Significance and challenges of computer assisted education programs in the UAE: A case study of higher learning and vocational education

摘要

Due to the ever increasing demands for highly skilled workforce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the government has focused on promoting vocational education for inculcating technical and professional skills in the young Emiratis. Currently, the UAE provides a lot of educational services to its young citizens from kindergarten to higher education level. Similar efforts are being made to achieve good quality vocational education, yet the rate of uptake in technical vocational education and training (TVET) is relatively low in UAE. To meet the shortcomings in the present approach to promote TVET in UAE, the government has made efforts by introducing computer assisted education programs. The present review article will evaluate the need for integrating computer aided learning methods to the vocational and higher education systems and the challenges faced on its implementation in UAE. The main aim of the paper is to present that whether or not computer aided learning programs help the students in vocational learning and to highlight the shortcomings of these systems in achieving the intended purpose. On reviewing the surrounding literature, it was found that, fundamentally, the advantages offered by TVET and computer-based learning are commercial in nature. Nevertheless, they assist in providing societal improvements as a whole by rendering good quality of learning to students, alleviating unemployment and nurturing lifelong learning among the citizens of UAE, thus ensuring self-sufficiency in them.