Title: Improving higher education in Egypt through e-learning programs: HE students and senior academics perspective

Authors: Sarah El Gamal; Rasha Abd El Aziz

Addresses: Productivity and Quality Institute, Arab Academy for Science & Technology & Maritime Transport, 661 Horreya Street, Janaklis, Alexandria, Egypt ' College of Management and Technology, Arab Academy for Science & Technology & Maritime Transport, Jamal Abd ElNasser, P.O. Box 1029, Miami, Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract: The large number of students per class in the Egyptian Higher Education (HE) has highlighted the need for e-learning adoption; as it can serve a great number of students regardless of class capacity. Although literature is rich with studies regarding e-learning and how it is adopted, technologies cannot be adopted regardless of the stakeholders' perception, readiness and preferences. Thus, the research inquires on: 1) the effects of the perceptions of HE students and academics on the provision and use of e-learning; 2) the opportunities of improving HE in Egypt through e-learning from the same perspective. Accordingly, HE students and academics, as the two main e-learning stakeholders, were surveyed. A structured questionnaire was administered to target HE students, where data was statistically analysed. Academics were interviewed and data was transcribed and interpretively analysed. Findings enabled researchers to provide HE decision makers with clear guidelines on adopting e-learning in Egypt.

Keywords: stakeholder perceptions; e-readiness; higher education; stakeholders; universities; electronic readiness; Egypt; senior academics; student numbers; student classes; class capacity; stakeholder readiness; stakeholder preferences; Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport; AASTMT; e-learning; electronic learning; online learning; internet; world wide web; corporate e-working; electronic working; innovation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIIE.2012.052738

International Journal of Innovation in Education, 2012 Vol.1 No.4, pp.335 - 361

Received: 22 Jun 2012
Accepted: 07 Jan 2013

Published online: 26 Mar 2013 *

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