22 March 2004
DUBAI - Global and regional e-learning providers will present their solutions at the 16th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETX) to be held from April 20 to 23 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
The UAE's e-learning market, estimated at $14 million, will surge to $56 million by year 2008 registering an average growth of 32 per cent, according to recent research conducted by the Dubai-based Madar Research Group. This growth will cover content providers, technology providers and service providers to e-learning initiatives of the country's public and private education sectors, as well as the corporate learning programmes of large corporations.
"The UAE academic sector represents a substantial market for e-learning, from secondary to higher education levels. While most people equate e-learning with a way of accessing courses online, the fact is that e-learning started to make inroads into the academic world, with the increasing use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at the classroom level," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organisers of GETX.
"Today, networked classrooms, online learning content, virtual classrooms and asynchronous learning are revolutionising both the way learning is delivered and the process of continual education that keeps corporate executives, as well as busy home-makers within the learning loop, late into their lives," added Godinho.
In the field of higher education, the majority of centres of higher education in the UAE are offering some degree of e-learning in their course content. The Learning Management Systems course of the American University of Dubai (AUD) contains course modules that can be accessed by students remotely, and at the same time providing them with a virtual work experience. Another exhibitor at GETX - the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management - was the first hospitality business school in the region to offer its students e-learning courses to supplement their classroom instruction. All students at the academy are provided with laptop computers, connected through a wireless broadband network, which provides them with access to complete online courses and modules, as well as access to library resources and the Internet.
The first completely virtual university in the Middle East region opened its doors in Syria in 2002. With ambitious expansion plans to recruit students from across the entire Middle East, SVU will showcase its courses at the 16th GETX. "E-learning delivery solutions at 45 per cent of the market share, have captured the largest share of the e-learning market in the UAE. This is almost three times the world average of 16 per cent of the global e-learning market. This is also comparatively a much higher share of the UAE e-learning market, as compared to the 26 per cent share taken by content providers and 29 per cent taken by e-learning services."
A Swiss company, Riga Consulting Technologies, through its Middle East representatives Linx Trading will be participating with the eSchooldesk for the networked classroom.
DUBAI - Global and regional e-learning providers will present their solutions at the 16th Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (GETX) to be held from April 20 to 23 at the Dubai International Exhibition Centre.
The UAE's e-learning market, estimated at $14 million, will surge to $56 million by year 2008 registering an average growth of 32 per cent, according to recent research conducted by the Dubai-based Madar Research Group. This growth will cover content providers, technology providers and service providers to e-learning initiatives of the country's public and private education sectors, as well as the corporate learning programmes of large corporations.
"The UAE academic sector represents a substantial market for e-learning, from secondary to higher education levels. While most people equate e-learning with a way of accessing courses online, the fact is that e-learning started to make inroads into the academic world, with the increasing use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at the classroom level," said Anselm Godinho, Managing Director, IC&E, organisers of GETX.
"Today, networked classrooms, online learning content, virtual classrooms and asynchronous learning are revolutionising both the way learning is delivered and the process of continual education that keeps corporate executives, as well as busy home-makers within the learning loop, late into their lives," added Godinho.
In the field of higher education, the majority of centres of higher education in the UAE are offering some degree of e-learning in their course content. The Learning Management Systems course of the American University of Dubai (AUD) contains course modules that can be accessed by students remotely, and at the same time providing them with a virtual work experience. Another exhibitor at GETX - the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management - was the first hospitality business school in the region to offer its students e-learning courses to supplement their classroom instruction. All students at the academy are provided with laptop computers, connected through a wireless broadband network, which provides them with access to complete online courses and modules, as well as access to library resources and the Internet.
The first completely virtual university in the Middle East region opened its doors in Syria in 2002. With ambitious expansion plans to recruit students from across the entire Middle East, SVU will showcase its courses at the 16th GETX. "E-learning delivery solutions at 45 per cent of the market share, have captured the largest share of the e-learning market in the UAE. This is almost three times the world average of 16 per cent of the global e-learning market. This is also comparatively a much higher share of the UAE e-learning market, as compared to the 26 per cent share taken by content providers and 29 per cent taken by e-learning services."
A Swiss company, Riga Consulting Technologies, through its Middle East representatives Linx Trading will be participating with the eSchooldesk for the networked classroom.
By a staff reporter
© Khaleej Times 2004
