Syrians’ acceptance of digital lectures: a case study

Abstract

The Internet is changing the concept of distance education and universities through its increased involvement in education (Burnett, 2001). Distance education and online instruction have dramatically increased over the last 20 years due to technological advances in the Internet and the prevalence of sophisticated course management systems (Beqiri, Chase, & Bishka, 2010; Wang, 2007). Communication technologies, including the Internet, are facilitating learning through, providing higher education institutions the ability to deliver and receive learning information in a more flexible manner (Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell, 2005). An electronic approach is normally facilitated and supported by teleconferencing, chat rooms and discussion boards through Skype technologies (Lin, 2009). Nowadays, Skypeis regarded an essential tool in academia (Jayanthi, Srivatsa, & Ramesh, 2007). The severe political conflict in Syria affected higher education by the loss of many of its academics through the increased and significant level of immigration among university professors, thus resulting in very limited expertise in the Syrian market, especially for emerging faculties, such as the Faculty of Tourism. Limited financial resources at Damascus University, and the high risk of travel to Syria imposed further challenges. Moreover, visa restrictions ABSTRACT Technology-based learning modules are mostly challenged by their acceptance. A single-case study and mixed research method are used to explore a unique situation of applying digital lectures at the postgraduate Programmes at the Faculty of Tourism at Damascus University as a solution for brain drain in the Syrian higher education system. Results indicate that Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy (EE), Personal Innovativeness and Satisfaction with the Quality of Services have a significant effect on students' Behavioural Intention to accept digital lectures. This effect was stronger for males. However, EE was a better predictor for students under 30. In addition, students regarded the use of digital lectures as an alternative plan to continuing their postgraduate studies abroad within the current restrictions on Syrians. For the future successful implementation of e-learning modules, infrastructure-related issues should be taken into account. The study recommends universities going through brain drain and similar crisis situations to utilise digital lectures.

Learning beyond the Brick and Mortar: A Review of Prospects and Challenges of E-learning Innovation

“…It reduces the trouble of distance travel for learning and education [32], [35], empower students to the knowledge of global issues and trends, increasing access to tertiary educations for students who are denied due to reasons such as health, financial, cultural, etc. [7], [36], improve innovativeness [3], and global cultural immersion of students and instructors [2]. Such learning environments make it easier for instructors draw inspirations and examples from around the world.…”

“…Our results show numerous opportunities for e-learning innovation across educational institutions (Universities, Colleges, and Schools) globally. It was observed that e-learning accelerates the quality of education [7], stimulates learning experience [4], [11], lessons the situational and cost barriers to access education [2], [3], and encouraging interaction and immediate feedback between students, and their instructors [6]. Despite the numerous benefits, our content review highlights some of the salient challenges confronting e-learning adoption and diffusion in educational institutions.…”

“…Scholars have used different terms to described various forms of technologydelivered learning: digital lecture, where an instructor delivers lessons through live streaming, or a digital version of the lecture is available to students on-demand 1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5967-7281 in a synchronized manner [1], [2], [3], [4]. This form of e-learning depends on the use of Skype technologies, Zoom, Google classroom, to stream live video feed.…”

“…This form of e-learning depends on the use of Skype technologies, Zoom, Google classroom, to stream live video feed. Second, is e-lectures, involving the instructor to record lessons in studios, and transmit this recorded version to virtual audiences [3]. Such mode enables learners to access elessons in various forms of audio and recorded video feeds.…”

Sustainable Development in Damascus University: A Survey of Internal Stakeholder Views

“…For free learning world, Bell and Ramadan showed that Syrians had used challenging strategies which could really shake up the Ivory Tower and offers minds in all places globally the hope of quality education irrespective of income, culture or gender and further had verified Syrians acceptance of digital lectures after 5 years of their country crises [42,43]. Syrian open learning is concerned with two of great issues of our time: Firstly, sustainability, including the qualities and availability of higher education in a global setting -this setting being globalizationthe importance of which was made manifestly clear in the recent cut and thrust evident at the 21 st conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) deliberations in Paris in December 2015.…”