TEACHING is no longer confined to a classroom full of students with an instructor tutoring them. With advanced technologies available nowadays, gaps in knowledge and learning can be shortened if flexibility in “when”, “where” and “how” education is applied.
Distance education does not require the presence of the student or teacher in the classroom. Study material is delivered via print, voice, video or computer.
Areej Zuhairy, 24, sits in front of her computer. She opens a video conference chat box and attends her classes online, keeping to the schedule given her. She is studying for a masters degree in industrial management from the University of Central Missouri in the US.
When she is not studying through distance learning program she is working for a part-time job or raising her son. She enjoys it. “Its great,” she said, being able to obtain a higher education from an American university while physically in Saudi Arabia. One of the good things about distance learning, she said, is being able read a lot rather than relying on what the instructor in the classroom has to say. “I contact my colleagues and instructors using my computer or just call them when I need to ask about anything,” she explained.
The one thing Areej criticized was not being able to be updated on announcements made by the instructors or the university.
Despite Areej’s enthusiasm or their acceptance in many countries, distance-learning degrees are not accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education in the Kingdom. Officials still consider it an ineffective method of learning. Such degrees, however, are accredited in the private sector and accepted equal to those obtained as a result of physically attending a university or college.
There are problems, however. In distance education programs, students can be easily confused, anxious or be less enthusiastic. Teachers need to help their students to build self-confidence.
Areej’s husband, Homam Bogary, who works in the marketing department at SAFOLA Oil and Food Company in Jeddah, is also a distance learner. It was more convenient for him. But he had to do it at his own expense because of the Ministry of Higher Education’s disapproval for such education.
“I think the ministry doesn’t want to take the risk of accrediting distance education,” he said.
Nevertheless, Bogray can see difficulties. He believes that there is a downside to not being in a classroom. “If you don’t have a high level of understanding, it could be somehow hard,” he said.
One of the new areas that fall under distance education is e-learning. However, there is confusion in many minds between the two. E-learning education is based on the use of technical tools of modern programs, sites, computers, smart boards and others in the education process.
Distance education has always been seen controversially. Although some universities around the world offer it, albeit with strict rules and closely managed programs, others are unwilling to do so. They fear it could put their reputations at risk. Zaher Daou, an education promotional advisor at the British Council in Jeddah said that they do not advise students to undertake distance learning programs nor do they provide information on them. “If we had a student asking about distance education we would advice him to deal directly with the university,” he said.
Daou also said that although distance learning is accredited internationally, the Ministry of Higher Education wanted to persuade students “to travel to study and get exposure in the same time.”
As a result of not being accredited by the ministry, demand for distance education is still somewhat limited. Nonetheless, students who face some difficulties in studying abroad — be it lack of funds, employment restrictions or family circumstances — believe that it is their only chance of gaining a degree from an international institution. Moreover, they may well prefer working in the private sector which recognizes distance learning degrees.
“I want to earn a degree from the US and I don’t have the chance to go back there,” said 25-year old Lamees Ahmed which is studying for a postgraduate degree. She would never consider working in the public sector, she said, and the procedures for a masters degree in King Abdul Aziz University (KAU) were too complicated.
But things are changing. Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz has issued a decree to establish a national plan for the use of information technology (IT). It recommends the implementation of e-learning and distance learning and all their prospective applications in higher education. Moreover, the National Center for e-learning and distance learning has been set up in Riyadh to provide technical support and the means necessary for the development of e-learning content.
The need for such a plan is attributed to increasing demand for education resulting from rapid population growth, lack of teachers (in terms of both quality and quantity) and high financial costs.
Shatha Makki, a senior public relation specialist at the National Center for e-learning and distance learning, explained that the main task was to bridge the gap of education and technology. “The center’s mission is to deliver higher education to all in an effective way through e-learning and to deliver quality higher education through it,” said Makki.
The Center recently organized the First International Conference on e-Learning and Distance Learning (eLi Riyadh 2009) although it focused on e-learning rather than distance learning.
“We have not started yet on distance learning,” said Makki.
The conference objective was to encourage the use of advanced technologies to develop educational content and educational tools, and explore new expertise. It also hoped to raise public awareness of the issue.
“Distance learning is yet to be investigated,” said Abdullah Al-Migrin, director of the National Center for e-learning and distance learning. The authorities needed to be assured that distance learning program are of sufficiently high quality.
Yasmine Al-Saggaf, a student counsellor at the idp center in Jeddah said that they had had some enquiries from students about distance learning in Australia. Idp is a global company that represents over 250 educational institutions is Australia. “Some universities in Australia do offer off-campus or distance learning programs,” she said, explaining that the education system in Australia was highly organized in terms of applying distance learning in some universities. “The university of Southern Queensland for example offers a distance learning program which is accredited from the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE),” she said.
After a student applies for a distance learning program, he or she would be sent study material. They would also be given a compulsory schedule on which they would have to contact the course instructor online. When it came to exams, the student would be asked to recommend a testing center in his/her home country. It would then be assessed and approved by the university.
Al-Saggaf believes that the Ministry of Higher Education has not, as yet, established its criteria for distance learning. She asks why it disapproves such courses if there are no rules in the first place.
However, although the Ministry of Higher Education does not accept distance learning, e-learning and distance education courses are available at King Saud University in Riyadh and KAU in Jeddah.
KAU started to apply distance learning and e-learning five years ago. It established a deanship of distance learning and started implementing the latest techniques involved. However, so far there has been no demand for the degrees offered.
“It’s a new system in education,” said Hisham Bardesi, distance learning dean.
The program uses The Virtual Class Room System CENTRA and The E-Learning Management Electronic System (EMES).
When Bardesi was asked why it was in place and recognized by KAU but not nationally, he said that it was a question that needed to be put to the Ministry of Higher Education.
Arab News tried to do just that. However, the ministry has not responded to any phone calls or e-mails.