Sandra Hillman – författare

This book provides a comprehensive insight into the benefits and advantages of adopting technology-driven learning as a central pillar of the universities’ teaching, learning, research, and social-responsibility strategies. Despite the importance of adopting technology-enhanced learning within higher education institutions, Arab countries are still slow to change. Arab Universities are facing the need to adopt new methods of learning to serve the demands of a changing demography in the higher education community as well as the requirements of Industry 4.0 and Society 4.0. E-Learning and distance education are not just about technology, but they are about education, pedagogy, curriculum design, research, and innovation. The book also discusses the best methods to implement these modes of learning while taking into consideration all the hurdles and challenges specific to the Arab world. The needs of students (undergraduate and postgraduate), faculty, and the university at large are considered while drawing on the best quality-assurance practices to ensure the quality of education remains uncompromised. Also featured in this book are experiences from Arab Universities and recommendations for improvements that facilitate the use of education technology tools as part the university’s pedagogy to harness the full potential for implementing e-learning and distance education.

This book provides a comprehensive insight and roadmap to accelerate the implementation of digital transformation (DX) within Arab Universities along with an understanding of the challenges that accompany such change. It explores the elements of DX in universities and presents case studies and experiences from Arab Universities along with recommendations that facilitate the use of DX in higher education. Within the Arab region, the potential for digitization within the higher education landscape has significant outcomes and impacts on the growth, progression, and development of this sector. Digital transformation allows universities to respond to change while fostering a student-centered approach and remaining relevant to the growing demands of the twenty-first century.  It also improves the universities activities such as teaching and learning, curricula development and implementation, processes, operations, support services, and infrastructure. This increases the university’s competitive advantage locally and internationally. Embracing and adopting DX requires a paradigm shift in a university’s strategy and culture.

The Arab world is home to more than 1,000 universities and in excess of 13 million students, and its higher education system offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. To continue our series of books on higher education, we propose that the theme of this 8th book should be “Higher Education in the Arab World: Digital Transformation” in universities. In a complex regional and global climate, this book provokes a rich exploration of ideas around the challenges surrounding this sector and how to address them.