Fast-tracking technology integration toward global education in Oman

Abstract

The Instructional and Learning Technologies (ILT) program at Sultan Qaboos University has been investigating strategies to prepare faculty and students to serve their educational mission of becoming a world-class university while also serving their department mission of preparing ILT students for teaching with technology. This author, from a Western country and a faculty member of the ILT Department, discusses research areas explored within the College of Education about the strategies put in place to meet these global goals set forth by the country’s leaders. New technologies demand new ways of looking at the world so the intersecting issues born from development and technology emphasize the need for a solid foundation of research-based methods. These strategies are about establishing digital citizenship skills, integrating curriculum with technology-rich pedagogy, and adopting an international accreditation system. These ongoing activities at the College of Education in Oman provide useful indicators of fast-tracking progress for quality education throughout programs.