Albadri, an academic at Abu Dhabi U. in the United Arab Emirates, and an educator, consultant, and manager specializing in management and information services and technology, assembles 22 chapters by academics, educators, and educational leaders from the Middle East who examine the status of information and communication technologies (ICT) applications in different Arab states, and the issues, challenges, and lessons learned. They report on the role of teachers; challenges associated with centralized governance of education, growth in the use of multimedia, and the role and impact of local culture on the adoption and utilization of new information systems and technologies in the UAE; ICT adoption and integration in Abu Dhabi; best practices and methodologies associated with the implementation and utilization of enterprise resource planning systems; the importance of admission and administration functions in higher education and the benefits of using ICT applications; issues and challenges related to the integration of ICT in education, including international partners and private sector involvement in Jordan, and security, ethical, and cultural issues in adoption; and the use of internet applications, tools, and social networks, such as wikis, discussion boards, and blogs, as well as parental supervision, computer-assisted language learning, blended and e-learning, internet online learning communities, and a learning object repository.
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