DISTANCE EDUCATION FOR LAW STUDENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD: TRENDS AND ISSUES

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to show how e-learning is being developed in the Arab world and its relevance to the issues of general and higher education in the Arab countries. The study is based on the research materials conducted in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Algeria. Recognizing the existing realities in the world and expressing a positive attitude to distance learning, the authors of the works described in this review analyze the opportunities and benefits of distance education for law higher education in Arab countries. They mark the flexibility and convenience of distance learning, which allows geographically dispersed students and especially those who live in areas of military conflicts, continue their education, attend a course of lectures of a leading specialist in their professional field. Among the disadvantages of this form of education the authors drew attention to the lack of live communication between students and a lecturer, implementation of group projects, selectivity of students in relation to the asynchronous communication, low saturation of distance courses in terms of content and others. It is also about the barriers that arise during the development of this sphere of education: lack of strength of the infrastructure equipment, network connection speed, difficulty of preparation and development of educational programs for law students in their native language (Arabic) and others.