with presentations by Erin Antonius of US-based Inspiration Software on “Ushering 21st Century Skills into the Classroom,” Dr. Mosleh Al Adaileh of Jordan’s Hashemite University on “E-Learning Infrastructure in Higher Education,” and Saida Agrebi of Tunisian Parliament. There will be concurrent workshops.

An exhibition on education and technology is also being held alongside the symposium, showcasing products and services by various companies.