Transforming Education in the Gulf Region: Emerging Learning Technologies and Innovative Pedagogy for the 21st Century

Countries in the Arab Gulf are currently experiencing some of the fastest rates of growth and progress in the world. Transforming Education in the Gulf Region argues that education systems in these countries need to use innovative pedagogies and best practices in teaching and learning to educate all citizens so that they obtain the knowledge and skills to be productive members of society. This book will contribute to the transformation of education in the Gulf countries by suggesting best practices, research outcomes and case studies from experts in the Gulf region.

It has become increasingly evident in recent years that Gulf countries need to use emerging learning technologies to cater for the needs of learners and to provide maximum flexibility in learning. There is also a growing practical need to use electronic technologies, since learning materials are more widely available in electronic formats than in paper-based formats. This book focuses on the role of emerging technologies and innovative pedagogies in transforming education in six Gulf countries in the region (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain). With contributions from experts around the world, the book argues that the time is right for Arab Gulf countries to make the transition to electronic learning and that they need to implement the outcomes of research and adopt best practices to transform and revolutionize education to prepare learners in the Gulf region for the 21st Century.

The book should be of interest to academics and students in the areas of higher education, learning technologies, education policy and education reform. It should also be of interest to educators and policymakers in the Gulf region.

Khalid Alshahrani has a PhD in e-learning from Monash University and MA in TESOL Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia. As an Assistant Professor, he has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses – including at the Saudi Naval Academy and Hamdan Bin Mohamed Smart University (HBMSU) in the Gulf region – related to e-learning and language teaching since 2003, both face-to-face and online. He is currently leading the National Academic Talent Development Program (NATDP) at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. His current research interest lies in the new and emerging technologies and how it plays out with the existing practices and norms of teaching and learning. Dr Alshahrani has published a number of book chapters and articles and actively participates in local and international conferences.

Mohamed Ally is Professor in the Centre for Distance Education and Researcher in the Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute (TEKRI) at Athabasca University in Canada. He was Director of the Centre of Distance Education and Director of the School of Computing and Information Systems at Athabasca University. Dr Ally obtained his PhD from the University of Alberta, Canada. His current areas of research include mobile learning, e-learning, distance education, problem-based learning and use of emerging learning technologies in education and training.