Faculty members’ perception of e-learning in higher education in the Kingdom of ‎Saudi Arabia ‎‎(KSA) ‎

Date
2012-05
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Abstract

The study employed quantitative research to answer the research questions. ‎The purpose of ‎this study was to investigate faculty members’ attitudes toward e-‎learning in higher education ‎in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the factors ‎influencing their attitudes. This study examined ‎differences in attitude between ‎faculty members based on age, gender, education level, ‎nationality, and teaching ‎experiences. This research was limited to two universities from ‎different locations in ‎the KSA. A Survey questionnaire was used in this study to collect the ‎data.‎ The results showed that there is a difference between the levels of e-learning ‎based ‎on different components of identity. The gender perceptions were the first ‎indication of ‎differences, with perceptions by females being more positive than that of ‎males. This was ‎followed by age differences in which the ages under 44 had a ‎stronger perception of e- ‎learning than those over the ages of 45. The educational ‎level was also noted as being ‎affected by the perceptions of e-learning being stronger ‎with those who had a Bachelor’s ‎degree. The results showed that faculty members ‎who had less teaching experience had a ‎stronger perception than those who had been ‎teaching for more than 10 years. Nationality ‎was also influenced in terms of the ‎positive outlook by non-Saudi. There was an overall ‎positive outlook of e-learning by ‎faculty members with the belief that it is a tool which ‎enhances learning. The ‎responding to the challenges and obstructions of e-learning, ‎participants revealed that ‎a lack of tools and knowledge created impediments to teaching e-‎learning courses.‎

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Keywords
Distance education, Education, higher, Saudi Arabia, Educational psychology
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