Title: A Study of the Socio-Technical Influences on Information and Communications Technology in Girls' Schools in Saudi Arabia

Speaker: Ms.Sarah Almoaiqel, MSc  |  Lecturer in the Software Engineering Department, CCIS, KSU

Synopsis:

The integration of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in the classroom has shown to have many benefits. Consequently, educational authorities around the world have been pressuring schools and teachers to integrate ICTs into the classroom. The Saudi Arabian government began its ICT-related educational reform by providing resources, such as resource rooms with interactive whiteboards and projectors in classrooms, and mandating teachers to become ICT adopters. Unfortunately, few gains have been observed and many challenges have yet to be addressed. This study focuses on ICT adoption in Saudi Arabian girl’s schools and examines the challenges to the currently partial ICT integration and to the goal of full ICT integration.

To investigate ICT integration in schools, I conducted an interview-based study of teachers and school administrators in six Saudi Arabian girls’ public schools. My findings indicate that for Saudi Arabia to succeed in ICT integration in education, the government must first address the challenges to the currently partial ICT integration and then address the upcoming challenges for full integration of ICTs in the classroom. Factors that affect the currently partial ICT integration include: (1) formal training, (2) adequate resources, (3) awareness of value of ICTs, and (4) teacher evaluation. Full ICT integration creates challenges such as: (1) ICT curricula and ICT-pedagogy integration, (2) technical support, and (3) additional resources. Four different cultural insights were uncovered through this study: (1) effect of organizational culture on ICT integration, (2) effect of curricular differences between genders on ICT integration, (3) effect of perceived gender role on ICT integration, and (4) effect of social customs and traditions on ICT integration. The Saudi government must take into consideration the influence of culture as it attempts to integrate ICTs into the classroom.

Ms.Sarah Almoaiqel:

Sarah Almoaiqel is a TA in the department of Software Engineering at King Saud University. She has received Bachelor’s degrees from Pennsylvania State University in Information Sciences and Technology as well as Security and Risk Analysis. She also received a Masters degree from Pennsylvania State University in Information Sciences and Technology, specializing in Human Computer Interaction. Her research interests are in the sphere of HCI, mainly directed towards bridging the socio-technical gap. Her research currently focuses on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Collaborative Information Seeking.

Date/Time: Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 12:00pm

Location: Maria Auditorium, F50 in Building 6  - Broadcast to Room 2084 in CCIS Building 31.

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