THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TECHNIQIES IN IMPROVING THE BEHAVIOR AND PRACTICES OF FACULTY MEMBERS WHEN SWITCHING TO ELEARNING IN LIGHT OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS

Abstract

This study investigated the role of e-learning and artificial intelligence (AI) in improving the faculty members’ practices when switching to online education in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The researcher employed a descriptive and analytical approach. A questionnaire was used to measure the impact of AI and e-learning on four different themes related to education in Saudi Arabia. The data from 406 respondents suggested a statistically significant (α≤ 0.05) effect of AI on e-learning. The faculty members strongly agreed that AI and e-learning improved relevant aims of teaching and related practices during the pandemic. Moreover, the influence on practices related to teaching methods during the pandemic was also highly positive. Further, the instructors strongly acknowledged that e-learning and AI ameliorated their teaching practices in general. Finally, the study depicted that e-learning and AI assisted instructors to automate grading and evaluation, ensures the confidentiality of data, and provides easier access to information. The average of the sample responses for all four fields analyzed in the study corresponded to the degree of approval. This study has a paramount importance due to the continuity of education in the context of the COVID19 pandemic and the role of e-learning and artificial intelligence in education in general.