Using Technological Tools in Palestinian Higher Education – Reality and Expectancy

Abstract

This study is entitled "Using Technological Tools in Palestinian Higher Education – Reality and Expectancy". It aims at identifying the reality, challenges, motives, incentives, and what is expected and hoped from the use of technological tools in higher education as perceived by the faculty members. To collect the data, the study used the qualitative approach, and used the in-depth interview and it was applied on an intentional sample of (16) faculty members at Palestine Ahliya University, with a percentage of (%10) of the study population. The results of the study revealed that there is a difference in the use of technological tools in teaching process based on the different programs and colleges, some of which delve deeper into the use of technological tools in teaching, while others use them up to the minimum. The university also provides the needed infrastructure and resources required to facilitate communication to serve the educational process. The results also showed that the most important challenges that face the faculty members are the lack of knowledge of some technological resources and not possessing the needed languages that facilitate communication with the external world. In addition, lack of acquaintance with foreign experts and scientists, lack of orienting learners to the effective usage of technology and lack of time and effort to view the scientific content on the internet are also to be considered of the most important challenges that face the faculty members. Furthermore, the most important incentives and motives are knowledge transfer through technological tools and the increase of scientific knowledge by searching the internet search engines to build the student's scientific personality. It is also expected and hoped that technological tools will be developed and used in teaching process; and the university to become dependent on the effective usage of those technological tools in teaching throughout signing agreements with international universities and experts.

The originality of the study is determined by the urgent need for modern technological tools in delivering scientific knowledge to university students. While many researchers have addressed e-learning in their studies, researchers in Palestinian society have not explored how to utilize modern technology tools