Summary

1877-0428 © 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.03.186

Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences 2 (2010) 1270–1275

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

WCES-2010

Bridging the Gap between the e-learning environment and E-Resources:

A case study in Saudi Arabia

Rana Ahmed S. Abuzaida * aPh.D. Student, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya,50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Received October 12, 2009; revised December 21, 2009; accepted January 6, 2010

Abstract

The new technology era is shifting the traditional ways of seeking knowledge and plays a new role in disseminating and sharing knowledge. E-learning systems have been introduced with the emergence of and developments in information technology (IT). However, most e-learning systems focus on allowing students to access and use official educational content, with less attention being paid to involve e-resources linked to curricula to support the educational process and the learners. The main objective of this research is to empower users in an e-learning environment with an Information Communication Technology (ICT) web- based system in order to play a bigger role in seeking and sharing e-resources for better understanding of the curricula. This study proposes a web-based system that integrates elements of e-resources within an e-learning environment, by using e-classes of 7th, 8th, and 9th grades enrolled at Al-Bayan Secondary School in Saudi Arabia as a test bed. The system deals with a set of learning cycles that support the aims of e-learning. The first cycle is the student; the second cycle is the teacher; and the third cycle is the librarian. In this study quantitative and qualitative approaches have been used in order to evaluate, investigate, and compare the impact of the system. The results of this study revealed that there is a significant difference between the students according to grade. Therefore, students at Al-Bayan Secondary School would benefit from a system which exposes them to e-resources linked directly to the curriculum in order to achieve and navigate knowledge understanding.

Keywords: E-learning environment; e-resources; Saudi Arabia e-learning.

1. Introduction

Education field is undergoing massive change in knowledge society. Information technology (IT) in knowledge society allows for newer learning scenarios where technology plays a major role in sharing and dissemination of knowledge. As asserted by Ally (2004, p.22) e-learning occurs when students use the web to go through the sequence of teaching, to complete the learning activities, and to achieve learning results and objectives. For example, e-learning system is to enable learners to access and use formal educational content, but with less attention is paid to involve e-resources linked to curricula to support the educational process and the learners. However, in

* Rana Ahmed S. Abuzaid. Tel.:+601 2672 9314; fax: +603 2300 3038 E-mail address: [email protected]

© 2010 Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

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developing countries, learners’ exposure to e-resources is very limited (Abuzaid & Singh, 2007). This can be attributed to many technical and cultural factors, and the lack of qualified librarians (Abuzaid, 2005). Recently, there is a wide recognition of the importance on the incorporation of e-resources in the framework of e-learning environments. Although, this incorporation may add an extra load on learners and schools, newly emerged information technology (IT) would largely ease this issue.

2. The Conceptual Framework

Cobbah (2004), suggested that e-resources afford students the chance to access, evaluate, and organize the present information from all existing resources in today’s knowledge society. Thus, creating a framework for e- resources to support an e-learning environment is the most important task to develop the learning and teaching processes in both traditional and virtual schools. To have successful framework the web-based system has to be supported by consistent up-to date resources, good feedback, and requests to add e-resources from all parties. In order to ensure the update of e-resources, the study proposes that the web-based system has to have three parties librarian, students and teachers whose update activities, and properly planned and coordinated in a collaborative way. In this way, the e-resources become a way of enabling students, teachers and librarians to be involved to support the outcomes of learning and teaching processes by continuous process improvement based on continuous collaboration. The framework involves the following conceptual components as it is stated by Abuzaid and Singh (2006):

2.1. Learner

• Browses e- resource on Science subject, and rate the efficiency of the information. • Requests for additional information. • Receives notice, that the request information has been added. • Updates her personal information.

2.2. Teacher

• Browses e- resource on Science subject. • Participates in curriculum design. • Approves resources for sending the notice to the learner. • Requests for additional information. • Updates her personal information.

2.3. Librarian

• Assigns the learner username and password. • Adds e-resources to the system. • Monitors the usage of available e-resources as browsed by teachers and learners. • Browse the learners rating scale for the e-resources. • Sends notice to teacher to approve the acquisition. • Sends notice to learner that the request information has been added. • Organizes the available e-resources.

2.4. Chief Librarian

• Authorizes teachers and librarians access the system. • Checks the teachers monitoring the usage of available e-resources as browsed by students. • Monitors the librarian adding e-resources and get approval from the teachers.

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In Figure 1, learner could request for new e-resources. This request will go to the librarian, and she is going to add the requested e-resource after consulting the teacher, and then notify the learner about the acquisition. Teacher could requests for more e-resources, approves the acquisition, and monitors learner usage. Chief Librarian can monitor the whole system.

Figure 1 conceptual framework (Abuzaid & Singh, 2006)

3. E-learning Environment Host System

According to Abuzaid and Singh (2008), “the e-learning environment in Al-Bayan School Model Girl’s Secondary School in Jeddah was to enhance teaching and learning processes. In addition, it was acting as a host system for the study”. The teaching and learning process were done electronically by both students and teachers. Whereas, monitoring the process was done by administrators, the implementation process was not an easy task. It required a strong IT infrastructure in both software and hardware. MGD (2003, p. 6-8) said that the requirements of the network design were to provide an infrastructure which allows the following functions:

1. E-Learning process: Using Micro Soft Class Server at home and in classrooms. 2. Classroom Collaboration: Between teacher and students by broadcasting data show, viewing students

‘computers and chat with them. 3. E-Mail: Between teachers and students connection to Micro Soft Exchange Mail Server at home and in

classrooms. 4. User Data Backup: Replication of Student Data on Data Servers in classroom.

To fitful the non-functional requirements: the system applies availability, cost-effectiveness, extensibility, performance, reliability, and scalability. To provide the school with this e-learning process, the school administration outsourced all the technology requirements to MGD since September 2002.

4. Web-based System Interface

The following figures show the web-based system interface which was used by the students. 4.1 First figure: is showing student’s searches the database by the key words, after she selects the type of resources, as it is shown in the following figure 2.

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Figure 2. Student search page (Abuzaid, Singh, 2009)

4.2 Second Figure: is showing student had the opportunity to propose an additional resource, as it is appeared in figure 3 this proposal will be sent to librarian and endorsed by the teacher.

Figure 3. Student proposal (Abuzaid, Singh, 2009)

4.3 Third Figure: is showing student received a massage upon her proposal from librarian that the additional resource has been added, as it is appeared in figure 4.

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Figure 4. Massage from the librarian (Abuzaid, Singh, 2009)

5. Methodology

The study conducted interviews and survey for data collection, and covered 116 students from 7th grade, 8th grade, and 9th grade who are enrolled in e-learning environment (e-classes) in Semester 1 and 2 of the school’s 2007/2008 academic year, at Secondary School of Al-Bayan Model School for Girls Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The researchers interviewed all students to discover the overall evaluation of using the web-based system, and designed a questionnaire instrument which had 22 closed short questions in Arabic language to investigate the learners’ satisfaction with the accessibility, availability, and supportive of e-resources using web-based system for science subject. The study used one-way ANOVA to compare between 7th, 8th, and 9th grades to find out the significant level of each grade.

6. Comparisons between grades

The study has two main variables, namely: Overall Evaluation and student satisfaction with the web-based system as defined by satisfaction questionnaire. The researcher used the one-way ANOVA to test for significant differences in variables according to grade (using 5% level of significance) as it appeared in table 1.

Table 1 Variables according to grade Variable grade n Mean S.D. F P Conclusion

7th grade 25 4.17 0.58 6.051 0.003 significant 8th grade 49 3.98 0.62 9th grade 42 3.66 0.61

Satisfaction

Total 116 3.91 0.63 7th grade 25 4.69 0.43 6.214 0.003 significant 8th grade 49 4.41 0.49 9th grade 42 4.21 0.63

Overall evaluation

Total 116 4.40 0.56

Table 1 shows that there is a significant difference between the students according to grade about Satisfaction and overall evaluation. In the 7th grade students were so pleased using the web-based system and gave grater mean for overall evaluation, because they have been just introduced to a new thing to use, and young students love to navigate new things. On the other hand, the 9th grade students show less attraction to the web-based system because in this

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age which is 14 years old students start to think that they are: older, wiser, knowledgeable, and manage to solve their problem, so they don’t need anybody assistance or support.

7. Conclusion

In summary, the satisfaction level of using web-based system has been generally satisfied and the study conclude that the system is well-accepted by the students. The study suggests that the incorporation of e-resources in the web- based system such should take a place, and schools in developing countries need to redefine and address the conceptual framework of the web-based system that collaboratively provides relevant e-resources to support and fulfill the gab between e-resources and e-learning environment. Through this system architecture, and real practice scenario of the web-based system can play a major role within the e-learning environment.

Reference

Abuzaid, R. A. (2005). Preparation and training of Employees in Information Technology Field in the University Libraries and Information Centers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Unpublished master’s dissertation, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. ( Document origin in Arabic).

Abuzaid, R. A. & Singh, D. (2006). The Incorporation of School Library Services into E- Learning Environments .Paper presented at International Conference 2006 Science and Technology: Application in Industry and Education, Pinang, Malaysia.

Abuzaid, R. A. & Singh, D. (2007). The Usage of Educational E-resources in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Implementation in Saudi Arabia. Paper presented at Redesigning Pedagogy: Culture, Knowledge and Understanding Conference, May 28-30, 2007, Singapore.

Abuzaid, R. A. & Singh, D. (2008). An E-Collaborative Selection and Use of E-Resources Tool for Information Literacy in a Saudi Arabia Secondary School for Females. Paper presented at International Conference on Libraries, Information and Society, November 17-20, Petaling Jaya Malaysia, 213-223.

Abuzaid, R. A. & Singh, D. (2009). The Incorporation of School Library E-resources within an E-learning Environments and the Satisfaction Levels of E-resources: A Case Sturdy in Saudi Arabia. Paper presented at Saudi International Conference 2009, June 5-6, 2009, Guildford, Surrey, UK.

Ally, M. (2004). Foundations of educational theory for online learning. In T. Anderson & F. Elloumi (Eds.), Theory and practice of online learning (pp. 3-31). Athabasca, Ab: Athabasca University.

Cobbah, A.A.(2004). The Role Librarians in Student Centred Learning: the Case of Students from the Disadvantaged Communities in South Africa. The International Information & Library Review, vol. 36, 263-271.

MGD (2003). Al-Bayan School Network Design. Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: Dar Almarekh. (Document origin in Arabic).