Faculty and Student Perceptions of Adobe Connect as an Instructional Tool

Mona Alenezi

ETR592
 Faculty and Student Perceptions of Adobe Connect as an Instructional Tool

Introduction:

The integration of instructional technology at Princess Norah University is a slow but

emerging process. This is due to the slow growth of technology in Saudi Arabia as a whole and

the low level of technological use in the rural areas of Saudi Arabia, where many Princess Norah

University students reside.

Adobe Connect is an e-meeting room for online meetings, lectures and presentations.

Adobe Connect provided a solution to the problem of how to provide education to a distance

learning student. Use real-time communication or educational delivery for enriched meetings and

seminars with interactive presentations and discussion capabilities. Instructors can integrate

existing learning content with real-time interaction between bidders and students to engage

collaborative learning and learning experiences. Presenters can use PowerPoint slides, live and

video recording, flash animation, live screen sharing, voice, and text chat in two directions to

provide a more efficient learning experience(Chuang, K. W. , 2009).The training and use of

Adobe Connect at Princess Norah University will enable faculty to instruct and support students

who cannot attend class in person due to the cultural restrictions of womanhood and digital

access in Saudi Arabia; Princess Norah University is an all-female university. The integration of

instructional technology will also enable large Saudi institutions like Princess Norah to operate

like other major international universities in terms of technology. Finally, Adobe Connect

training will enhance the technological skills of Princess Norah faculty and force Princess Norah

students to exercise technological skills.

Background:

Princess Norah bent Abdulrahman University is located in Riyadh city and is considered

the first university in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia especially for girls. The University was

established in 2008, and is the largest female university in the world.

The researcher has located five articles that discuss the lack of technology training and

integration at Princess Norah University and Saudi Arabia. In her research on Princess Norah

University, Alfaleh (2017) indicates a need for the development of IT educational courses and

developing an educational training program for the students to enhance their competencies. This

article supports the researchers framework of creating a training course for educational

technology like Adobe Connect and the need to improve student competences regarding

technology use.

Alhareth, Yahya, et al. (2013) believes that E-learningcould assist in expanding

educational opportunities for female learners in Higher Education in Saudi Arabia. This article

speaks directly to universities like Princess Norah since it is an all-female institution. The article

also supports the qualitative data the researcher has gathered through interviews with Princess

Norah faculty. With that said, the female learners will be both faculty and students.

Altowitz (2005) writes that the educational system has not maximized the efficiency of

using computers as a tool for outside instructionand that distance learning will not hinder, but

help to educate the rank and file of college students. This author discusses the need for

instructional technology in Saudi Arabia. Though this article was published in 2005, the

problems discussed in the article still persists today. Thus, validating the need for a study like the

one being proposed here.

 Alwehaibi (2015) confirms that the technology has not been exploited much for

educational purposes in Saudi Arabia. This article further proves the need for integration of

technology for instructional/educational purposes at institutions like Princess Norah since it is

the largest institution for women in the country.

Finally, Alamri (2011) describes online education as an important element that is missing

in higher education in Saudi Arabia. The author states, Online education is not supported and it

is included minimally in some universities.

Method

The researcher will use two qualitative approaches: a survey and face-to-face interviews.

The research context will be Princess Norah University. I will interview five faculty at Princess

Norah University and five students. I will create surveys using Qualtrics to provide to the

participants and I will use Skyping to conduct interviews until I have returned to my country.

Once in Saudi Arabia, I will conduct face-to-face interviews to gather more detailed data from

the participants.

I chose this method because a survey will help me to gather data based on direct

questions regarding my topic and face-to-face interviews will allow me get the best details,

clearly understand the participants ideas, and to break down any digital barriers between the

researcher and the participants. The researcher believes that the participants will feel more

comfortable face-to-face given that the researcher is a Saudi woman and is fluent in Arabic.

I plan to travel to Saudi Arabia in Summer 2018. I plan to interview the participants first

via Internet during the Spring 2018 semester. I will collect data in both the Spring and Summer

2018 semesters. I will begin to analyze the data in the 2018-2019 academic year.
 Clustering is a statistical method of grouping a set of data. I would use clustering analysis

to investigate the instructional engagement in two different class formats (face-to-face and

synchronous online) in relation to their experience with Adobe Connect during instruction. This

clustering technique might reveal information about the level of engagement in each faculty and

to see how each engagement type affects instructional outcomes. This data will provide feedback

to me on whether or not Adobe Connect would be an effective instructional tool for Princess

Norah University and if it can improve student performance.

I will use the clustering method in research not only to rate the performance of my

student participants but also to arrange the data in a manner that reveals the effectiveness of

Adobe Connect in the Princess Norah University context. In this case, I will have two options.

First, I would give both the faculty and students a survey. The students will also receive a mock

assignment that will allow them to compare the effectiveness of Blackboard and Adobe Connect

as instructional tools.

Context: Princess Norah University, Saudi Arabia

Participants: 10 Princess Norah University Faculty (5) and Students (5)

Data collection: Faculty Survey, Student Survey, and Mock Quiz for Students

Data analysis: Clustering

 References

Al Alhareth, Y., McBride, N., Prior, M., Leigh, M., & Flick, C. (2013). Saudi Women and E-

learning. The Future of Education.

Alfaleh, M. A. (2017). Extent of E-Learning Competencies by Students of Princess Nourah bint

Abdulrahman University Necessary for Accessing the Labour Market. Asian Education

Studies, 2(2), 27.

Alwehaibi, H. O. (2015). The impact of using Youtube in EFL classroom on enhancing EFL

students' content learning. Journal of College Teaching & Learning (Online), 12(2), 121.

Altowjry, A. (2005). Reforming higher education in Saudi Arabia: The use of

telecommunications technology.

Alamri, M. (2011). Higher education in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Higher Education Theory and

Practice, 11(4), 88.

Chuang, K. W. (2009). Mobile Technologies Enhance the E-Learning Opportunity. American

Journal of Business Education, 2(9), 49-54.