E‐learning as an alternative strategy for tourism higher education in Egypt
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684881111170078 |
| Pages | 357-374 |
| Date | 27 September 2011 |
| Published date | 27 September 2011 |
| Author | Galal M.H. Afifi |
| Subject Matter | Education |
E-learning as an alternative
strategy for tourism higher
education in Egypt
Galal M.H. Afifi
Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt
Abstract
Purpose – This research aims to be one of the earliest studies to investigate tourism e-learning in
Egypt, thus, it will initially shed light on the current standing of e-learning in Egypt before proceeding
to: identify the present status of e-learning in Egyptian tourism higher education; explore the potential
advantages and drawbacks of using e-learning in tourism higher education; and explore the suitability
of e-learning for tourism higher education.
Design/methodology/approach – Data for this research have been collected by adopting a
combination of “content analysis” and “semi-structured interviews”. However, a pilot study was
initially conducted before applying the main methods of research.
Findings – Despite the relative newness of the Egyptian e-learning experiment, the Egyptian
government has succeeded in establishing the required infrastructure for e-leaning. However,
deficiencies still exist especially regarding qualifying the Egyptian academics to participate efficiently
in the e-learning process. Regarding application, tourism e-learning is applied to a limited extent in
Egypt at the present time, as only seven public colleges are currently providing some e-learning
services, which are mostly of a simple nature. Tourism private colleges are currently languid
concerning the application of e-learning despite the potentiality of success especially with regard to
serving international students.
Originality/value – Despite the importance of both tourism and tourism education for a country
such as Egypt. this research is the first to investigate the applicability of tourism e-learning in Egypt.
Keywords Tourism, Tourismeducation, Distance education, E-learning, Egypt
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
It was 1816 when four higher schools for medicine, engineering, languages and
administration were established to announce the initiation of higher education in
Egypt. Gradually, and with assistance of Egyptian postgraduate students coming back
from Europe, especially from France, these schools were transformed into more
European modern-style colleges. A milestone occurred in 1908 when the first Egyptian
national university was opened (i.e. Cairo University). Afterwards, other universities
were sequentially established (e.g. Alexandria, 1942; Ain Shams, 1950; Assuit, 1957),
and Egypt was regarded, at that time, as a leading educational model in Africa and the
Middle East (MHE, 2007). At present, Egypt has an extensive higher education system
that encompasses 17 public universities, 16 private universities, 51 public
non-university institutions and 89 private higher institutions; and about 30 percent
of the Egyptians in the relevant age group go to university (MHE, 2009).
For two decades now, the need for establishing a robust e-learning system in Egypt
has been dramatically growing due to the escalating demand for more flexible
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0968-4883.htm
E-learning for
tourism HE
357
Received April 2010
Revised June 2011
Accepted June 2011
Quality Assurance in Education
Vol. 19 No. 4, 2011
pp. 357-374
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/09684881111170078
educational options. An initial step was launching the “Egyptian Distant Learning
Open University” (EDLOU) in 1991 mainly to serve workers who were looking forward
to enhancing their educational standards, and to give new opportunity for students
who missed their chance in conventional academic education (Cairo University, 2009).
In this context, EDLOU presented the first Egyptian educational entity depending
entirely on e-learning. Subsequently, several other steps were taken such as
establishing the e-Learning Competence Centre to lead and coordinate all the e-learning
projects in Egypt (Hamdy, 2007), initiating satellite TV educational channels
(12 channels now), launching official web sites for universities, colleges and schools,
besides encouraging academic staff members to upload educational materials to the
internet (ESIS, 2009).
In May 2008, a significant step was taken when Egypt, at the World Economic
Forum on the Middle East, celebrated launching the Egyptian Education Initiative
(EEI) under the umbrella of the Global Education Initiative aiming to reform the
Egyptian education system by using information and communication technology
(World Economic Forum, 2009). The EEI was meant to address several challenges
including overcrowded classrooms, unsatisfying teacher-to-student ratios and
incremental education costs. Thus, EEI aimed to stimulate learning skills, provide
equitable and high-quality education for all learners regardless of their numb er,
location and gender, and transform learning into an interactive experience, which
should ultimately support the efforts to foster a knowledge-based society in Egypt
(MCIT, 2008a). To fulfil these aims, the Egyptian government set up a plan in 2008 to
establish the infrastructure required for enhancing e-learning, which includes (MCIT,
2008a, 2010):
.providing universities with high-speed internet networks;
.establishing video conference amenities linking all the universities;
.piloting the wireless campus;
.supplying 52 labs in Helwan University as a pilot model (20 students/computer);
.establishing an e-content development lab in each university for helping staff
produce e-learning materials;
.training both staff and administrators to use information technology efficiently;
and
.inviting world class specialists and local experts to check the current
availabilities to ensure that technical materials are sufficient, efficient and in
place.
Finally, it could be claimed that the current escalating trend towards e-learning in
Egypt is highly stimulated by a list of stakeholders including: First, potential scholars
(e.g. international students, employees with tight timetable, disabled students, students
living in remote areas). Second, educators who feel the pressure of providing quality
education due to the current growing number of students. Third, universities that
perceive e-learning as an opportunity to widen access to their courses, whic h should
contribute positively to their financial situation (Barajas and Owen, 2000; cited in
Haven and Botterill, 2003). Fourth, technical support organizations; and last, the
Egyptian government, which recognizes e-learning as a fundamental solution for
overcoming the challenges mentioned earlier (MCIT, 2008a). Accordingly, tourism
QAE
19,4
358
To continue reading
Request your trial