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This research sets out to explore the use of internet in teaching and learning in some Arab, particularly the Arab Gulf, taking one university, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) as a case study. In Gulf universities, the ministries tend to encourage the use of technology in teaching. Annual conferences and symposia are held to facilitate the use of more technology. This looked at instructors' and learners' attitudes towards teaching and learning on line, or aided by the use of technology. Results showed positive attitudes towards the use of ICT in instruction and learning. No clear differences were shown between students and instructors. The factors related to attitudes, mainly experience, confidence, enjoyment, usefulness intention of use, motivation and whether ICT skills were all correlated. Whether instructors and students intended to use ICT in their teaching and learning was mostly predicted by enjoyment for instructors and motivation for students. All factors are important for the use of ICT in learning. Hence, the university (KFUPM) may concentrate, besides helping instructors and students to get experience and confidence, on motivating them to use ICT and online for teaching and learning.
Keywords: Online learning, Instruction, ICT, Attitudes.
INTRODUCTION
Information technology (IT) and related facilities and supporting materials have become part and parcel of educational practices. Research is ample on the value of such facilities in all areas of education. They have been seen to give more freedom to teachers to work with individual students (e.g. Katz and Becker, 1999). Researchers (e.g. Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell, 2005) argued that the internet offers educational advantages to students as it provides fresh, usually up to date materials. Students may be inspired and motivated to pursue study topics with more interest and commitment. Moreover, it is generally established that information and communication technology (ICT) enhances learning quantitatively and qualitatively. For example, Concannon, Flynn, & Campbell (2005, p 512) stated that "e-learning, based on a solid pedagogic rationale, providing feedback, interaction, and access to course materials, is seen as both a benefit and an improvement in teaching quality". Benefits are seen in many experiences of geography (Ritter, & Lemke, 2000), engineering (Michau, Gentil, & Barrault, 2001), biology (Bodzin et al., 2007), education and psychology (e.g. Akyol & Garrison, 2008). ITC, then,...