Introduction

In light of its vision to a reliable regional reference in education quality and excellence, and its endeavors to enhancing the education quality in the Arab world, of the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE) provides various services and programs that support Arab countries for improving general educational outcomes and achieving the targets of the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 4). In line with the significant and rapid progress in technology and its applications in education, as well as the global shift towards distance education and diverse Artificial Intelligence applications, RCQE strives to support the development of technology integration in teaching and learning processes in the Arab world by enhancing the quality of practices and policies.

As part of these endeavors, RCQE supervised the implementation of a study on “The Quality of Distance Education Policies and Practices in General Education in Arab Countries” in collaboration with the research partner, Wareef Knowledge. The purpose of the study is to enhance the quality of distance education policies and practices in Arab countries by identifying a set of global best practices in distance education and its applications in general education, assessing the quality status of distance education policies and practices in general education in Arab countries, and proposing a framework for developing and improving these policies and practices, based on the best global trends and practices.

The study included a benchmarking of the status of distance education in a sample of five Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Palestine) with global best practices from five countries (the United States of America, Singapore, Australia, Estonia, and the United Kingdom). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from the study’s target population, which consisted of a representative sample of students, teachers, school principals, and educational leaders.

As part of RCQE efforts to enhance distance education in general education across Arab countries, the study aimed to:

1- Assess the status of the quality of distance education policies and practices in general education in Arab countries.

2- Identify the global best practices and policies in distance education and its applications in general education.

3- Propose a framework for developing and enhancing distance education policies and practices in general education in Arab countries, based on the best global trends and practices.

4- Contribute to the improvement of education quality and efficiency by providing innovative tools and technologies that enhance the learning experience through artificial intelligence technologies and applications.

To achieve these objectives, the policies and practices of distance education were reviewed according to four main domains: planning, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation of the distance education process.

Withing this context, this regional workshop will be held in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the patronage and presence of His Excellency the Minister of Education and Chairman of RCQE Board of Directors, Mr. Yousef Al-Benyan. The workshop aims to showcase the study’s findings and discuss recommendations and proposals that will assist decision-makers in adopting the most suitable approaches for their countries, considering the various factors that influence educational policy decisions. The study provides comparative frameworks and developmental models, that are scientifically studied based on the best practices in distance education, aligned with the changes and demands of the 21st century.

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Objective

1-Define the nature of distance education programs development in light of the significant and rapid progress in educational technology and the increasing challenges faced by students to be prepared for the future considering the skills they need. The global best practices are incorporated to draw on their benefits for developing distance education programs for Arab countries.

2- Identify quality status of distance education policies and practices in the Arab countries.

3- Present the proposed framework for developing distance education in Arab countries, considering the diverse needs of learners in the digital era and how to design supportive and structured policies to address these needs.

Topics

1-Study objectives, methodology, and sample.

2-Presentation and analysis of the best practices in distance education from benchmarked countries.

3-Presentation and analysis of the findings from the Arab countries participating in the study sample.

Participants

The workshop will be attended in person and virtually (via Webex) by several thinkers and experts in the field of distance education in addition to educational decision makers, youth, experts, researchers, academics, teachers, school directors and representatives of ministries of education, schools and universities at the regional level.

Workshop Strategy

A one-day regional workshop will be held to review the outcomes of a project (The Quality of Distance Education Policies and Practices in General Education in Arab Countries) in order to present a proposed framework for prompting the quality of distance education policies and practices in general education in the Arab countries in light of their realities. Quality interventions will take place and participants will have the opportunity to engage in dialogue and share different best practices. Invitation is open to specialists, experts and interested people.

Workshop Language

The workshop will be conducted in Arabic and the interpretation into English will be provided through Webex program. Sign language will be provided as well.

Organizers

UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education and The Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Invited 

1- UNESCO regional centers and offices

2- National, regional and international organizations.

3- Ministries of Education of Arab States.

4- Universities in Arab and international countries

5- National Educational, Cultural and Scientific Committees.

6- Education Assessment Commission in Arab Countries

7- Relevant institutions and bodies.

8- Experts, specialists and interested people.

Target Group

1- Representatives & staff of ministries of education, universities, leadership bodies and those involved in the development of distance education programs, and the professional development of those involved in the educational process, measurement, quality and excellence.

2- Relevant Bodies in Arab countries.

3- Those concerned with the development of general education.

4- A sample of faculty members from colleges of education.

5-  A sample of teachers, school principals, parents, and general education students in the upper grades.

6- Interested Researchers and experts.

Expected Outcomes

1- Shared perceptions about the status of improving the quality of distance education practices and policies in general education in Arab countries.

2- Identifying and expanding knowledge of regional and global best practices in the implementation of distance education and its policies.

3- An educational approach to developing frameworks for the implementation of distance education and its policies based on the study outcomes to maximize its benefits for serving the development of general education in Arab countries.