Abstract:

This contribution reviews recent developments in E-learning, E-health, and ICT planning as a case study of web based education in a rapidly modernizing Islamic nation. Reliable and reasonably priced broadband internet infrastructure only became widely available five years ago, and yet e-learning in Qatar has rapidly been adopted in government, private business, and education. With the world’s second highest per capita citizen GDP (2009), Qatar, unlike most other regions of the world, is experiencing an expanding economy with ample surplus government revenue to invest in education. Part of these investments include networked K-12 education projects (K-Net), international conferences on topics of interest to the educational development community such as cloud computing, and support of the American branch campuses of Education City, who regularly use e-learning modalities that have been validated on their main campuses (teleconferenced classrooms). Also, the soon to be completed Sidra Hospital will be a state of the art all-electronic “digital” hospital which will require substantial employee training in advanced technology skills that can be acquired through e-learning. Considerable barriers, however, exist in teacher training, regional shortages of ICT professionals, and gender and language issues related to using Western-based e-learning systems and learning objects.

Keywords:

e-learning, Islamic world, cultural considerations.