The Ministry of Higher Education is organizing First International Conference on e-Learning and Distance Education at Al-Faisaliah Hotel here from March 16 to 18. The conference is being organized under the patronage of King Abdullah, Custodian of the two Holy Mosques. Muhammad Al-Heezan, PR Supervisor in Ministry of Higher Education, said King Abdullah assigned the Ministry's National Center for e-Learning and Distance Learning (NCEL) to organize this first ever conference that will see international gathering of university professors, academicians, educationists and experts in the field from 28 countries. The scientific committee of the conference has more than 500 academics and research papers on themes which are considered as “very important and crucial to the future of the Arab education,” Al-Heezan said. Dr. Abdullah Bin Ibrahim Al-Ajaji, head of the scientific committee, said entries for participation from 117 academic institutions in 28 countries have been received. The participants will discuss vital and important issues in the field of e-learning like knowledge economy, virtual schools and the readiness of the teaching environment for e-learning. The participants would review the experience of e-learning in different countries of the developing world and advanced countries, and at the level of academic institutions in the Arab World. The seven themes of the conference, Al-Ajaji said, were selected carefully after discussions to cover comprehensive and important aspects to create e-learning environment for the future. The conference will discuss topics such as contemporary international variables and their impact on e-learning and distance education, preparing the e-learners to meet challenges of the 21st century, the e-learning and distance learning environment in the era of globalization and knowledge-based economy, requirements to design and implement e-learning and distance learning programs, the processes of teaching, learning and designing of electronic curricula, e-learning and people with special needs, quality and evaluation and international experiences in e-learning and distance learning.
