A Framework for Evaluating Research on Distance Chinese Learning in UAE: What Aspects of Distance Learning Can We Study?

In 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became the first Arab country to integrate Chinese language education into its national basic education system, employing 172 Chinese language teachers and educating over 54,000 Emirati students by 2022. In response to the global pandemic, the UAE also became the first Arab nation to implement distance learning on a national scale, transitioning public schools to this mode of instruction in March 2020. However, existing research on distance Chinese learning primarily focuses on international students in Chinese universities or countries where Chinese language education is more established, and mainly targets older age groups such as university and high school students. There is currently no research dedicated to distance Chinese learning in the UAE. This paper addresses this research gap by exploring three key aspects. The first section reviews current literature on the key stakeholders and influencing factors in distance learning. The second section examines the development of distance Chinese language education and proposes an initial evaluation framework for this field. The third section analyzes the current state of distance Chinese learning in the UAE, highlighting specific issues that warrant further scholarly attention. This study serves as a valuable reference for researchers interested in advancing research on both distance learning and Chinese language education in the UAE.

Al-Arimi, A. M. A. K. (2014). Distance learning. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 152, 82-88.

Almala, A. H. (2006). Who are the key stakeholders in a quality e-learning environment? Distance Learning, 3(4), 1-7.

Alzain, M., & Alsheikhidris, A. (1993). Challenges for moving Chinese language courses online. Education Quarterly Reviews, 3(3), 300-312.

Ashley, H., & Mathew, J. (2018). Investigating different options in course delivery—Traditional vs. online: Is there another option? International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 35(4), 230-239.

Beaudoin, M. F. (2003). Distance education leadership for the new century. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 6(2), 1.

Beqiri, M. S., Chase, N. M., & Bishka, A. (2010). Online course delivery: An empirical investigation of factors affecting student satisfaction. Journal of Education for Business, 85(2), 95-100.

Bertin, J. C., Gravé, P., & Narcy-Combes, J. P. (2010). Second language distance learning and teaching: Theoretical perspectives and didactic ergonomics. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Blumberg, P. (2009). Developing learner-centered teaching: A practical guide for faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bosco-Whitney, E. (2009). Distance teaching and learning: What it is and what it is not. Interdisciplinary Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects, 5, 235-243.

Carr-Chellman, A., & Duchastel, P. (2000). The ideal online course. British Journal of Educational Technology, 31(30), 229-241.

Davis, T. S. (2006). Assessing online readiness: Perceptions of distance learning stakeholders in three Oklahoma community colleges (Ph.D. thesis, Oklahoma State University).

Chinese Embassy in the UAE. (2022). Chinese Ambassador Zhang Yiming: China-UAE friendship enters a new era’. Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Arab Emirates, 23 March. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from http://ae.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zagx_1/202203/t20220323_10654630.htm

Dillon, C. L., & Cintrón, R. (1997). Building a working policy for distance education. In New Directions for Community Colleges (Vol. 99). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Epps, A., Brown, M., Nijjar, B., & Hyland, L. (2021). Paradigms lost and gained: Stakeholder experiences of crisis distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 37(3), 167-182.

Galusha, J. M. (1998). Barriers to learning in distance education. Interpersonal Computing and Technology: An Electronic Journal for the 21st Century, 5(3/4), 6-14.

Garrison, D. R., & Shale, D. (1987). Mapping the boundaries of distance education: Problems in defining the field. American Journal of Distance Education, 1(1), 7-13.

Hefnawi, A. (2022). Teacher leadership in the context of distance learning. Management in Education, 36(2), 94-96.

Ibrahim, M. (2007). Predicting student intention to withdraw from e-learning: The case of the Arab Open University in Kuwait. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 8(2), 1-15.

Jonassen, D. H. (1992). What are cognitive tools? In Cognitive tools for learning (pp. 1-6). Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Khaleej Times. (2022). All UAE schools to resume in-person learning from April: Official. Khaleej Times, 24 March. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/all-uae-schools-to-resume-in-person-learning-from-april

Knowledge and Human Development Authority. (n.d.). Distance learning profiles of Dubai private schools evaluation results 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.khda.gov.ae/DLEreport/DLEReports.aspx

Li, D. (2021). Investigation and analysis of international Chinese online teaching under COVID-19—Take the intermediate language class online teaching in many colleges and universities as an example (Thesis, Liaoning Normal University).

Lin, F. (2020). The current situation and suggestions of maize high school novice level in Chinese interactive distance learning (Thesis, Central China Normal University).

Lu, Y., Cai, Y., Jin, S., & Wang, Y. (2022). Practice and reflections on online Chinese teaching in the new situation—An empirical research based on the teaching in the spring semester of 2020 at the school of Chinese as a second language, Peking University. International Chinese Language Education, 7(2), 55-66.

Markova, T., Glazkova, I., & Zaborova, E. (2017). Quality issues of online distance learning. Procedia—Social and Behavioral Sciences, 237, 685-691.

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2009). Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of online learning studies. Washington D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.

Ministry of Education. (2020). Ministry of Education concludes the evaluation of the Distance Learning Program in public and private schools. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.moe.gov.ae/En/MediaCenter/News/Pages/DLSE20.aspx

Moore, M. G., & Kearsley, G. (2012). Distance education: A systems view of online learning. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Park, J. H., & Choi, H. J. (2009). Factors influencing adult learners’ decision to drop out or persist in online learning. Educational Technology & Society, 12(4), 207-217.

Perraton, H. (2012). Open and distance learning in the developing world. Routledge.

Pettyjohn, T. J. (2012). Implementation of a supplemental online learning program in a rural high school: A qualitative case study (Ed.D. thesis, University of Phoenix). Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED551876

Pettyjohn, T. J., & LaFrance, J. (2012). Stakeholder’s perceptions of supplemental online learning for credit recovery (Thesis, Georgia Southern University).

Qi, H. F., & Ding, A. Q. (2021). A survey on TCFL teachers’ online teaching. Journal of Tianjin Normal University (Social Sciences), 48(5), 42-47.

Salloum, S. A., Al-Emran, M., Shaalan, K., & Tarhini, A. (2019). Factors affecting the e-learning acceptance: A case study from the UAE. Education and Information Technologies, 24(1), 509-530. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10639-018-9786-3

Shen, S. Y., & Liu, F. M. (2020). Reflections on teaching Chinese international education online during the epidemic. China Higher Education, 56(9), 54-56.

Sherry, L. (1995). Issues in distance learning. International Journal of Educational Telecommunications, 1(4), 337-365.

Simonson, M. R., Smaldino, S. E., & Zvacek, S. (2019). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, Inc.

Song, H., & Tan, Z. (2018). The “Three Concerns” about teaching Chinese as a second language in online teaching. International Chinese Language Education, 3(2), 4-10.

Sun, Z. X. (2021). A study on online Chinese language course at Sejong Cyber University in Korea (Thesis, Tianjin Normal University).

Swan, K., Shea, P., Fredericksen, E., Pickett, A., Pelz, W., & Maher, G. (2000). Building knowledge building communities: Consistency, contact and communication in the virtual classroom. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 4(1), 59-82. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://olj.onlinelearningconsortium.org/index.php/olj/article/view/1878/699

Tsimaras, D. O., Mystakidis, S., Christopoulos, A., Zoulias, E., & Hatzilygeroudis, I. (2022). E-learning course evaluation based on trainees’ feedback on open questions text analysis. Education Sciences, 12(9), 633.

University of Idaho. (1995). Distance Education at a Glance: Guide #2—Instructional Development for Distance Education. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/ele/scholars/Results/Miscellaneous/DistanceEd/guide2.pdf

Wagner, N., Hassanein, K., & Head, M. (2008). Who is responsible for e-learning success in higher education? A stakeholders’ analysis. Educational Technology & Society, 11(3), 26-36. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from http://www.ifets.info/journals/11_3/3.pdf

Wang, H. (2021). International Chinese teaching under the influence of COVID-19: Problems and strategies. Language Teaching and Linguistic Studies, 43(4), 11-22.

Wen, S. L. (2021). A survey on the classroom management of online Chinese teaching for international students in Yunnan University (Thesis, Yunnan University).

Wu, M. (2020). Research on the effectiveness of online teaching of Chinese as a foreign language—A case study of Bracu University in Bangladesh (Thesis, Sichuan Normal University).

Yu, Q., Wen, J., & Xu, G. (2022). Development and validation of a MOOC success model for higher education: Perspectives from learner, instructor, and platform. Frontiers in Psychology, 13(96), 53-56. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.965356/full

Yukselturk, E., & Bulut, S. (2007). Predictors for student success in an online course. Educational Technology & Society, 10(2), 71-83. Retrieved December 8, 2024, from http://www.ifets.info/journals/10_2/8.pdf

Zheng, C. (2019). Analysis of the current situation and countermeasures of online Chinese education for foreigners. News Dissemination, April.

Zhou, L., Li, F., Wu, S., & Zhou, M. (2020). “School’s out, But Class’s on”, The Largest Online Education in the world today: Taking China’s practical exploration during the COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control as an example. Best Evid Chin Edu, 4(2), 501-519.