Morocco e-Readiness Assessment: University Contribution

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to explore the critical issues that impede an effective implementation of information communication technology (ICT) as related to higher education (HE) in Morocco. An e-readiness survey based on Harvard e-readiness assessment framework is administered in order to check the role of university in getting Morocco e-ready. First, a diagnosis is done at the level of preparedness of Moroccan institutions in networked areas of access, society, economy and policy. The data was collected from the annual reports of Moroccan Telecommunications regulations agency (ANRT), reports from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Global Information Technology Report (NRI), quantitative and qualitative surveys from previous research studies, and statistical websites. The findings reveal that Morocco has, apart from networked economy and local digital content, a fairly advanced e-readiness status in other indicators in the model of Harvard Centre of International Development. Ironically, such findings show that it is the Moroccan university that needs to catch up with society.

Soft Skills: Connecting Classrooms with the Workplace—A Systematic Review

“…The authors speculate that under that the status quo, whilst university graduates may achieve the required academic standards, they lack the entrepreneurial attributes to be viably employable and considered workplace-ready. The graduates are not well prepared for professional life, and know little about how companies operate (Bouziane & Elaasri, 2019). Collectively, the authors consistently noted that the human aspect is a key factor in the new economy.…”

“…These skills help secure that a good impression and impact is made within the workplace. The studies remark that although important, very few students and employees invest sufficient time and effort to develop and acquire these skills (Bahmad, 2020;Bouziane & Elaasri, 2019;El Hamdi et al, 2020;Tejan & Sabil, 2019;Zakia, 2015). Notably, the studies made it clear that Moroccan employers are generally unsatisfied with university graduates.…”

“…Many weaknesses of recruits [engineers] were identified, namely in areas such as communication, autonomy, decision making, efficiency, management of priorities, teamwork, stress management, self-confidence, creativity, initiative, and negotiation skills (Chaibate & Bakkali, 2017;Chaibate et al, 2019). Academic programs in universities and engineering schools predominantly focus on technical skills, and lack sufficient emphasis on managerial or soft skills (Bouziane & Elaasri, 2019). Soft skills are considered crucial for candidates in today's job market (Khaouja et al, 2019).…”

“…Locally, in Morocco, the problem [soft skills gap] also still seems to exist. The Moroccan corporate sector has nationally started grumbling over an omnipresent gap between how universities prepare and train students, and what the job market is really demanding in terms of new graduates (Bouziane & Elaasri, 2019;El Hamdi et al, 2020;El Mellouki, 2015;Elmouhtarim, 2018;Tejan & Sabil, 2019;Zakia, 2015). Previous studies have stressed that it is getting significantly harder to find job applicants with the right level of soft skills.…”

The Supervisor of Undergraduate Dissertations in a Web-Based Context: How Much Support and How to Give it?

“…As a practice with a long tradition in higher education, UD supervision is generally resistant to change (Jaldemark & Lindberg, 2013), but the recent large-scale upheavals worldwide left no room for resistance as technology is now unavoidable (Bouziane & Elaasri, 2019;Roberts & Seaman, 2018). However, its use is constrained by the degree of institutional support for supervisors (Hénard & Roseveare, 2012), which affects both their pedagogical knowledge and the technological tools they use (Al-Busaidi & Al-Shihi, 2012;Pedro & Kumar, 2020).…”