A Global Collaborative Effort to Enhance Design in a Mechanical Engineering Curriculum in Saudi Arabia

In 2008, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) partnered together to develop project-based curricular material to be tested out in a new undergraduate course offering in KFUPM’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. This paper details some of the unique challenges to collaborating across countries and time zones, and the approaches the KFUPM-MIT team used to address these. These approaches have so far included the establishment of a shared vision for the project and the use of an array of technologies to facilitate distance communication. The paper concludes with a description of lessons learned that might be useful for future programs that plan to engage in international collaboration on design education.Jāmiʻat al-Malik Fahd lil-Batrūl wa-al-Maʻādi

Evaluation of electronic information services in academic libraries in Saudi Arabia

This study aims to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the information technology services in academic libraries in Saudi Arabia and to propose ways in which these services could be developed. The methodology applies theoretical models, questionnaires and structured interviews. Two models were developed to investigate the behaviour of academic staff and students, the first representing users' cognitive attitudes and the degree of user-satisfaction with the services provided. The second model examines interactions between the university administration, computer centres and libraries. Questionnaires and interviews have been used to generate empirical findings. The main findings concentrate on the following issues. Most respondents had used computers either on or off campus. Use of computers at the selected universities was found to vary significantly. Respondents from science faculties were found to use technology more than other users. IT systems, network infrastructure and the availability of qualified staff were, to varying degrees, found to be a constant source of concern and a hindrance to the provision of effective services. There was no consistent pattern of use and there was frequently a failure to provide any service at all. The only means for academic staff and users to gain access to the Internet was through departmental provision as, at the time of this research, this was not available in the libraries. A lack of funding, qualified staff, programmers and connections to the computer networks are regarded as major reasons for not providing efficient electronic services to users. The main recommendations of this study are that coordination and co-operation between libraries, making full use of technology, should be established. Universities should lobby the Finance Ministry to argue for a change in the regulations to allow libraries to generate their own revenue in order to enhance existing services. University administrations, computer centres and academic departments should establish formal procedures to provide effective electronic services to users. The present provision of training facilities for both staff and students needs to be extensively reviewed and enhanced

Research and development in science and technology in GCC countries: role of information centres and libraries

This research study identifies the role of library and information centres at the major science and technology related universities and research institutes in the six GeC countries i.e. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, in relation to the institutes/organisations research and development activities. It also had a comparative aspect in that it examined information resources and information services available in the institutes/organisations under study with users perceptions on the effectiveness and efficiency of library and information services. A survey research design utilizing questionnaires was chosen as the most appropriate and effective method for gathering the data needed with intensive interviews with academe, Deans/Directors of Library Information Centres and R&D personnel to answer the study's research questions. The different populations were queried including the Chief Executives of institutes/organisations, Deans/Directors of Library and Information Centres and selected R&D personnel associated with them. It was found that in spite of large library collections and a number of de-centralised library systems in all the universities, information services available to the R&D personnel were inadequate. The fmdings of this investigation provided the means for the development of the proposed regional and national library/information network systems for successful library and information services model presented in this study. As an alternative a GeC infonnation subsystem GCC-SIST has been recommended along with emphasis on an electronic information system

The shadow and the substance :architectural education and its relation to practice with special reference to Saudi Arabia

PhD ThesisThis study takes as its starting point the generally accepted fact that there exists a gap between architectural education and architectural practice in Saudi Arabia. It seeks to answert he following researchq uestions: What is the magnitude of the gap? How does the gap manifest itselp. Where do the causes of the gap lie? How can the problem of the gap be tackled? What further research needs to be done on the question of the training/practice gap? The researcher undertook a pilot study to explore the nature of the problem, followed by a more extensive field trip to Egypt and Saudi Arabia to gather data. A qualitative methodology, a descriptive approach, a survey type of research design, and an interview data collection technique were adopted. In order to set the field trip results in context, the study outlines the evolution of the architecture profession and its relationship to the training of architects through history, with special reference to architectural education in three countries, the UK, the USA, and Egypt, which in different ways have had a particularly strong influence on Saudi architectural education. In view of the basic premiss of the study architectural practice in Saudi Arabia is also examined so as to establish its relationship with the existing architectural schools. What practice does - or in the case of Saudi Arabia perhaps fails to do - affects what happens in the schools and affects the structure, content, and delivery of the curriculum. Architectural education in Saudi Arabia is described, set in the context of the Saudi educational system in general, as well as in relationship to architectural practice. An account of the emergence of the Saudi architecture schools is given, and details of their structure, students, teaching staff and curriculum are provided, in order to aid the analysis of field trip results. Using the data from the survey, a thorough and extensive analysis of the researcher's field trip research is presented to show how the gap between education and practice manifests itself with respect to the curriculum of Saudi architecture schools, to the teaching approaches used, and to architectural practice in the country. The survey data forms the basis for the study of the causes of the education/practice gap. The findings of the study are that the gap manifests itself in various ways: the fact that new architecture graduates are unprepared for what they meet in practice, in particular that the abstract three-dimensional concept of design they are introduced to in architecture school is far removed from the reality of the building process; that they are unfamiliar with office and managemenpt rocedures; that they have no awareness of the financial and other constraints that attend architectural practice. In other words the causes of the gap between architectural education and practice are found to lie in education in that much of the curriculum is irrelevant to Saudi practice, in that the curriculum lacks integration, in that teachers are distanced from practice because they are not permitted to practise, in thaf teaching techniques are unimaginative and inefficient, and in that there is no effective provision for practical training. Further causes are found to lie in practice, in that practice is not properly organised - there being no effective' professional body to control practice, to advise legislative authorities, to establish codes and standards for the profession to follow (and for architectural education to aim at), to accredit architecture school programmes, and to set up and oversee the registration of architects. The study makes recommendations that would address the problem of the gap between architectural education and practice, in particular the establishment of an effective professional body, the overhaul of the education curriculum, and the setting up of a proper system of practical training similar to that found in Anglo-Saxon countries. The study makes suggestions for further research,a nd provides appendices containing the full text of the researcher's fieldwork interviews and an account of the psychology of learning which may provide ideas for further research.Government of Saudi Arabia: Umm Al-Qura University

The evaluation of academic electronic bulletin boards for communication and training : HCI factors in the UK and Saudi Arabia

Electronic networks services have become essential tools for the academic community. One of the services provided has been academic electronic bulletin boards (EBBs), and the use of EBBs has increased dramatically during the last decade. One question concerns the possible application of EBBs as a means both for communication and for remote training. A series of experiments were conducted during 1991, 1992, and 1993 with the aim of examining the use of EBBs for these purposes. The first experiment was carried out to investigate whether users experience problems in using EBBs. The next extended this to see how students evaluated EBBs for communication and training purposes. The main focus of the work was BUBL. After this second experiment, modifications were made to the BUBL data and a further experiment was carried out. A different group of students looked at the modified material, and also compared it with US data using different software. The fourth experiment compared the usability of a menu-based interface (dBase III +) and a hypertext interface (HyperCard) from a student's viewpoint. It was followed by an investigation of icons to find out how well different icons could be recognised and the possibility of using them for language-independent instructions. Finally, the characteristics and problems of GULFNET users were examined. The evaluation has demonstrated the general acceptability of EBBs and their likely value for training purposes. This leads to a discussion of how an EBB might best be developed for use in communication and training on GULFNET

Use of electronic information services in the library of King Abdulaziz University

The aim of this study was to investigate the satisfaction of academic staff users with the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) and Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) services in the central library of King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, S.A., to investigate the existing status of the card catalogue, to identify the problems and difficulties being faced by academic staff, and to suggest ways and means for developing electronic technology in the library. The literature review survey on OPACs is presented as an overview using OPAC and what difficulties and problems occur when the system is used. Also, the survey represented OPAC user needs and the degree of satisfaction for users with OPAC. The third chapter studies the electronic information services in Saudi Arabia and how these services have developed generally in Saudi Arabia and particularly in King Abdulaziz University Library. Also this chapter concentrates on the important relevant institutions and how the leaders are in this field. From the results of the questionnaire survey it is seen that younger staff and more recent graduates used OPAC considerably more than older staff. Only about one third of staff used CD-ROM and about half OPAC, and of the latter most also need the card catalogue. An attempt has been made to identify the importance of electronic information at the King Abdulaziz University and the difficulties the library has faced in this field, and finally suggestions have been made for overcoming these difficulties

The predictors of success of computer aided learning of pre-calculus algebra

Mathematics achievement has been of great concern to researchers involved in mathematics education. This concern has resulted in research seeking to determine for example, the factors that positively or negatively contribute to student performance in mathematics. Many of the reported studies in the literature have investigated the factors within the context of mathematics teaching and learning in general. Very few studies have investigated the factors contributing to student achievement in mathematics when learning takes place in a computer aided environment. With the pervasiveness of computers in education in general, studies in this direction become imperative. The present study fills this gap in the literature by examining the extent to which selected variables (mathematics attitude, mathematics aptitude, computer attitude, computer prior experience, computer ownership, proficiency in language of instruction, and learning style) contribute to students' achievements in pre-calculus algebra classes that are supplemented with a computer lab program. The participants in the study were 120 students sampled from the population of students enrolled in the second pre-calculus algebra course at the preparatory year program of King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals during the 2003/2004 academic session. The instruments used to measure the study constructs were the mathematics attitude scale (Aiken, 1979), the computer attitudes scale (Loyd & Gressard, 1984a), and the learning styles questionnaire (Honey & Mumford, 1992). New instruments to measure computer prior experience and computer ownership were developed for the present study. Hypotheses formulated for the study were tested using multiple regression and other statistical techniques. The results show that mathematics aptitudes and English language proficiency are the most significant contributors to students' mathematics achievement. No other variables show statistically significant effects on students' achievement. Together, the selected variables explain more than 41 percent of the total variance of students' achievement. Theoretical and policy-making implications of the results are outlined and discussed.Mathematical SciencesD. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education

Aligning accounting education and training : a comparative study

This study aims to build an aligned model of AE&T for the KSA by benefiting from the comparative analysis of AE&T in the UK and the KSA. The researcher depended on the Wilson model (2002) which is the first model to refer to the alignment of AE&T to produce effective accounting practitioners. The researcher cover the last three stages from this model and focused on accounting students. The researcher determined the propositions that needed to be tested by comparative analysis between AE&T in these two countries. Those propositions reflect all the three stages, namely: university accounting education, professional accounting training and professional accounting practice and CPE. The researcher adopted a case study approach, which was felt to be the most appropriate method in addressing the research aim, enabling an aligned model of AE&T to be built. The main source of data collection was reviewing and analysing current literature and by conducting face-to-face in-depth interviews and documentary sources. Cross-case analysis was used as the main approach for analysing data. The researcher produced a model of AE&T by determining the positive features of AE&T systems in the UK and the KSA, based on comparative analysis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

DEVELOPING AN E-LEARNING TRAINING PACKAGE FOR ACADEMIC STAFF IN ONE UNIVERSITY IN SAUDI ARABIA

The focus of this study is the development of an e-learning training package for the academic staff in King Faisal University (KFU) in Saudi Arabia. Evidence suggests that there is a lack of training for academic staff in Saudi Higher Education on how to integrate e-learning in their teaching. Despite this, very little attention is paid in the research literature to the design and evaluation of e-learning training. There is no clarity therefore about what constitutes effective e-learning training in higher education. This study aimed to design, implement and evaluate a training package for the academic staff. The study was conducted in two phases: 1) identifying the e-learning training needs and preferences of the academic staff in KFU; 2) designing, implementing and assessing a training package based on identified needs and preferences, e-learning training literature and common learning theories in the field. The study was qualitative. In phase one, 69 questionnaires and 17 interviews were analysed. The survey findings showed that the academic staff do suffer from the lack of training. Furthermore, the data showed a disagreement with the existing literature about the factors that limit the academic staff’s use of e-learning. The academic staff’s preferences for their future e-learning training were also determined and used to inform the design of the training package. Key design features of the training package included: covering both technical and pedagogical aspects of Blackboard; using blended delivery and using both cognitive constructivism and social constructivism to underpin its pedagogy. Evaluation data collected from a range of sources suggest that the academic staff responded well to the design features of the training package and that the training had a positive influence on their practice. The study has proposed a model for the design and evaluation of e-learning training in higher education that based on five generic criteria including ownership, intersubjectivity, contextualisation, transformational potential and evidence based