An OU report predicts a significant growth in e-learning in the MENA region over the next decade.
It is expected that the lifelong learning trend will become dominant in the MENA region in the next 10 years, with individuals needing to keep updating their skills and knowledge to remain relevant in the job market.– Professor Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, The Open University
The report was launched by The Open University (OU) on Wednesday 28 November 2018 in light of the 1st World Access to Higher Education Day, a platform to raise global awareness around inequalities in access to higher education.
The report outlines results from a research project directed by Agnes Kukulska-Hulme (@agneskh), Professor of Learning Technology and Communication, and Giles Mohan (@MohanGiles), Professor of International Development, seeking to better understand the potential of and hindrances to, online learning in the MENA region.
Key findings revealed a general educational culture favoring traditional face-to-face learning across the MENA region, yet a rise in blended learning suggests that online learning is becoming more acceptable, a trend that is further spurred by technological availability and accessibility. The report highlights that online learning has the potential to open up education to marginalized populations such as women who are restricted in their use of public space, and refugees who are youthful and frustrated by the lack of opportunities.
The report provides an in-depth analysis of three MENA countries: Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. It also explores international and innovative practices in online learning, identity, assessment and security, regulatory frameworks (including recent developments in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand) and the potential for mobile learning.
Read full report: Online Learning in Tertiary Education in the Middle East and North Africa