Developing and Assessing a Holistic eLearning 4.0 Model for Higher Education in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The lives of people worldwide have changed as a result of the rapid technological advancements in many industries. Technology has also transformed the way that knowledge is presented to students, notably throughout the eLearning 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 stages, and has helped to diversify the teaching and learning methods applied in the education sector. According to the literature, there are few issues pertaining to the Semantic Web (eLearning 3.0) that have yet to be thoroughly examined. However, because eLearning 4.0 is the latest generation of eLearning, relatively few researchers have considered the factors and sub- factors that facilitate its implementation. The factors and sub-factors that need to be taken into account for the effective implementation of eLearning 􏰀.􏰁 in Saudi Arabia’s higher education sector to realise its Vision 2030 goal of achieving excellence in education and technology and address issues with the present higher education system, have attracted only a small amount of research attention. There is also a lack of models that may facilitate the successful and effective application of eLearning 4.0 in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this study is to bridge these research gaps by offering an eLearning 4.0 model and recommendations as a road map for stakeholders in light of eLearning 4.0's relatively recent appearance. A holistic eLearning 4.0 model for higher education in Saudi Arabia will be proposed to facilitate the integration of eLearning 4.0 and its technologies in the higher education sector. This study contributes to the research field in two main ways. The first contribution of this research is a model that identifies the factors and sub-factors essential for the integration of eLearning 4.0 at institutions in Saudi Arabia. It is aligned with one of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals: to promote education and technology based on achievable KPIs. Second, the findings of this study offer a quantitative and qualitative indication of how higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia perceive and are aware of the possible application of eLearning 4.0. Although the scope of this research was restricted to the perspectives of academic staff and students at education institutions in Saudi Arabia, the findings, model, and recommendations of this research provide guidelines regarding the factors and sub-factors that need to be taken into consideration in order to successfully implement eLearning 4.0 for stakeholders in higher education.