framework for the implementation of a virtual design studio model in ...

On the governmental level, the UAE has launched the e-government
project making it one of the first countries to start such projects not only
among the Arab countries but also on the international level. The United
Nations gave the Emirates an e-government index of 2.17, ranking it
number one among the Arab states and twenty first in the world. Other
projects such as the above mentioned Dubai Internet City reflect the
countries high interest in the technology. 109
2.7 Education in the Arab World
Many Arabic educators and institutes have initiated projects to improve
the quality of education in the Arab countries. 110,111 Many of these have
focused on improving computer literacy, teaching methods, and on
updating the content of teachers‟ technical knowledge. Unfortunately, in
many cases the projects have been of short duration and range, and
have suffered from similar problems to the pre-HE level teaching i.e.,
they have been tutor, "as opposed to learner-orientated", focusing
attention on theoretical issues rather than on effective classroom
teaching skills. There is a real need for proper training for teachers as
well as students to adopt different learning style and teaching methods.
Learner-centred approach has been promoted to replace the rote-
memorising approach of learning. Eldeen 112 reports that there is a lack
of material and support to accomplish this. She also asserts that these
conditions resulted in one-off conference-style group-training
experiences where large numbers of teachers were trained together and
then left to their own devices in the classroom with little support.
Many of these training programmes lacked the necessary post-
programme mechanisms to enable teachers to examine the effect of
training and university education on teachers‟ classroom practice.
109 Federal Research Division. (2007). op.cit. p28.
110 Reffat, R. M. (2008). op.cit. p897-907.
111 Okeil, A. (2010). ‘hybrid design environment: immersive and non-immersive architectural design’,
Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITcon). 15, p205.
http://www.itcon.org/2010/16
112 Eldeen, H. S. (2001). ‘Experiential Learning in Undergraduate Education: Cases from Egyptian
Universities’, Architecture Education Today. Cross-Cultural Perspectives. Lausanne: Comportments.
p101-107
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