From Jay Cross: Welcome to the e-Merging e-Learning 2005 Discussion Forum!

[cam.mar...@gmail.com]

At e-Merging e-Learning 2005, we began a conversation about some very
big issues. Our conversations focused on helping the UAE revolutionize
its education system with a focus on the important role of technology
as a change agent. Thank you for taking part.

We unearthed some thorny topics / issues that are common around the
world and new ones specific to the UAE. Issues including use of funds,
teacher motivation, administrative duplication, lack of student
inspiration, the role of women, and others. I don't mean to complain.
The UAE is one of the only places on earth where leaders are not
thinking about next year, or the next election, or popularity contests,
but rather a breathtakingly far-sighted vision of the future. The
spirit of Sheikh Zayed continues to guide the nation.

At our World Cafe, borrowing from Bedouin hospitality, we welcomed
visitors to join us in conversations that matter. A journey of a
thousand miles begins with a single step. Please join me by taking your
first step now. When you accept this invitation you will automatically
receive each day's messages by email. And of course, you can write and
send messages of your own.

Give it a try. If you don't move out of your comfort zone, you will
never adapt to future conditions.

Later, we may choose a local boss for our conversation, but I will
start. Please be polite and constructive. Also remember that some day,
some how, whatever you write here may pop up again somewhere on the
web. Don't say anything more reckless than I do.

Marhaba.

Jay Cross

[Marielle Patronis]

Dear all
Thank you Jay for your posting.
I was very fortunate to be at the e-emerging e-learning conference. I, also, have been very fortunate to be working at Zayed University in the UAE, and witness the growth of our students. Some of them have completed their graduate studies in the west and are back holding positions in serving their community and their country. If it wasn't for the vision of the leaders of this country, I wouldn't have been able to witness these rapid developments in the country as a whole.

In terms of educational technology, since its inception my institution has had excellent infrastructure for e-leaning. Technology use to enhance learning has ranged from posting content online, course grades book to asynchronous and synchronous communications. There are early adopters and innovators just like anywhere in the world (as it was mentioned somewhere in forum), but these innovators are limited. To extend our innovations to a larger number of students, a long term strategy and procedures need to be put in place and implemented.

Decide on what we want to achieve from technology use
Ascertain technical/pedagogical readiness of teachers
Provide ongoing PD for teachers
Allow opportunities for action research to determine what works and does not work for our students

Lastly, at least the students I taught and advised whilst in the UAE, (approximately 1,400 students over 7 years) were mostly motivated and willing to learn. Their motivation and positive outlook toward learning motivated me and drew me (with or without time release) into exploring best practices in e-learning and implementing them in the classroom. There is still a great deal to learn, and I hope this forum will help me achieve that.

That's it for now, I have rambled enough. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Marielle

>>> cam.mar...@gmail.com 11/30/05 9:57 AM >>>

[Jean Fitzgerald]

There was a very thoughtful editorial in the Gulf News on 6 December
(http://search.gulfnews.com/articles/05/12/06/10002838.html) by Najla
Rostamani, entitled: "The Arab world, parasites and the e-revolution."
One question she asks is: ". . . are we in the Arab world free,
uncensored, have equal access, are able to identify, interpret,
produce, process, transform, disseminate and use information freely?"
While she does not directly address the how this question affects
education in the UAE, her article does highlight that we have to ensure
that our students first have access to the tools they need for
e-learning, and also that they have the skills to effectively use these
tools.
One of the projects I am currently involved in is trying to identify
the barriers to e-learning that our students face here in the UAE. I
would be interested in knowing if anyone else has done any work in this
area, can direct me to any sources, or simply has some insights they'd
like to share.

[Marielle]

Your project sounds very interesting, Jean. Looking forward to hearing
more about it. I have not come across studies in relation to
e-learning in the UAE, but you might find my first hand experience
useful.

Some of the common barriers to e-learning which have been highlighted
in the literature are: accessibility, technical difficulties, language
issues, learner's attitude etc...An equally important barrier is the
teacher herself.

When I first started experimenting with blended learning in my classes
(here in the UAE), I was not only unable to keep online discussion
alive, but also students wouldn't access course materials. When asked
about their lack of access and participation, some reported
unfamiliarity with the course management system (BB), and others
reported dislike and unfamiliarity with the new mode of
teaching/learning. When I reflected on my role as a novice e-tutor,
I realized that I needed training.

What I'm trying to say is that teachers can be a barrier. This is only
based on my experience.

Take care
Marielle

[Jean Fitzgerald]

Marielle:
I think you are right. I guess that is a barrier for educators, too.
I had the same problem with discussion boards. I really had no idea
what I was doing! Jilly Salmon's book on e-moderating was an enormous
help there.
Barriers due to language issues are worth exploring too....
Jean

[Marielle]

Hello Jean and all

I have used Salmon's e-tivities, and devised online treasure hunt as an
introduction to familiarize my students with the environment. Yes, it
made a great difference to the whole course.

In fall 2004, I surveyed 48 students to explore the demotivanal factors
that affected their interaction online. Interestingly enough, only 10%
reported language difficulty and 12% reported inaccessibility (this is
a very small sample and may not be generalizable). A cross
institutional study on a larger sample would certainly give us a
clearer picture-in which I would be very interested.

Presently, I'm in midst of analyzing asynchronous communication to find
out what actually happened in the forums. Some threads (although
initiated by students)were highly interactive and lasted for weeks,
whereas others had only a few messages and only lasted for a day or
two. Language maybe a demotivating factor, but I often think
....Isn't English the language of instructions in a traditional f2f
class?

Marielle