Taibah University has announced that Pearson, the world’s largest learning company, has won the contract to roll out an all-inclusive, state-of-the-art Learning Ecosystem. The Programme will be implemented as part of the University’s preparatory year programme, which is undertaken by more than 4,000 students each year. The agreement will transform Taibah University from a traditional campus to a fully blended learning environment over the next three years, placing the university at the forefront of digital learning transformation in the Kingdom.
The agreement builds on a close existing relationship between Pearson and Taibah University, which started last year with the initial rollout of customised foundation resources, and continues through the various subsequent phases covered under this new agreement.
Under the new agreement, Pearson will provide the university with:
- Pearson’s Personalised Learning Platform. A comprehensive learning ecosystem providing a personalised, adaptive and interactive learning experience
- The design, development and deployment of a full blended learning programme, which includes digital courseware, digital lesson plans and formative assessments
- Remediation tools for mathematics, chemistry, physics and biology
- Enterprise reporting and data analytics
- A faculty change management and development programme to assist the transition to blended learning.
The training and professional development delivered to faculty as part of the agreement will help Taibah’s educators become champions of data-driven instruction and blended learning. The technology to be implemented under the new programme has been welcomed by educators at the University who believe it will improve student results because of its focus on student-centred, personalised learning. Instructors have also embraced the technology because it makes more efficient, effective use of teaching time, and gives them more flexibility in the way they teach.
Taibah University’s Dean of the Preparatory Year Programme, Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh al-Amri, says:
“The ecosystem being implemented under the agreement will prove efficient in improving student outcomes by increasing student motivation and attendance. Saudi’s university students are very tech-savvy, and expect their education to reflect the latest developments in digital and online learning. The holistic system that we are employing has been specifically designed to connect with young learners, and make their education more relevant and engaging”.
The launch of Pearson’s Blended Learning technology at Taibah University indicates that universities in the Kingdom are on board with the Saudi Government’s goal of increasing the presence of digital technology in the Kingdom’s tertiary institutes as means of achieving better learning outcomes and employability rates among graduates.
Pearson’s Vice President of Strategic Partnerships in the Middle East, Fadi Khalek, said that the introduction of eLearning into Saudi Arabia’s universities will help achieve this vision as well as facilitating the development of a diverse, knowledge-based economy in the Kingdom:
“Establishing a strong and efficacious learning culture in education institutions will have a positive impact on the country’s productivity, economic growth and job development. Learners that are equipped with the sophisticated 21st century skills promoted through eLearning programmes are more likely to contribute meaningfully in their future careers, and are better prepared to foster innovation in the workplace, or become involved in entrepreneurship activities”.