It is a good thing that our country is now using modern technology in all fields. It is also good to pick up from where others have stopped, especially in education, whether higher education or general. No matter how much our universities expand, they will not be able to accommodate the large number of boys and girls graduating from secondary schools. The universities will simply not have sufficient seats for them.
Last Ramadan, a royal decree was issued for the establishment of the first Saudi electronic university. On the sixth day of Ramadan this year (July 25), registration will start at the new university. About 6,000 men and women students will be enrolled, according to the university’s rector Abdullah Al-Musa, who has enough experience in higher education while being in charge of the scholarships that enabled him to see many modern universities in various parts of the world.
The rector said the new university would provide to its students a modern system of education that depends on the most up-to-date technology. He said the system would be a mixture of electronic syllabuses, direct education and long-distance learning.
Al-Musa recalled the example of banks, which have succeeded in making customers act like employees depositing their funds, withdrawing money and checking balances electronically. “While banks are benefiting from the maximum use of technology, universities are only using a small portion of this technology for the benefit of their students,” he said. Al-Musa expected that after 10 years, education would be entirely electronic, while 50 percent of it would be distance learning.
The electronic university will enable people who missed the opportunity for education while they were young to have it when they are older. The university will accept older men and women who have secondary school certificates. Even retirees will have a chance to complete their university education. In this case they will be looking for education for its very sake, not just a means to obtain jobs, which is a noble objective.
The electronic university is also different from joining universities on part time basis or seeking education in the open universities. It presents all its lectures on the Internet and enables its students to interact live with the network by image and voice.
The students receive questions and answer them electronically. Both the teacher and the student will be present at the same time, no matter where they may be.
The system takes the attendance and records the absentees electronically. It is a university with very strict rules and no room for slackness. The students and teachers enter into live discussions and interact on the Internet.
There will be no textbooks at the university. Instead there are small devices to enable the students to browse the syllabuses. The university will have branches all over the Kingdom. It will award degrees that are much needed for the labor market. It will also provide continued education throughout life. We are looking forward to knowing more about this university and how it will prepare its graduates for the labor market.
— (Courtesy of Al-Eqtisadiah)