An Analytical Study Towards the UAE Universities Smart Education Innovated Approaches

© 2017 IEEE. The world has become a global village and technology has a strong influence in every aspect of our daily lives and the fourth industrial revolution that will alter the way we live and learn. This inter-connectivity brings a need for greater engagement, experience and efficiency. Catch a sign on a day in a life of a student and how connectivity and technology helps enrich his/her daily activities. This research aims to study the beneficiary of adopting Smart Education technology among United Arab Emirates (UAE) Universities. This type of education is becoming a dominant in academia especially within universities around the globe. Since it was introduced, it demonstrates a significant change in educational instructional methods. The objective of this research is to investigate Smart Education instruments much as its significance and demands. This research used different tools for assessment. Surveys and interviews were conducted to group of universities learners and educators within the higher education system in the UAE. The outcome of the research has shown a significant support towards the usage of the Smart tools and technologies. The survey has also indicated that 72% of the participants preferred the technology approach within their curriculum. The research highlighted that there is a great impact of using the Smart technology tools. In the Future, the authors would like to investigate the risk of adopting such educational approach

Free zone business model innovation in the innovation-driven economy of the United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was established in 1971 and its first free zone (FZ) in 1985. The UAE developed into an innovation-driven economy (IDE) currently ranked as the 17th most competitive economy (among 137) according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), while its FZs have grown to 35. Moreover, for the last three consecutive years the winner of the Financial Times Global Free Zones award has been the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre suggesting that there is also something exemplary to be studied in this context. Nonetheless, according to the WEF scores there are six aspects of the UAE competitiveness (namely institutions, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, financial market development, market size, and innovation) that are lagging behind the overall competitiveness ranking of the UAE as an IDE.Although FZs, the developmental needs of IDEs, and of the UAE in particular have been well-documented, while business models (BMs), their innovation (BM/I) along with national and regional systems of innovation (N/RIS) and policy have been relatively well researched; their intersection has not been explored. This is the gap this research aims to fill by exploring FZ BM/I in an IDE such as the UAE. The focus of the thesis is on exploring if BM/I of the FZs in the UAE could be used to enhance the aforementioned lagging areas of national competitiveness. It is thus, to be made explicit that this thesis is not about the innovation and/or the BM/I of the firms hosted in the FZs but about the BMs of the FZs themselves.Therefore, the key research question (KRQ) of this thesis is: Could free zone business model innovation be used to enhance the lagging areas of national competitiveness of an innovation-driven economy like the UAE?To answer this KRQ, an innovation management perspective (including BMI, ecosystem and open system innovation, N/RIS and policy, among others) is adopted, as it helps to: establish the core elements that comprise the BM of a FZ; map the BM encountered in the UAE FZs, identify their (shared/unique) characteristics; determine the kind of BMI that has taken place; establish the elements upon which the BMI is concentrated/distributed; and pinpoint the FZ BM/I features relevant to the six aforementioned lagging areas of national competitiveness.The research adopted a qualitative exploratory approach using face-to-face semi-structured interviews with senior managers from the organizations that own 54% of all FZs in the UAE. These data were combined with direct participant observation and a range of secondary data. The results indicate that there are two main FZ BMs, namely: conventional (hard infrastructure) and specialized (soft infrastructure), and that no new FZ BMs emerged post-2000. FZ BMIs tend to be of: i) limited complexity and ii) concentrated in few BM elements. No evidence of BMI concerted efforts targeting uncaptured values (environment, sustainability, ecosystem innovation, and the UAE development in large) was identified, although some initial efforts were noted. The implications of these findings for theory, methodology, policy, and practice are discussed, especially concerning how FZs BM/I could enhance the aforementioned six lagging areas of national competitiveness of the UAE as an IDE

Artificial intelligence as an enabler for entrepreneurs: a systematic literature review and an agenda for future research

Purpose While the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence (AI) has been receiving growing consensus with regards to its positive influence on entrepreneurship, there is a clear lack of systematization in academic literature pertaining to this correlation. The current research seeks to explore the impact of AI on entrepreneurship as an enabler for entrepreneurs, taking into account the crucial application of AI within all Industry 4.0 technological paradigms, such as smart factory, the Internet of things (IoT), augmented reality (AR) and blockchain. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was used to analyze all relevant studies forging connections between AI and entrepreneurship. The cluster interpretation follows a structure that we called the "AI-enabled entrepreneurial process." Findings This study proves that AI has profound implications when it comes to entrepreneurship and, in particular, positively impacts entrepreneurs in four ways: through opportunity, decision-making, performance, and education and research. Practical implications The framework's practical value is linked to its applications for researchers, entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs (as well as those acting entrepreneurially within established organizations) who want to unleash the power of AI in an entrepreneurial setting. Originality/value This research offers a model through which to interpret the impact of AI on entrepreneurship, systematizing disconnected studies on the topic and arranging contributions into paradigms of entrepreneurial and managerial literature

Mobile Devices in Higher Education: Faculty Perception in the United Arab Emirates

Research has been conducted on the effectiveness of mobile devices in education; however, few scholars have addressed how faculty members perceive the use of mobile devices in the classroom. Mobile devices in higher education have the potential to support innovative teaching modalities. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore faculty perceptions of using the mobile device as an instructional aid in a higher educational institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The conceptual framework was Zhao and Frank\u27s metaphorical use of ecology and the ecosystem. Three research questions focused on faculty members\u27 perceptions of uses, challenges, and cultural effects of integrating mobile devices into teaching. A purposeful sampling method was used to find participants for the study. Criterion based logic, semistructured, face-to-face interviews were conducted to collect data from 8 full-time, expatriate faculty members (4 from the federal university and 4 from the private university of UAE) teaching in UAE for at least 2 years who were avid users of mobile technology for classroom instruction. Interviews were transcribed, and the data were coded to identify patterns and major themes. The results showed that faculty used mobile devices for instructional purposes, increasing engagement, improving collaboration and pedagogical practices, and promoting UAE culture. Faculty also reported challenges with mobile technology such as distraction and cheating. The results of the study can lead to a positive social change by guiding higher education faculty on how to improve the status quo and assist in planning pedagogy and facilitating mobile-enhanced learning environments

Multiple perspectives of a knowledge-based Innovation Ecosystem : the case of Khalifa Fund for enterprise development in the UAE

This research addresses adopts the multiple perspectives theory to explore the key factors of the Innovation Ecosystems in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It offers systemic point of view for how innovation can be transformed from an event to be a sustainable system in the country’s economy to achieve the 2030 economic vision. Such fundamental transformation will rely on the knowledge-based view (adopted in this study) that the previously published research that followed the resources-based view. This view matches the countries plan to move from Oil to non-Oil economy that relies on innovation and human creativity as a key source of wealth. Transforming the economy from the resource view to the knowledge view requires a systemic prospective that addresses the organizational, and personal perspectives beside the technical/resource view. The former two perspectives offer deep insight on cultural, institutional, and political factors that shape the design and implementation of innovation, while the later perspective demonstrate the resources available for such innovation. Linstone’s Multiple Perspective Theory (1981 & 2010) synthesizing this trio perspectives and points out the ecosystem complexity and mechanisms. Accordingly, this thesis presents a knowledge-based framework of Innovation Ecosystems based on Linstone’s systemic view that helps understand the UAE Start-up innovation. Using a case study of the Khalifa Fund, the study analyses UAE’s innovation and ecosystem’s enablers and barriers, targeting three vital sectors, including IT/software start-ups, Non-carbon/Green Production, and life-science sectors. The researcher followed Charmaz’s (2008) Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) as a design for the research process and theory building. A conceptual framework is built based on the literature review. Then, a concurrent mixed methods approach in two stages (qualitative + quantitative) have been conducted to triangulate semi-structured interviews and exploratory survey. The results of this triangulation have been contrasted against the factors included in the conceptual framework to build a final theoretical framework. The interviews targeted 21 policymakers (Government officials), Khalifa fund practitioners (top and middle Managers) and Universities Innovation consultants. In parallel, an inclusive sample of 60 surveys have been allocated to all current owners of start-ups (entrepreneurs) in the three sectors. Beforehand, an archival analysis has been conducted to develop deep narratives of the fund’s activities, challenges, and overall innovation environment. The research findings point out the multiple perspective theory as a lens to understand the meta-governance and the complexity of knowledge-based innovation ecosystem in non-oil-based gulf context. The agency principle for the UAE decision markers positions the government as a key player towards the innovation strategizing and governance. Accordingly, issues of women representation in the innovation ecosystems were present in the research findings. Issues of firm legitimacy and resource orchestration/marshalling were perceived differently between the policy makers and start-ups owners or innovators. This led to the discovery for innovation factors to be included in an advanced theoretical framework 2. This framework maps the complexity and interactivity of innovation knowledge within the institutional level (at Khalifa Fund), the international level, and the Gulf regional level. Empirical contribution is presented for policy makers and Khalifa Fund officials on how to maintain a meta-innovation ecosystem by capturing the technological advances and facilitate the imports and legal licencing for start-ups. Organisational recommendations are also discussed in terms of enhancing innovation learning and education for current and potential entrepreneurs who aim to innovate products, services, processes, or routines. Personal recommendations are also presented for start-ups owners on how to engage with the policymakers in developing a foresight and a meta-innovation ecosystem

An alternative pedagogical approach to traditional teaching in Higher Education in the UAE: Student Engagement

Low student achievement and decreasing student engagement have provoked a call for pedagogical change in the UAE. In an attempt to address these challenges an intervention was introduced that consisted of an alternate pedagogical approach in the form of standards-focused project-based learning which is an active-learning approach where students drive their own learning through the completion of a project(s) that promotes inquiry, standards alignment, and collaborative research. This action research study sought to analyse the effectiveness of this alternate approach by answering two research questions using by collecting and analysing both quantitative and qualitative data. The first research question was: what kind of change can be brought about by engaging students in a student-focused and active learning environment by the design and implementation of a standards-focused project-based learning model? The second research question was: what is the difference in exam scores between students in a lecture-based class and students in an active-learning class that utilizes a standards-focused project-based learning curriculum? In response to these research questions, statistical significance was found in the difference between the mean examination scores of the Foundation course experimental section and the Foundation course control section. No significance was found when comparing the mean examination scores of the First year education experimental section with the first year education control section. Four primary themes were identified through thematic content analysis of the feedback shared by the participants during the focus groups. The four themes were (a) connection between teaching style and performance, (b) students’ preparedness for exam, (c) positive influence of peer pressure and (d) students driven by an external locus of contro

Entrepreneurial Higher Education Education, Knowledge and Wealth Creation

This book presents detailed discussion on the role of higher education in terms of serving basic knowledge creation, teaching, and doing applied research for commercialization. The book presents an historical account on how this challenge was addressed earlier in education history, the cases of successful academic commercialization, the marriage between basic and applied science and how universities develop economies of the regions and countries. This book also discusses cultural and social challenges in research commercialization and pathways to break the status quo.Comment: 130 pages, 10 figure