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Tarhini, Ali, Khamis Al-Gharbi, Ali Al-Badi, and Yousuf Salim AlHinai. "An Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Adoption of Cloud Computing in Higher Educational Institutions." International Journal of Cloud Applications and Computing 8, no. 4 (October 2018): 49–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijcac.2018100104.
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This article aims to examine the main factors that may hinder or facilitate the adoption of cloud computing (CC) services by higher educational institutions in developing countries, exemplified here by Oman. A conceptual model was developed through extending the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. Data was collected from 387 IT decision makers working in four higher educational institutions in Oman using a cross-sectional survey. Data was analysed using structural equation modelling based on AMOS 22.0. The results show that behavioural intention (BI) towards adopting CC services in higher educational institutions was influenced by top management support, relative advantage, attitudes towards change, technology readiness, complexity, government regulation, peer pressure, and data concerns in their order of influencing power. These all together accounted for 58.3% of the variance in BI. However, compatibility, vendor lock-in and external expertise did not have an influence on BI. This research provides original insight for cloud computing adoption within Oman from a managerial and IT professional perspectives. Specifically, this research would be helpful for government agencies, cloud computing providers and policy makers at higher educational institutions. It will also explain the relatively low penetration rate of cloud computing services at present, which will help in formulating strategies to encourage the adoption and acceptance of CC services by Omani higher educational institutions, where CC is still considered an innovation.
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Al-Hajri, Salim, and Abdelghani Echchabi. "Exploring Factors Affecting Successful Acceptance of E-Learning: Innovative Technology Solutions in Oman." International Journal of Business Administration and Management Research 3, no. 1 (March 29, 2017): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.24178/ijbamr.2017.3.1.01.
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Abstract- E-learning is changing the landscape of many educational organizations globally. It has been embraced by many educational organizations in rapidly developing countries such as India, China and Malaysia. Wang (2003) stresses the importance of IT solutions in teaching and learning which is required to develop students’ skills by using more contemporary, resourceful and effective methods such as e-learning technology solutions in the universities. Recently, e-learning has become one of the IT tools which have emerged very strongly in the educational sector and specifically in the higher education. Yet, e-learning technology solutions offered by universities suffer from high cost and quality problems, and hence lack of acceptance. As such, this paper examines the factors affecting successful acceptance of e-learning technology solutions offered by colleges and universities in Oman from students’ perspective. The findings of this study will enrich the knowledge of students’ acceptance of e-learning in the Omani colleges and universities.
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Mahdi Abaker, Mohamed Osman Shereif, and Hanan Ali Al-Shehhi. "Educational Portals and Employee Performance in the Sultanate of Oman." GATR Journal of Management and Marketing Review 3, no. 4 (December 12, 2018): 198–205. http://dx.doi.org/10.35609/jmmr.2018.3.4(4).
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Objective - This study investigates the impact of the educational portal on employee performance in the Ministry of Education (MOE) in the Sultanate of Oman. It examines employee perceptions of the benefits of the educational portal used by the MOE. The educational portal provided by the MOE is the main gateway for various types of educational related online services to users. This research focuses on the factors of educational portal services, which facilitates work, and improve employee performance. Methodology/Technique - The research adopts a quantitative methodology and collects data by means of questionnaires. Findings - The findings suggest that the educational portal technology has a positive impact on employee performance. The results also reveal that the employee performance has increased since the introduction of educational portal services compared with employee performance based on the previous manual system. Novelty - This calls for a systematic and periodic review of the educational portal services, to update the technology and accommodate for new requirements. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Educational Portal; Online Services; Portal Technology; Information Technology; Employee Performance; Sultanate of Oman. JEL Classification: M10, M12, M19.
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Al-Maawali, Wafa. "Affordances in Educational Technology: Perceptions of Teachers and Students in Oman." Journal of Information Technology Education: Research 19 (2020): 931–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.28945/4662.
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Aim/Purpose: This study of affordances in educational technology focuses on how the self-perceptions of teachers influence the creation of educational opportunities and how these are received by learners. Background: It is important to explore the affordances offered by teachers, when using educational technology, from the perspective of their students. Within this topic, the interface of the educational technology affordances with the two agents—teachers and students—has often been neglected. Hence, the learning possibilities in educational interactions for the learners cannot be separated from the interactional possibilities created by teachers. The extent to which teachers can create opportunities to address their students’ needs, while effectively conveying the value of these opportunities to their students, is likely to impact on how well these affordances for learning and collaboration are utilised. Methodology: A survey that includes two questionnaires was used. The questionnaires were circulated to 102 teachers and their 354 adult students in six higher education institutions in Oman. The questionnaires were analysed by SPSS Amos v20 for statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation, and correlation. Contribution: The study contributes to the field of e-learning because it demonstrates that the affordances offered by teachers for e-learning have an impact on the possibilities for students to engage. Both affordances were found to be highly correlated statistically. Further, teachers were found to primarily use the lowest level of engagement for online tasks, requiring low levels of cognitive challenge and social involvement from the learner. Findings: The results indicate a low to medium level of self-directed learning that significantly correlates with perceptions of teaching possibilities for learning interactions. Recommendations for Practitioners: Teachers are encouraged to vary approaches to student engagement in online teaching materials such as enhancement, additional engagement opportunities, and extension so that students are encouraged to use different cognitive abilities and capabilities to engage in social interactions. Impact on Society: This study presents a strong recommendation with regards to extending the online affordances towards social interactions of learning beyond the boundary of the classroom. Future Research: Further studies on e-heutagogy and affordances of both teachers and students are needed. The effect of teachers created opportunities on students learning actions is an area that grants further investigation.
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Sharma, Himanshu, and Sunil Prakash Pillai. "Social media technology management in College of Technology in Oman." Journal of International Education in Business 10, no. 2 (November 6, 2017): 147–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/jieb-09-2016-0029.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the constructs – utilitarian, hedonic and social value on the perceptions of the full-time instructors related to their social media technology (SMT) management for learning and teaching practices at workplace. Design/methodology/approach A survey is used to gather the data from 180 instructors (full time) working at one of the colleges owned by the ministry of manpower, Oman. This paper uses reliability analysis to determine Cronbach’s α and analysis of variance for the empirical investigation of instructors’ perceptions on SMT management. Findings The analysis shows that 98 per cent of the instructors use SMTs at their workplace. Social influence is found more dominating than utilitarian and hedonic constructs in impacting on instructors’ intention for SMT use. Findings also claim that higher the use of SMT at workplace stronger the influence on learning and teaching practices of higher education instructors. Practical implications The findings of this study can be used as the recommendations for all the faculty members to use SMTs for their educational, learning and teaching practices. The administration can develop policies to motivate instructors to manage such technologies for professional and personal development to enhance learning and teaching environment at workplace. Originality/value This study is perhaps the leading attempt to use utilitarian, hedonic and social value perceptions of the instructors to investigate the management of SMTs in an academic culture and settings of the developing country in the Middle East (Oman).
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Tawafak, Ragad M., Awanis Romli, Sohail Iqbal Malik, Mohanaad Shakir, and Ghaliya M. Alfarsi. "A Systematic Review of Personalized Learning: Comparison between E-Learning and Learning by Coursework Program in Oman." International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET) 14, no. 09 (May 14, 2019): 93. http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v14i09.10421.
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There is a need for several applications and technologies in higher education institutions in Oman to enhance the educational process. This systematical study investigates the simultaneous influence of technology implementation with e-learning and traditional coursework program instruction on the enhancement and development of an assessment method for undergraduates in different programs. This paper aims to analyze the current articles that handle with the learning process and compare between the understanding and acceptance of E-Learning mechanism and traditional coursework method of teaching for improving assessment method and evaluation of academic performance. The method works on the benefits of increasing E-Learning process for educational skills as an assistance tool with faculty material and class discussion. In this study, surveys were distributed to two different universities and college in Oman to assess their satisfaction in the learning model. The findings of this paper assisted the model that may help to improve both the teaching method and academic performance of student learning outcomes.
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Deeb, Asma. "Fifth ASPED/ISPAD Diabetes Academy Proceedings, 11th-13th April 2019, Muscat, Oman." Diabetes and Islet Biology 2, no. 1 (January 12, 2019): 01–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.31579/2641-8975/011.
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The 5th ASPED-ISPAD Diabetes Academy is an initiative by the Arab Society of Pediatric Endocrinology (ASPED) in collaboration with International Society of Pediatric and Adolescence Diabetes (ISPAD) and is exclusively sponsored by Lilly, Gulf, and UAE. The 5th ASPED/ISPAD Diabetes academy was held on 11-13 April, 2019 in Muscat, Oman. The course was accredited with 12 CME hours, by the Omani Pediatric Society. It targets young healthcare professionals in the field of pediatric endocrinology and diabetes with a primary focus on actively supporting training and education in the region. An expert faculty panel from both ISPAD and ASPED from 11 different countries selected candidates following a competitive enrollment process, announced on each organizations respective websites. This year 67 candidates were accepted (out of 117 applicants) from 15 countries. The curriculum is delivered in three main formats; plenary, workshop and debate sessions. The plenary sessions covered novel therapeutic approaches, diabetes emergencies, use of technology in diabetes management, comprehensive diabetes care, dietary challenges, monogenic and rare types of diabetes, psychology and patient empowerment, obesity and type hyperlipidemia in children. In workshops, the focus was on research methodology, clinical cases, nutrition, psychology and technology within smaller groups, which provided a forum for candidates to present either a diabetes research project or unique presentation of a clinical case. Winners selected by the steering committee members presented in the final plenary session. This intensive 3 days course has consistently aimed and successfully provided a concrete educational platform for seamless exchange of clinical and scientific information. This has contributed to improvement of care and outcome for children and youth with diabetes in the ASPED region.
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kindi, Salim Said Ali Al, and Saadat M. Alhashmi. "Use of Social Networking Sites Among Shinas College of Technology Students in Oman." Journal of Information & Knowledge Management 11, no. 01 (March 2012): 1250002. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0219649212500025.
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Introduction: Social networking sites (SNSs) have become a popular method for students to share information and knowledge and to express emotions. They enable students to exchange video files, text messages, pictures and knowledge sharing. They provide an opportunity for students to improve social networking and learning processes, which promotes knowledge in society. Purposes: This paper intends to address the factors motivating students at colleges to use SNSs, to identify the factors that motivate them in using SNSs for educational purposes and to identify the most popular SNSs among students. Design/Methodology: The study uses a questionnaire in order to discover the reasons behind the use of SNSs by students at Shinas College of Technology (ShCT) in Oman. Findings: The study found that the major reasons for frequent use of SNSs are finding information and sharing news. The study also indicated that lack of experience as well as insufficient time and IT skills are effective factors of not using SNSs. Finally, the study discovered that Google Groups, Facebook and Yahoo! 360 are the most popular SNSs used by SHCT students. Research Limitation: The study was limited to ShCT students, which is considered a small community, and the focus group was relatively small. A larger focus group in a different environment may possibly yield different results. Additionally, the list of SNSs listed in the questionnaire was based on previous studies discussed in the literature review. Originality/value: This research will be valuable for those interested in the subject of social networks and e-learning. In this area, there is a dearth of research on reasons for student use of SNSs in Oman, giving this particular research great importance to understanding the way that students interact with SNSs.
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Naqvi, Samia, and Insiya Zehra. "Online EFL Emergency Remote Teaching during COVID 19, Challenges and Innovative Practices: A Case of Oman." Arab World English Journal, no. 2 (January 15, 2021): 17–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/mec2.2.
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The emergent situation brought about by COVID 19 has led to an unprecedented change in the educational sector worldwide, including the Sultanate of Oman. Most of the educational institutions here have responded swiftly to fulfill the requirements of academia by switching to an online emergency remote teaching mode overnight. To get adjusted to the ‘new normal,’ teachers across all academic disciplines, including the English language, have had to adapt to new teaching approaches and learn new skills and competencies to confront this challenge. This empirical cross-sectional research study explores the teacher technology self-efficacy, the challenges faced, and the innovative practices adopted by the EFL teachers during the crisis. A mixed-methods approach was used here, including an online survey and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six teachers. The survey was administered to 100 EFL teachers from fourteen higher-education institutions, whereas the interviews were held with six survey participants. The study found that majority of the teachers had a strong sense of self-efficacy in using technology as well as considerably positive learning experiences and novel innovations, which all resulted in the various ways they faced pandemic-related challenges. The paper gives, in particular, an account of the innovative techniques adopted by the interviewed teachers during the Pandemic crisis. This investigation hopefully adds to the field of knowledge by sharing effective, innovative techniques that have relevance to EFL teaching in Oman and beyond.
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Al Balushi, Amal A. "The Ethics and Legality of Using Personal Smartphones to take Medical Photographs." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal [SQUMJ] 19, no. 2 (September 8, 2019): 99. http://dx.doi.org/10.18295/squmj.2019.19.02.003.
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ABSTRACT: Photography in the medical profession is an asset that may help during patients’ follow-up, monitoring the progression of diseases, getting a second opinion and in medical educational activities. Advances in technology, specifically smartphones, have enabled medical professionals to obtain high-quality photographs with minimal effort and photography experience. This article discusses the ethics and legality of using personal smartphones in a medical professional setting for medical photography. Written informed consent should always be obtained from the patient and should include details about how the photographs will be used.Keywords: Photography; Smartphone; Informed Consent; Ethics; Medical Legislation; Publications; Medical Education; Oman.
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Al-Emran, Mostafa, and Khaled Shaalan. "Attitudes Towards the Use of Mobile Learning: A Case Study from the Gulf Region." International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) 9, no. 3 (July 31, 2015): 75. http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v9i3.4596.
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In the last few years, the way we learn has been shifted dramatically from traditional classrooms depending on printed papers into E-learning depending on digital pages. Mobile learning (M-learning) is a recent technology that has been developed rapidly to deliver E-learning using personal mobile devices without posing any restrictions on time and location. In this work, we investigate students and faculty members’ attitudes towards the use of M-learning in higher educational institutions within two countries in the Gulf Region (Oman & UAE). Two questionnaire surveys have been conducted: one for students and another for faculty members. In these surveys, 383 students and 54 instructors have taken part within the study. An independent sample t-test was performed to examine whether there exist a significant difference among the students’ attitudes and the faculty members’ attitudes towards the use of M-learning with regard to gender and country. Results indicated that students in the UAE were more positive towards the use of M-learning than those in Oman. Moreover, results revealed that 99% of the students own mobile devices, in particular smartphones and tablets, while only 1% has not. Results of this study could help policy makers for better decision making in building the M-learning infrastructure in the higher educational institutions in general and specifically within the Arab Gulf region.
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Ranganath, Rajani, John Muthusami, Miriam Simon, Tatiyana Mandal, and Meena Anand Kukkamulla. "Comparison of the level of knowledge on, attitude towards, and skills of medical and nursing students between pre- and post- training of the breast self-examination in Oman." Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions 17 (December 1, 2020): 37. http://dx.doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2020.17.37.
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Purpose: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. Educative and awareness programs do impact early practices of breast self- examination resulting in early detection of cancer and thereby decreasing mortality. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge and awareness of breast cancer and breast self- examination among medical and nursing students in Oman and to compare the knowledge on, attitude towards, and skills of students after the training program.Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study that was carried out for medical students from in the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, National University of Science & Technology, Oman and nursing students in the Oman College of Health Sciences and the Al Bathina Nursing institute in November 2019. The pre-test questionnaire was given before the training program and a post-test questionnaire was administered after the training program. Knowledge on, attitude towards, and skills of students on breast cancer and breast self-examination were compared.Results: Pre-test and post-test were collected from 170 students —90 students from medical, and 80 students from nursing schools. A significant improvement was observed in the post-test scores for knowledge on, attitude towards, and skills of students after the intervention (P < 0.001). Conclusion: An educational training program on breast cancer and breast examination with emphasis on skills can motivate the participants to perform breast self- examination regularly. Therefore, it may help students to train target women for the early detection of breast cancer.
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Chinnathambi, Dr Kodhandaraman, Ms Latha Anandan, and Dr B. Thenmalar Bharathi. "Teachers’ Perception of Online Teaching during Covid-19: A study at UTAS-Ibra, Oman." Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology 23, no. 06 (June 1, 2021): 91–107. http://dx.doi.org/10.51201/jusst/21/05234.
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The Covid-19 outbreak led to the closure of educational institutions and affected all the stakeholders in varied ways. As an interim measure, the online mode of teaching has been adopted all over the world. This transition, with its own pros and cons, has provided a path for continuing with education even during the pandemic. This new scenario involves financial and non-financial aspects with regard to education, and there is, therefore, a need to study the transition carefully. This study aims to explore and describe Teachers’ Perceptions of online teaching. A quantitative research design has been adopted for the study. A structured questionnaire was used (N=56) for data collection from teachers. The study participants were the teachers at the English Language Centre at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (Ibra), Sultanate of Oman. The findings of the study confirm that online teaching has been successful during the covid-19 outbreak.
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AL- Hashmi, Hamouda N. "The Key elements which have infuenced faculty member's use of educational technology in higher education with particular reference to sultan Qaboos university , Oman." مجلة الآداب والعلوم الإنسانیة 65, no. 3 (July 1, 2007): 1–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.21608/fjhj.2007.131483.
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Ali Al Briki, Maryam Humaid, and M. Firdouse Rahman Khan. "MANAGING STUDENTS & EMPLOYEES THROUGH COLLEGE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CIMS) – A CASE STUDY: SHINAS COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY (SHCT), OMAN." Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews 6, no. 2 (February 3, 2019): 90–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2018.6211.
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Purpose: The objectives of the study were to critically analyze the effectiveness of CIMS in completing the registration / academic advising process at Shinas College of Technology and to critically analyze the effective functions of the CIMS to fulfill the role played by the CIMS.
Design/methodology/approach: For this research study, Simple random sampling method in selecting the samples of the survey. 180 samples were collected which include the faculty, students and users of the College Information Management System (CIMS) from Shinas College of Technology (ICT). The collected data underwent analysis using the SPSS and the findings were interpreted.
Findings: The study reveals that CIMS is characterized by its multiple functions; is user-friendly and flexible. CIMS has met the expectations of most of the users, despite the presence of a few technical problems requiring improvement.Educational Technology Center (ETC) ensures smooth, secure, safe and fast access. CIMS is subject to continuous assessment through periodic follow up by the Educational College Center from any external attacks etc. which is a welcoming feature.
Research limitations/Implications: The study suggests that CIMS users should be given training on the updates and necessary training to the CIMS maintenance crew.
Social implications: The study suggests thatthere is only a small group of individuals who handles and manages the entire program - installation of CIMS and periodic follow-up etc. and technical expertise is needed at the college level.
Originality/Value: No study have ever examined the Information Management System of HEIs in Oman.
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Ahmed, Abdelrahman Mohamed. "Integrating ICT in Teaching and Learning at Sultan Qaboos University: Current Status and Future Recommendations." International Journal of Information and Education Technology 10, no. 12 (2020): 897–904. http://dx.doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2020.10.12.1476.
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The present study investigated the current status of integrating ICT into teaching and learning at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). A sample of 220 faculty members from six different colleges and four administrators from the Center of Educational Technology (CET) and the Center for Information Systems (CIS) at SQU in Oman were chosen, and quantitative qualitative design using a semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and checklists was employed. The findings show that SQU had a high availability of ICT infrastructure in terms of hardware, software and support services, as well as adequate computer labs for educational purposes. However, the results also indicated that, although SQU provided a series of professional development workshops related to using ICT in teaching, few faculty members were interested. Furthermore, the finding indicated that, the degree of ICT integration into teaching at SQU was at a medium level. Given the importance of ICT integration in teaching and learning, it is recommended that SQU should recognise and acknowledge the faculty members’ role in ICT integration. Therefore, it should provide ways to support faculty members in developing their ICT skills and knowledge and increasing capability in performing their role.
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Alami, Manizheh. "Causes of Poor Academic Performance among Omani Students." International Journal of Social Science Research 4, no. 1 (March 2, 2016): 126. http://dx.doi.org/10.5296/ijssr.v4i1.8948.
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Nowadays, poor academic performance is among the main concerns of teachers, syllabus designers, curriculum developers and the whole educational body. The issue becomes worse in non-English speaking countries where the medium of instruction at colleges/ universities is English but students are exposed to English for a limited number of hours before beginning their study at college/university. To answer the question ‘what are the causal factors that affect students’ poor performances in non-English speaking countries like Oman? 151 essays written by students who enrolled for post foundation program at Salalah College of Technology were examined carefully. The factors involved in students’ low academic achievements categorized into four macro groups; student-related factors, teacher- related factors, family- related factors and some other factors such as marriage, health problem, toxic friendships and transportation problem. The findings show that while student-related factors have the highest impact on students’ performance, teacher-related factors had the lowest effect.Keywords: Academic performance, student- related factors, Teacher-related factors, Family-related factors
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Alfeeli, Bassam, Ma’moun Al-Rawashdeh, Ali Bumajdad, Haider Al Lawati, Mohamed Abdelgawad, Zouhair M. Baccar, Issam Ben Salem, and Faysal Benaskar. "A review of nanotechnology development in the Arab World." Nanotechnology Reviews 2, no. 3 (June 1, 2013): 359–77. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2012-0070.
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AbstractA growing number of initiatives on nanotechnology research, education, and industry have been recently launched by several Arab countries to quickly build scientific capacity and track worldwide developments in nanotechnology. Some countries, namely, the oil-rich countries, have allocated large funds to support these initiatives, which are intended to serve the national interests in energy, water and food supply, medicine, and local industry. The other Arab countries are also pursuing nanotechnology, however, with fewer funds but with more human resources. This study assesses the current status of nanotechnology in the Arab Republic of Egypt, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Morocco, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Republic of Tunisia, State of Kuwait, State of Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study is aimed at having a top-level overview of the status of existing, underdevelopment, and planed educational and research programs relevant to nanotechnology. The overview also includes nanotechnology research focus areas, challenges, and opportunities.
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Bachkirov, Alexandre Anatolievich. "Pygmalion going international." Team Performance Management: An International Journal 23, no. 5/6 (August 15, 2017): 260–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/tpm-08-2016-0037.
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Purpose The paper presents an empirical account of self-fulfilling prophecy in a multicultural expatriate context of the Arabian Gulf (Sultanate of Oman). The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between managerial expectations of the effects of cultural diversity and workgroup performance. Design/methodology/approach This exploratory study uses a qualitative interpretive approach based on the data collected through semi-structured interviews. The participants were Omani managers in charge of multicultural expatriate workgroups. Findings Managerial expectations of the effects of multiculturalism on workgroup dynamics are linked to three dimensions of performance effectiveness, including the production function, the member support function and the group wellbeing function. The Pygmalion process, as applied to the multicultural expatriate context of this study, emerged as an integral part of positive organizational scholarship. Research limitations/implications The data were collected in one country only, which limits the conclusions about the universal applicability of the Pygmalion theory. The boundary conditions were defined by the cultural characteristics of the research setting: collectivism, high power distance, high uncertainty avoidance, moderate masculinity/femininity. Practical implications For managers in charge of multicultural workgroups, the study provides motivation to project positive and affirmative expectations of multiculturalism, which is likely to lead to enhanced workgroup performance. Originality/value In examining the self-fulfilling prophecy phenomenon, this study transcends Western educational, military and industrial research contexts to investigate the Pygmalion process in a non-Western multicultural expatriate environment. The study contributes to unraveling the inconsistencies in findings on the relationship between cultural diversity and workgroup performance by highlighting the role of managerial expectations of multiculturalism.
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A/p P.Panjalingam, P. Nesamalar. "Muslim Women Today: Challenges in Achieving their Full Potential in Resource Management." Journal of Islam in Asia (E-ISSN: 2289-8077) 8 (February 2, 2012): 361–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.31436/jia.v8i0.266.
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Islam advocates equality among all people regardless of race, gender, or nationality. However, Muslim women face numerous obstacles that stand in the way of achieving their full potential in resource management. Certain interpretations of religious teachings and Islamic law, especially those related to property allocation and divorce deny Muslim women what they are rightfully entitled to. Many patriarchal societies tend to have clearly defined roles for males and females. Besides that, many girls are denied access to educational opportunities although education and learning is greatly revered in Islam. All these factors cause Muslim women to doubt themselves and lack self-confidence in what they could achieve. At work, women are often paid lower salaries and have fewer opportunities for career advancement, especially in the fields of management, technology, and science. In leadership positions they have to fight harder for respect. Many Muslim women in countries like Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, and other Islamic nations face these challenges. This paper discusses these factors with the hope that understanding them could lead to more efficient management and utilization of resources in Muslim countries.
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Al-Maroof, Rana A. Saeed, and Mostafa Al-Emran. "Students Acceptance of Google Classroom: An Exploratory Study using PLS-SEM Approach." International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET) 13, no. 06 (May 29, 2018): 112. http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v13i06.8275.
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Google classroom can work in unidirectional process as it can serve the teachers’ strategies and styles on one hand and students’ perception, understanding, and effective participation in different classroom skills on the other hand. The ac-ceptance of Google classroom is affected by different factors. Some of them are still not clearly specified and discussed in previous research; therefore, they need further investigation. Based on the previous assumption, this study is an attempt to examine the factors that affect the students’ acceptance of Google classroom at Al Buraimi University College (BUC) in Oman. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was adopted to formulate the hypotheses of the current study. The data was collected through an online questionnaire with 337 respondents. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) approach was used to assess both the measurement and structural models. The results of the study prove that both the perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) positively influence the behavioral intention, which in turn influence the actual usage of Google classrooms. This study helps the decision makers of the higher educational institutions to have a better understanding of the effectiveness of us-ing Google classroom by their students. It is assumed that it helps in measuring the level of students’ acceptance to the previously mentioned technology.
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Al-Emran, Mostafa, and Said A. Salloum. "Students' Attitudes Towards the Use of Mobile Technologies in e-Evaluation." International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM) 11, no. 5 (July 24, 2017): 195. http://dx.doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v11i5.6879.
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Mobile learning (M-learning) is a new wave in the era of educational technology that provides informal, personal, voluntary and situated learning opportunities for both learners and educators. Mobile-based assessment is one of the emerging technologies that attract many scholars to investigate its effectiveness due to the wide spectrum of its features like portability, interactivity, flexibility, and ubiquity. Based on the surveyed literature, we noticed that there is a lack of studying the students' attitudes towards the utilization of mobile technologies in the context of e-Evaluation. The present study attempts to investigate the students' attitudes towards the utilization of mobile technologies in the e-Evaluation system of instructors. The data was collected through a questionnaire survey from Al Buraimi University College (BUC) in Oman. The total number of participants is 354 students. Findings indicated that 99% of the students own a mobile phone or tablet. Moreover, results indicated a statistically significant difference among the students’ attitudes in terms of their gender where the differences were in favor of male students. In contrast, results revealed no statistically significant differences among the students’ attitudes in terms of their age, degree, and department. Furthermore, other implications and future work are also reported in the study.
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Domingo, Salvacion Mata, and Nenita Guerrero. "Extent of Students' Practices as Digital Citizens in the 21st century." Research in Social Sciences and Technology 3, no. 1 (April 2, 2018): 134–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.46303/ressat.03.01.9.
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This study aims to determine the level or extent of practices on the norms or behaviors of the participants with regard to the use of technology. It is technically termed as digital citizenship. The descriptive survey method was utilized in this study. A researcher-made survey questionnaire patterned from an online article with slight modification is the main tool used in this paper. The research setting of this study is in one of the colleges in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. The participants are the two hundred randomly selected students who are officially enrolled in Level 5 and 6 in the Academic Year 2016-2017. The result of the study dwelled on the three main indicators namely: respect yourself and/or respect others; educate yourself and/or connect with others; and protect yourself and/or protect others. This findings revealed that different genders that are at different educational levels have diverse level or extent of norms that are applied when using a technology. As manifested by the participants it was found out that self-education and connection with others is practiced by them at an extent higher than their self- respect and respect to others. Furthermore, it can be concluded that the male is more sensible than female when it comes to self-education and/or connect with others as applied in use of technology. In addition, according to what was shown by most of the participants, protecting oneself or protecting others is generally at a lesser extent of practice by them. Some of the male and female participants are less conscious on what is meant by digital health and wellness.
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Al-Maroof, Rana Saeed, Muhammad Turki Alshurideh, Said A. Salloum, Ahmad Qasim Mohammad AlHamad, and Tarek Gaber. "Acceptance of Google Meet during the Spread of Coronavirus by Arab University Students." Informatics 8, no. 2 (March 30, 2021): 24. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/informatics8020024.
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The COVID-19 pandemic not only affected our health and medical systems but also has created large disruption of education systems at school and universities levels. According to the United Nation’s report, COVID-19 has influenced more than 1.6 billion learners from all over the world (190 countries or more). To tackle this problem, universities and colleges have implemented various technologically based platforms to replace the physical classrooms during the spread of Coronavirus. The effectiveness of these technologies and their educational impact on the educational sector has been the concern of researchers during the spread of the pandemic. Consequently, the current study is an attempt to explore the effect of Google Meet acceptance among Arab students during the pandemic in Oman, UAE, and Jordan. The perceived fear factor is integrated into a hybrid model that combines crucial factors in TAM (Technology acceptance Model) and VAM (Value-based Adoption Model). The integration embraces perceived fear factor with other important factors in TAM perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) on the one hand and technically influential factor of VAM, which are perceived technicality (PTE) and perceived enjoyment (PE) on the other hand. The data, collected from 475 participants (49% males and 51% females students), were analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results have shown that TAM hypotheses of usefulness and easy to use have been supported. Similarly, the results have supported the hypotheses related to VAM factors of being technically useful and enjoying, which helps in reducing the atmosphere of fear that is created due to the spread of Coronavirus.
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Jose, Jayaron, and Mohammed Jafre Zainol Abidin. "A Pedagogical Perspective on Promoting English as a Foreign Language Writing through Online Forum Discussions." English Language Teaching 9, no. 2 (January 10, 2016): 84. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v9n2p84.
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<p>Use of educational technologies has become increasingly significant in the field of English Language Learning. Both the teachers and students are dependent on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its different tools for teaching and learning in particular, and socialization in general. The scope and significance of the study on the use of ICT tool such as online discussion forum in facilitating English as a foreign language teaching and learning therefore is quite relevant considering its potential in exchanging information using the target language (L2). The study included 56 participants (<em>N=56</em>) at post-foundation level from Al Musanna College of Technology in Oman with the objective to find out the effectiveness of online forum discussions on the learners’ EFL (English as a Foreign Language) writing performance in terms of its linguistic complexity. The experimental group (<em>N = 28</em>) was involved in synchronous online forum discussion, and the control group (<em>N = 28</em>) was engaged in asynchronous blog writing for a period of one semester. Pre-test and posttest were administered to collect quantitative data, and the participants of the experimental group were interviewed to collect the qualitative data. The post-test analysis of the quantitative data found no significant (<em>p = 0.05</em>) statistical difference between the groups’ writing performance in terms of linguistic complexity. However, the analysis of the qualitative data collected through interview found that the use of online forum discussion in facilitating EFL writing has much positive effect on the learning process. The findings, discussion and recommendations are included in this article.</p>
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Al-Senaidi, Said, Lin Lin, and Jim Poirot. "Barriers to adopting technology for teaching and learning in Oman." Computers & Education 53, no. 3 (November 2009): 575–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.03.015.
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Tawafak, Ragad M., Awanis M. Romli, and Maryam Juma Alsinani. "Student Assessment Feedback Effectiveness Model for Enhancing Teaching Method and Developing Academic Performance." International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education 15, no. 3 (July 2019): 75–88. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijicte.2019070106.
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There is a need for several applications and technologies in the higher education institutions in Oman to improve faculty-student performance. This exploratory study investigates whether integrating student assessment feedback with e-learning through coursework program of full semester instruction may simultaneously enhance and develop academic performance. In the first phase, a systematic review of the existing literature was carried out to determine the suitable related e-learning articles; then, generate a model of e-learning designed with evaluation forms that can measure the suitability of the technology, for assessment issues. In this study, surveys were distributed to BUC College in Oman to assess their satisfaction. The findings of this article aid in the improvement of the teaching method environment, assessment mechanisms, and student learning outcomes.
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Al Musawi, Ali, and Talal Amer. "Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Quality and Potential Improvements in the Learning Resources Centers at Omani Basic Education Schools." International Education Studies 10, no. 9 (August 27, 2017): 124. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ies.v10n9p124.
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This study attempts to investigate the stakeholders’ perceptions of quality and prospective improvements in the learning resources centres (LRC) at Omani basic education schools. It focuses on different aspects of the LRCs: organisation, human resources, technological, and educational aspects along with the difficulties faced by these LRCs and ways to improve their quality and evaluation. Five questionnaires for all types of stakeholders were designed, validated and implemented. Findings show that the services have yet to be improved and reach better levels of quality standards since they are not ‘always’ implemented with quality. Evidence shows that the need for retaining LRC specialists was insurmountable. A training model for the Omani schools was recommended in light of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) criteria and competencies.
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Alwahaibi, Yahya Ahmed, Shamsul Arrieya Ariffin, Salem Garfan, Aslina binti Saad, and Ramalingam Dharmalingam. "Proposing an M-Government Framework for the Ministry of Housing in Oman." International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning 13, no. 4 (October 2021): 21–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijmbl.2021100102.
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In the dynamic world of technology, changes and transformations have emerged rapidly in recent years. Service providers such as government departments transformed their services from e-government to m-government for widespread customer reach. However, several issues existed that were obstructing the implementation of such a system by the Ministry of Housing in Oman, especially in rural areas. This study proposes a novel framework based on the fuzzy delphi and TOPSIS models to provide digital literacy and services. This framework considered the variables extracted from previous studies. Furthermore, a survey was conducted on 20 experts to determine the accepted variables. Thirty-five pre-service engineers evaluated the questionnaires using TOPSIS to determine the skills of pre-service engineers based on delphi criteria outcomes. The conceptual framework developed from the accepted results uses 11 different variables based on the TAM model. The study benefits the stakeholders in the area of m-government development.
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Kunjumuhammed, Siraj Kariyilaparambu, Bassam Khalil Hamdan, Vaidehi Pandurengan, and Sheikha Al Subhi. "A Study on Dominant Education Philosophy in Classrooms: The Case of Colleges of Technology (CoT) in the Sultanate of Oman." Universal Journal of Educational Research 8, no. 12A (December 2020): 7881–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.13189/ujer.2020.082577.
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Al-Hajri, Salim, Abdelghani Echchabi, Abdullah Mohammed Ayedh, and Mohammed Mispah Said Omar. "The cloud computing systems’ adoption in the higher education sector in Oman in light of the COVID-19 pandemic." International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education (IJERE) 10, no. 3 (September 1, 2021): 930. http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v10i3.21671.
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<p><span>The objective of the research was to find out the key factors that influence the acceptance and usage of cloud computing systems in the Omani higher education sector, with special emphasis on the COVID-19 outbreak. For this purpose, a quantitative research approach was conducted where 200 students from several Omani higher education institutions were surveyed, and by using Partial Least Square (PLS) to analysis the collected data. The findings revealed that the intention to use cloud computing in this context is significantly dependent on its perceived ease of use, usefulness, perceived reliability and responsiveness. It is noteworthy that this is one of the early studies that address the subject of cloud computing usage during times of crises, and specifically the COVID-19 outbreak. As such, it provides significant contributions in the area of technology adoption.</span></p>
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Tawafak, Ragad M., Muamer N. Mohammed, Ruzaini Bin Abdullah Arshah, Mohanaad Shakir, and Vitaliy Mezhuyev. "Technology Enhancement Learning Reflection on Improving Students’ Satisfaction in Omani Universities." Advanced Science Letters 24, no. 10 (October 1, 2018): 7751–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1166/asl.2018.13012.
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Kashoob, Muna, and Rais Attamimi. "Exploring Omani EFL Students’ Perceptions of the Newly Adopted Online Learning Platforms at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences-Salalah." Journal of Education and Learning 10, no. 2 (February 3, 2021): 28. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jel.v10n2p28.
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Due to the rapid advancement of the relevant technology and the COVID-19 health pandemic, educational institutions have had to adapt to ongoing and ever-changing circumstances at a very rapid rate. Thus, the Moodle and Microsoft Teams platforms are being used by teachers to more directly teach students, as well as fulfilling its initial role in providing a supplementary tool to maintain, the convention of independent learning. The current study explores the perceptions of a group of Omani students who are currently enrolled in the English Language Center of the University of Sciences and Applied Technology, Salalah campus, (hereafter referred to as UTAS) regarding the new online learning platforms, i.e. Moodle and Microsoft Teams. To this end, a questionnaire was adopted from Rojabi’s (2020) study to measure the perceptions of the students towards both Moodle and Microsoft Teams platforms. A sample of 100 students was randomly selected from the population. The findings of the study have offered some important suggestions on how to improve the existing online platforms and pave the way for further research to be conducted in the same area.
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Al Musawi, Ali, Abdullah Al Hashmi, Ali Mahdi Kazem, Fatima Al Busaidi, and Salim Al Khaifi. "Perceptions of Arabic language teachers toward their use of technology at the Omani basic education schools." Education and Information Technologies 21, no. 1 (January 12, 2014): 5–18. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-013-9305-5.
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Binu, P. M. "Effects of Strategy-Based Instruction on Low Proficiency Omani ESL Learners’ Acquisition of Writing Skills." English Language Teaching 14, no. 6 (May 17, 2021): 36. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v14n6p36.
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The past few decades have seen a great amount of second language acquisition research on language learning strategies. Most of the research on strategy instruction had more practical goals than mere theoretical understanding. These practical goals are different ways of equipping learners with self-learning strategies. The latest developments in education and research, especially with the incorporation of neurosciences, psychology, and information technology have provided promising solutions to most of the problems faced by the low proficiency learners in second language acquisition. They also have given birth to numerous learning tools and methods of instruction. As a result, teachers can now rely on various sources of information and communication technology and use individualized instructional strategies to provide adequate support to these struggling learners especially for enhancing their writing skills. However, they need to be careful in providing support because an excessive amount of support may hinder the learners’ ability to work independently and develop critical thinking skills.
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Abri, Abdullah Al. "Exploring EFL Learners’ Comments on Web-Based Peer Feedback: Local and Global Revisions." English Language Teaching 14, no. 6 (May 28, 2021): 114. http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/elt.v14n6p114.
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The purpose of this empirical study was to explore the interactional commenting patterns that EFL learners produced in web-based peer feedback and correlate them with the learners’ writing achievement. The study employed a quasi-experimental design built on the Theory of Cognitive Apprenticeship (Collins, 1991), which gives emphasis on coaching (local revision) and scaffolding (global revision) processes. The context of the study was in a public university in Oman and 50 participants were involved in a selected range of online peer-feedback processes, synchronously and asynchronously. A paired samples t-test showed that students were able to improve their grammar range and accuracy in writing essays more than other scaling categories (e.g. content and organization). The results of the qualitative analysis indicated that students produced far more comments synchronously than asynchronously, and most of the students’ exchanges were on forms. The findings of this study could be a practical reference for those who plan to cultivate the use of technology in peer feedback practice.
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Hung, Tran Trong, Tran Anh Tu, Dang Thuong Huyen, and Marc Desmet. "Presence of trace elements in sediment of Can Gio mangrove forest, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam." VIETNAM JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES 41, no. 1 (January 8, 2019): 21–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.15625/0866-7187/41/1/13543.
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Can Gio mangrove forest (CGM) is located downstream of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), situated between an estuarine system of Dong Nai - Sai Gon river and a part of Vam Co river. The CGM is the largest restored mangrove forest in Vietnam and the UNESCO’s Mangrove Biosphere Reserve. The CGM has been gradually facing to numeric challenges of global climate change, environmental degradation and socio-economic development for the last decades. To evaluate sediment quality in the CGM, we collected 13 cores to analyze for sediment grain size, organic matter content, and trace element concentration of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn. Results showed that trace element concentrations ranged from uncontaminated (Cd, Cu, and Zn) to very minor contaminated (Cr, Ni, and Pb). The concentrations were gradually influenced by suspended particle size and the mangrove plants.ReferencesAnh M.T., Chi D.H., Vinh N.N., Loan T.T., Triet L.M., Slootenb K.B.-V., Tarradellas J., 2003. 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Concentration of 7 Heavy Metals in Sediments and Mangrove Root Samples from Mai Po, Hong Kong. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 39, 269-279.Passega R., 1957. Texture as characteristics of clastic deposition. Publisher: American Association of Petroleum Geologists.Passega R., 1964. Grain size representation by CM patterns as a geological tool. J Sediment Petrol, 34, 830–847.Phuoc V.L., An D.T., Cang L.T., Chung B.N., Tien N.V., 2010. Study the sediment dynamics in Can Gio mangrove forest (Nang Hai site, Ho Chi Minh city). Ho Chi Minh city: The final report of National University Ho Chi Minh city, No. B2009-18-36.Pumijumnong N., Danpradit S., 2016. Heavy metal accumulation in sediments and mangrove forest stems from Surat Thani province, Thailand. The Malaysian forester, 79(1&2), 212-228.QCVN43:2012/BTNMT, 2012. 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Anjali, Anjali, and Manisha Sabharwal. "Perceived Barriers of Young Adults for Participation in Physical Activity." Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal 6, no. 2 (August 25, 2018): 437–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/crnfsj.6.2.18.
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This study aimed to explore the perceived barriers to physical activity among college students Study Design: Qualitative research design Eight focus group discussions on 67 college students aged 18-24 years (48 females, 19 males) was conducted on College premises. Data were analysed using inductive approach. Participants identified a number of obstacles to physical activity. Perceived barriers emerged from the analysis of the data addressed the different dimensions of the socio-ecological framework. The result indicated that the young adults perceived substantial amount of personal, social and environmental factors as barriers such as time constraint, tiredness, stress, family control, safety issues and much more. Understanding the barriers and overcoming the barriers at this stage will be valuable. Health professionals and researchers can use this information to design and implement interventions, strategies and policies to promote the participation in physical activity. This further can help the students to deal with those barriers and can help to instil the habit of regular physical activity in the later adult years.
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Al Wahaibi, Maha Marhoon Mahamed, Vikas Rao Naidu, and Prakash Kumar Udupi. "Technology enhanced learning solution for School Education in Oman." Journal of Student Research, December 31, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.47611/jsr.vi.562.
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E-learning is one of the major applications of Multimedia in Education. Lots of research has been taken place to find out the best possible solution which is simple and convenient to implement in the education system. This research paper analyses the importance of designing and implementing e-learning solution for school education in Oman. The outcome will suggest a project which will be about converting the traditional education at School to technological education by using LiveCode Community 7.1.3 which is a free open source software. In this research paper, we will focus on various e-learning solutions apart from educational games and we will discuss, why it is important to enhance the learning experience especially in school education of Oman.
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Al Qalhati, Najeeb, Asif Mahbub Karim, Bader Al Mughairi, Khalid Al Hilali, and Mohammad Imtiaz Hossain. "Technology and HR Practices in Educational Sector in Sharqiya Governate of Oman." International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences 10, no. 10 (October 9, 2020). http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i10/7956.
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Pittas, Evdokia, and Adenike Adeyemi. "Technology integration in education: Effectiveness, pedagogical use and competence." Lumat: International Journal of Math, Science and Technology Education 7, no. 1 (September 25, 2019). http://dx.doi.org/10.31129/lumat.7.1.396.
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This cross-sectional study examined primary and secondary teachers’ and students’ views regarding technology integration into teaching and learning in Muscat, Oman. The target group consisted of teachers (N=44) and students (N=219) from two bilingual and two international schools in Oman. Results showed that the majority of students use technology to do projects and research. Both teachers and students enjoy the use of technology in teaching and learning, they feel competent in using it and they similarly evaluate the effectiveness of available technologies. Although the majority of teachers agreed that teaching has become easier and faster with technology, only a small percentage integrates technology into teaching. Factors hindering technology integration concern curriculum design, network issues, time constraint and other. In theory, the study contributes to our understanding of the reasons why teachers’ and students’ find it challenging to use technological innovations in school. Methodologically, this study provides the basis for examining Technological Pedagogical Knowledge in certain socio-geographical contexts. In practice, the study provides educational authorities with suggestions on how technology can be used to support, enhance and extend the curriculum.
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Mahfudhi, Jomana Saif, Juhaina Al Raisi, Vikas Rao Naidu, Bushra Al Kalbani, and Rajani Rani Gupta. "Role of Smart Applications for Teaching Mathematics at Government School in Oman." Journal of Student Research, July 9, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.47611/jsr.vi.970.
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Education technology is important for every educational organization in these days. With the advancement in smart technology and Wi-fi enabled campus, it is possible to implement various online and e-learning tools to support the educational content in order to enhance teaching and learning experience. This research aims to apply such technology into practice at the primary school level, where the teachers will be able to customize or develop their own applications using some freely available resources. This will facilitate an understanding of mathematics through customized user experience and even a teacher with minimal knowledge of computer will be able to make use of technology to make the mathematics class more interesting. This research collected data from different sources such as questionnaires and interviews. The authors found from the data that majority of the participants strongly agreed that such e-learning system was greatly beneficial, especially, for the abstract subjects such as mathematics.
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"The Gulf Comparative Education Society’s Fourth Annual Symposium on Bridging the Policy/Research Divide in Education in the GCC." Al Qasimi Foundation, November 12, 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.18502/aqf.0098.
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"The Gulf Comparative Education Society (GCES) held its fourth annual symposium under the sponsorship of the Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research in collaboration with the Sultan Qaboos University from March 16 to 18, 2013. Entitled “Bridging the Policy/Research Divide in Education in the GCC,” the symposium was held at the Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Oman. It consisted of a pre-conference workshop, one keynote address, three featured panels, and 20 breakout sessions with a total of over 70 presentations by both invited speakers as well as those who had submitted abstracts. The speakers came from a wide variety of countries, including United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Switzerland, England, Australia, Germany, and the United States, and represented different voices in the education sector, such as policy makers, academics and researchers, school providers and leaders, consultants, and teachers. The purpose of this year’s GCES symposium was to examine the potential for policy makers in the Gulf region to devise evidence-based policies through utilizing local research in the education sector with a focus on the promise and possibilities of comparative education research to policy-making. Delivering the keynote address on the relationship between educational research and policy and practice was Professor Fernando Reimers, Ford Foundation Professor of International Education and Director of the International Education Policy Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The featured panels and breakout sessions addressed the following topics: • Linking Research to Educational Policy • Implications of Technology in the Classroom • Lifelong Learning • Applying Transnational Models of Education • Evaluating and Transforming Educational Systems • Regional and International Youth Challenges • Improving Educational Quality • Research in Higher Education in Oman • Student Leadership and Development • Promoting an Education Research Culture • Perspectives on Teaching and Learning • Trends and Innovations in Education In addition, the symposium brought together over 400 participants working in a range of organizations across Oman, the Gulf States, and beyond, all of whom shared an interest in comparative education in the GCC. Following the symposium, presenters were asked if they would like to submit a 1,500 - 3,000 word paper on their presentation. This volume is the compilation of those papers that were submitted. While it does not cover all of the presentations that were made at the symposium, presentation slides for all the presentations are available on the GCES website (www.gulfcomped.ning.com). Dr. Hamood Al-Harthi - President Dr. Christina Gitsaki - Vice President Dr. Natasha Ridge and Soha Shami - Secretary Verena Woeppel - Proceedings Editor"
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Al Jabri, Tahani Rashid Hamed, Vikas Rao Naidu, and Prakash Kumar Udupi. "Analytical study of technology enhanced learning in Arabic Language in primary level education in Government and Private schools of Oman." Journal of Student Research, December 31, 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.47611/jsr.vi.563.
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Education technology is one of the key application areas of Multimedia during these days. In the early stage, technology-based learning was limited to only those educational institutions which could afford it. But in this era of information technology, it became very important to incorporate various means of making the learning process more interesting and engaging not only in the higher education sector but also in school level. One similar application of the above context is defined in the proposed project which is the design of the educational application in Arabic for the children of age group 3-5 years in Al Ajial private school, Oman. This application is the solution or the problems and learning difficulties suffered by children in school. This educational application can influence how to learn basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics and in a way to learn high- level skills such as organization and time planning, abstract thinking, and the development of long memory or short-term and interest in school and subject. This application will also be easy to use to the students in terms of the allocation of their subjects and materials required. I chose this project through continuous research for all schools and suggested my idea to some schools. This research paper will also critically evaluate various existing systems available for the same purpose. This paper will also provide the result of surveys and interviews conducted among the staff members of the various primary school, both in Government and Private sector. The critical evaluation includes results of various literature study along with a study of various features and their comparison result of which will draw some conclusion. As a result of this research paper, we will find a more effective solution and requirement specifications for the proposed project.
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Saeed, Muhammad Amir. "Learner Autonomy: Learners’ Perceptions on Strategies to Achieve Autonomy in an EFL Classroom." International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation 4, no. 3 (2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2021.4.3.17.
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Learner autonomy is considered as one of the most important factors contributing to lifelong learning for language learners studying at university. This is primarily because learners were likely to feel motivated and engaged when they were given the freedom to take charge of their learning. Higher Education in Oman has been relatively a recent phenomenon that was introduced three decades before. Ministry of Higher Education in Oman emphasis developing lifelong learning and self-study skills in learners studying at a higher educational institution in Oman. Most of the learners studying at higher educational institutions were taught by the native Arab speakers in schools, and they were mostly dependent on their teachers for the completion of different academic tasks in schools. Learner autonomy is now not desired but the obligatory aspect of learning under the current unprecedented circumstances where learners were required to take control of their learning, complete their tasks, assignments and projects on their own and where teacher intervention is minimal due to ‘remote teaching’ situation. The prevalent situation where technology has now taken the pivotal role in shaping the 21st century teaching and learning process, it is high need for the EFL learners studying at tertiary level at the university should be autonomous and critical thinkers who can control of their learning process and aware of the necessities of learning. Therefore, considering the learners’ spoon-feeding learning attitude at school and fast-changing learning requirement, the researcher aimed at identifying learners’ understanding and perceptions to achieve autonomy in learning in an EFL Context. This study also aims at finding out learners’ belief on the role of peers, teachers and social media in achieving autonomy in learning. By using mixed method approach, the researcher designed a 35-items Likert scale questionnaire and semi-structured interview questions to record the perceptions of 135 EFL learners studying at tertiary level in a private university in Oman. The results of the current study revealed that students were aware of the concept of learner autonomy and they believe that teacher’s scaffolding, peer intervention and use of social media platforms can not only help them to foster autonomy in them but also to gain confidence, motivation, self-esteem, sense of responsibility and self-determination in an EFL language learning environment. The implications of this research will assist the EFL teachers and the administration to consider EFL learners learning needs and learners’ self-efficacy and attitude towards their own learning.
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P., Ali O., Hamda Hamdoon Said Al Humaidhi, and Safa Zahir Saud Al Maawali. "Awareness about Plagiarism among the Student of Higher Educational Institutions: Reflections of a Case Study Conducted at Ibra College of Technology, Oman." Asian Journal of Economics, Business and Accounting, December 11, 2020, 21–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/ajeba/2020/v20i230321.
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Plagiarism has become a major problem in higher education institutions in recent years. With the advancement of modern means of publishing, the students and researchers can easily access information from various online sources, which has resulted in the act of stealing others works without referencing or without proper referencing, poor quotation, invented data, imitation, cheating and many other form of academic misconduct. Literature shows that many of the students in higher educational institutions are not very much aware about the process of research and writing. This misconception sometimes leads to plagarise academic work without knowing the seriousness of doing so. This is often due to a lack of awareness and research skills among students and researchers. This crime can lead to many problems such as, reduce the level of thinking, creativity and productivity because students do not prepare it by themselves and they do not work hard for it. The objective of this study is to investigate the student’s attitude and awareness toward the issue of plagiarism. This study was conducted at Business Department in University of Technology and Applied Science, (Ibra College of Technology) Sultanate of Oman during the academic year 2019-20.
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Shama Rashid Said Al Ghaithi and Syed Thoufeeq Ahmed. ""Aistifsar" Enquiry Chatbot using Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML)." Journal of Student Research, July 6, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.47611/jsr.vi.1002.
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There is always an increase in the number of students enrolling to universities and higher education institutions. During this process the prospective student tend to enquire various particular from university or higher educational institute via telephone, website, emails, friends, postal service and sometimes with agents. The information obtained by prospective student by these means sometimes incomplete and inadequate. Also these means sometimes takes longer time in answering to the queries of prospective student. Moreover institutes are spending huge amount of cost for this purpose as it involve hiring employees, technology and providing the necessary infrastructure. Many commercial establishments with similar problem are trying to address such situation by introducing a “Chatbot” in their web portals or in information systems. A Chatbot is a conversational agent where a computer program is intended to simulate an intelligent discussion or conversation. It can take user contribution to numerous formats like content, voice, and pictures. For this reason, ongoing advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have enormously improved the exactness and adequacy of common language preparing and making Chatbot’s a practical alternative for query based works. This paper will study the benefits to create a Chatbot for the university and higher educational Institutes and how this technology can be helpful for prospective students to replying to their queries. Also a Chatbot will be developed along with our own dataset for Middle East College, Oman using the principles of Artificial Intelligence Markup Language to know the relevance of such facilities to address the needs of prospective student.
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Balaji, R. D., Said Jaboob, and R. Malathi. "A Block Chain and IoT Based Hybrid Students Record System for E-Governance." Current Journal of Applied Science and Technology, April 23, 2021, 59–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/cjast/2021/v40i631318.
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Aims: This paper addresses a system for the students’ record management by the educational institutions using the IoT and Block chain technologies.
Motive for this Research: The growth of the contemporary technologies around the world has made almost all the chores easier and faster. Yet, the government and private organizations are struggling to identify the appropriate candidates for the required positions and to verify their credentials during the recruitment process. The recruiting companies are facing the issue of deceitful activities during the certification and other credential verifications. Moreover, the data are available only in the universities and the verification processes are very often manually completed and they are time demanding. Thus maintaining data integrity and security becomes the major concern for the organizations, which have widely suggested considering AI technology applications in the educational institutions which are ubiquitous nowadays, especially with the current rapid change in the technology landscape. In higher education institutions as a modernization process they have started using the IoT devices for recording the students’ status and performing many activities automatically. The Block chain technology is used for secured peer to peer networks for the private data maintenance. Since it is demanding good Internet infrastructure and the transactions are computationally expensive, there are some hesitations in adapting Block chain technology for the regular activities by the organizations. Despite the security features of the Block chain, there are very few systems and proposals available using IoT and Block chain due to the technical complications while merging these technologies.
Study Design: We have highlighted the various concepts of these two technologies, their applications, advantages, challenges, etc.
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Information Technology, University of Technology and Applied Sciences – Salalah, Oman, from Dec 2019 to February 2021.
Results: A system architecture is proposed and it explains and shows how the Block chain security is being imposed on the IoT based applications especially for the student data management system. The activity diagram of the proposed system helps and assists in understanding the flow of the correspondences among the organizations and the candidates (students) and the way the information is maintained.
Conclusion: The proposed system architecture This system is secure, fast and it can be used by the government and the private institutions not only for the students’ record management and verification, but for many other different purposes within the scope of data management systems.
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Sarrab, Mohamed, Ibtisam Al Shibli, and Nabeela Badursha. "An Empirical Study of Factors Driving the Adoption of Mobile Learning in Omani Higher Education." International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning 17, no. 4 (July 8, 2016). http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i4.2614.
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<p class="2">Mobile learning (M-learning) provides a new learning channel in which learners can access content and just in time information as required irrespective of the time and location. Even though M-learning is fast evolving in many regions of the world, research addressing the driving factors of M-learning adoption is in short supply. This article focuses on the driving factors in adoption of M-learning and the learner’s perceptions and willingness towards M-learning adoption. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been shown to be a valid and powerful model in mobile and other learning technologies research. Based on Technology Acceptance Model theory, this paper analyzes the influencing factors on M-learning adoption and measure the acceptance of M-learning in Oman. The data collected from 806 participants in 17 different Omani higher education institutions using a survey questionnaire. Some factors of perceived innovative characteristics, such as ease of use, usefulness, enjoyment, suitability, social, and economic were found to have more influence on learners’ adoption of M-learning which help to facilitate and promote future empirical research. This effort is part of funded research project that investigate the development, adoption, and dissemination of M-learning in Oman.</p>
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Al Riyami, Thuraya Khalifa. "Omani graduates’ English communication skills: employers’ perspectives." Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives ahead-of-print, ahead-of-print (August 29, 2021). http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/lthe-01-2021-0007.
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Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore employers’ views on the current English communication skills of higher education institutions (HEIs) graduates and to identify the workplace communication challenges encountered by graduates of these institutions. To achieve this, the study has been conducted using a mixed-method design using quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (semi-structured interview) methods to present a holistic picture. The number of the participants was 50 for the questionnaire and 15 for the interview. Descriptive statistics were used for the quantitative data and thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data. The study revealed that Omani graduates have low English proficiency and are capable of using the language to perform low order thinking. They are not capable of using the language for high-order thinking such as summarising, synthesising and evaluating. Also, the study reveals that Omani graduates encounter many difficulties when using the language to support their arguments and conduct research. The study concludes with the presentation of a recommendation to develop students’ English communication skills related to changing the curriculum, establishing an appropriate infrastructure, improving teaching practices and establishing policies that ensure graduates’ capabilities to use English in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach The study has been carried out using a mixed-methods approach which involves “a mixture of qualitative and quantitative approaches” (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007, p. 5), to get a better understanding of the job market’s perspectives of graduates’ English communication skills. In the first phase of the study, a questionnaire was distributed to 50 employers in different government and private sectors. The questionnaire was comprising three parts. The first part included general questions on background, such as the type of organisation, qualifications required in the organisation and a general view of the English communication skills of graduates. The second part included a rating scale in which participants responded using a five-point Likert scale (from “totally agree” to “totally disagree”) to 17 statements that focussed on the linguistic skills of graduates. The third part also consisted of 23 items with a five-point Likert scale for responses ranging from “totally agree” to “totally disagree”. The 23 items focussed on the professional communication skills of Omani graduates. The items of the questionnaire were inspired by the pertinent literature and the questions of the study. In the second phase of the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 employers to get clarification on some of the issues that were raised in the questionnaire and get the employers’ opinions about how to improve the communication skills of Omani graduates and what initiatives HEIs can take to achieve that. These 15 participants worked in different public and private sectors, such as an oil and gas company, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Manpower, banks, an electricity company, a telecommunication company, an insurance company and a construction company. Findings The findings of this study reveal that Omani graduates generally lack English communication skills. These findings overlap other research conducted in Oman (Al-Issa & Al-Blushi, 2011; Al-Mahrooqi, 2012; Tanveer, 2013). This study also shows that Omani graduates are capable of using the language to fulfil lower-order thinking, but they lack the ability to use the language for high-order thinking such as summarising, synthesising and solving problems. The study also reveals that Omani graduates are not capable of writing reports or research proposals. Regarding the employers? perceptions of graduates? English professional skills, the findings reveal that Omani graduates are not capable of interpreting clients? needs. They also lack writing skills and verbal negotiation communication skills. They are also unable to resolve conflicts or disagreements. The findings reveal that Omani graduates encounter many challenges in the workplace, including low proficiency in English, lack of research skills and persuasive skills and inappropriate use of language during meetings and events. Research limitations/implications The research has limited participants. Practical implications Based on the results of this study, the following recommendations are drawn: HEIs should foster a relationship with the job market through continuous meetings to seek their feedback on English courses so that they can improve them to cater to specific job requirements. HEIs should offer a special course on communication skills, in which learning becomes meaningful and contextualised. The curriculum must include sample workplace scenarios that enable students to use the appropriate language for different situations. HEIs should enhance English for Specific Purposes (ESP) support courses to equip students with the necessary language for their specialisations. HEIs must activate the role of a Career and Employment Centre to prepare students for their future jobs by offering special courses on how to react in interviews, construct a CV and behave in the workplace. HEIs should get rid of the „one size fits all? Approach and attempt to cater to students? Needs in their future careers. Originality/value In recent decades, the higher education system in Oman has achieved substantial growth in terms of quantity, including the number of institutions, enrolled students, hired teachers and specialisation diversities. This expanding growth of HEIs corresponds to the necessity of qualifying Omani citizens who are capable of participating in ongoing development in Oman. Every year, hundreds of Omani students join HEIs to continue their first degrees, where English is used as a medium of instruction. These students aim to develop their English and obtain professional skills and knowledge which will enable them to be competent in a market economy, as English is considered the gatekeeper to finding jobs and accessing technology and modernity (Al-Issa, 2002; Al-Jadidi, 2009; Al-Jardani, 2011). However, there is a lively discussion about the quality of graduates of these HEIs, including their English communication skills (Al-Issa & Al-Bulushi, 2011; Al-Mahrooqi, 2012; Tanveer, 2013). For instance, Al-Mahrooqi and Tuzlukovap (2014) state that “higher education students continue to graduate with very weak oral and written communication skills, thus making them unfit for employment in many types of jobs” (p. 473).