Around the world, students are attending lectures from home and answering exams online as the education industry adopts health and safety measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The situation is no different here in the UAE.
With their flexible, tech-forward approach, the nation’s universities have been quick to implement distance learning initiatives for the rest of the academic year, and are now being seen as role models as e-learning begins to shape the future of education delivery.
Those who are having the best experience have more live classes online, ready access to their teachers and classmates, and have created informal study groups via Zoom and other tools to stay connected.
“Nearly all of the students I work with quickly and successfully transitioned to learning online,” says Angie Jones-Glukhov, Senior Educational Consultant at Hale Education, an independent educational consulting firm in the GCC. “Those who are having the best experience have more live classes online, ready access to their teachers and classmates, and have created informal study groups via [the mobile app] Zoom and other tools to stay connected.”
Industry benchmark
With its quick implementation of distance learning measures, the UAE’s educational system is now being seen as a role model for other countries, the Education and Human Resources Council heard at a virtual meeting on April 13.
Hussain Bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Minister of Education, presented a benchmark comparison of remote learning approaches around the world, including factors such as exams and college admissions. “Such benchmarking reviews have driven home the fact that the UAE is among the forerunners in applying distance learning in an integrated way.”
Smooth transition
The country has only recently established a sizeable higher education sector, but its relative youth has allowed local institutions to onboard new developments from the very start, as opposed to legacy infrastructure elsewhere. Blended programmes and learning on demand have been widespread here for some years now, as universities have sought to cater to an international, technologically adept student base.
Instructors are required to utilise digital technologies and learning management systems (LMS) to deliver up to 30 per cent of their classes. This has enabled a smooth transition to distance learning.
The University of Sharjah (UoS) has offered blended distance learning programmes for four years now, says Dr Hussein Elmehdi, Dean of Academic Support Services. “Instructors are required to utilise digital technologies and learning management systems (LMS) to deliver up to 30 per cent of their classes,” he tells GN Focus. “This has enabled a smooth transition to distance learning.”
In fact, implementation hurdles were less about the availability of digital-ready material or administration systems, and more to do with supplier and connectivity issues —for both local and international students.
“The challenge we faced at the UoS was mainly with the bandwidth allocated by the LMS providers, especially in peak hours where millions of students in the UAE and the GCC were logging into the same LMS system. Another challenge is that some students returned to their home countries, where internet connections are not adequate for live lecture streaming,” Elmehdi says.
Elsewhere, universities at Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Park have been quick to remedy delivery gaps with innovative solutions while augmenting communication channels.
“We, at Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Dubai, prepare our faculty to conduct online sessions on a regular basis with periodic trainings and workshops,” says Dr S. V. Kota Reddy, Academic President, MAHE, Dubai Campus.
We have made the online training sessions more frequent to ensure improvements. Our IT team is working with the academics team to understand their requirements and explore new tools, while using the existing platforms optimally.
“They were well versed with major e-learning platforms even before the current situation arose. As a result, we did not face challenges with their training. However, we have made the online training sessions more frequent to ensure improvements. Our IT team is working with the academics team to understand their requirements and explore new tools, while using the existing platforms optimally.” MAHE has conducted over 5,000 hours of online classes across its 40 programmes, benefitting over 2,000 students.
How will admissions and examinations be affected?
With international school boards cancelling year-end examinations this year, universities in the UAE and elsewhere will be forced to re-examine traditional admissions criteria for the 2020-2021 enrolment period.
“For new enrolments, we will take into account predicted grades, academic profile, historical evidence of academic achievements and personal statements to help make a decision,” says Claire Roper-Browning, Head of Marketing and Student Recruitment for Heriot-Watt University Dubai (HWUD) campus. “We are cognizant of the fact that these are unprecedented times and we will strictly make allowance for that in order to arrive at a fair decision.”
For new enrolments, we will take into account predicted grades, academic profile, historical evidence of academic achievements and personal statements to help make a decision.
As far as existing students are concerned, universities are working to minimise disruptions to evaluation standards. “We have ensured that our assessment arrangements do not undermine the quality of our degrees,” Roper-Browning says. “In terms of evaluation, we will ensure no student is disadvantaged under the new assessment arrangements. Academic staff will take into consideration the current situation when they mark assignments. And our examination boards will take into account the circumstances under which assessments were taken. ”
Equipped with its resident Learning Management System and evaluation tool, EduNxt, MAHE Dubai has been administering regular assignments and internal tests. “With the university term exams due in the month of June, we are in the process of assessing various evaluation tools to ensure remote examination and evaluation,” says Dr S. V. Kota Reddy, Academic President, MAHE, Dubai Campus. “I’m confident that we will be able to offer the best possible solution in this regard.”
“As the citizen of the UAE and a healthcare professional, this is my duty to provide whatever assistance I can in the fight against COVID-19. Since my first day at GMU, I’ve been trained on the proper and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), so I am confident of being able to take all the precautions to keep myself and others safe. By volunteering, I hope to help my colleagues by taking some of the workload off them.”
Call of Duty
Students from Gulf Medical University on why they decided to volunteer at different hospitals during the Covid-19 crisis
Salwa Ali, Emirati, Year 4, Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (BBMS)
Since my first day at GMU, I’ve been trained on the proper and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), so I am confident of being able to take all the precautions to keep myself and others safe.
“As the citizen of the UAE and a healthcare professional, this is my duty to provide whatever assistance I can in the fight against COVID-19. Since my first day at GMU, I’ve been trained on the proper and correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), so I am confident of being able to take all the precautions to keep myself and others safe. By volunteering, I hope to help my colleagues by taking some of the workload off them.”
Sajadhossein Bazrafshani, UK national, Year 5, MBBS
I am well aware of the risks involved in these times, but I am happy that I am working under the supervision of senior doctors.
“One of the key pillars of our university has always been community engagement, and I think, GMU is currently the only university in the UAE that has given students an opportunity to help as volunteers. I am well aware of the risks involved in these times, but I am happy that I am working under the supervision of senior doctors. There is no greater honour than doing your duty when called upon. We were trained initially in all hygiene protocols and the use of PPE before being absorbed into the hospital routine, so that we were able to take all precautions against any transmission or exposure to COVID 19.”
— GN Focus report
