Arab University Lecturers Discuss Use of AI in Their Courses
Arab University lecturers have been telling Al-Fanar Media how they and their students use artificial intelligence (AI) in their courses.
Mariam Emad, an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Mass Communication at the Egyptian-Chinese University, began experimenting with AI after discovering that tools like Consensus and ResearchRabbit could save her time in finding reliable academic content for some of her courses.
AI has also helped broaden her scientific knowledge and enabled her to create more engaging PowerPoint presentations using online graphic design platforms such as Canva, Emad told Al-Fanar Media.
Emad is against total reliance on AI because of its potential errors. She said producing an entire university course using AI—as a British university reportedly has done—undermines credibility.
The British experiment, at the University of Staffordshire, sparked complaints from students who said they should not have to pay large tuition fees for a course delivered by AI voiceovers they described as low quality and repetitive. The university told the Guardian newspaper that “academic standards and learning outcomes were maintained” on the course”.
Emad allows limited use of AI in her classes at the Egyptian-Chinese University—for translation, for example. But she gives different work to students who rely on it too heavily. She says AI has improved student interaction and saved time in her own work.
Emad believes Arab university lecturers must confront the challenges of AI in their regular courses and in lifelong learning courses that teach skills graduates and others need to keep up with rapid changes in the world today.
Today’s university teachers need digital skills and on-line platforms for in-person and remote hybrid classes to prepare digital content, and use cloud technologies and AI in teaching. This is how they can keep pace with the rapidly evolving trends, Emad said.
Khaled El-Bendary, a professor of economics in the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Egypt’s Beni Suef University, has been gradually integrating AI tools into his teaching.
El-Bendary relies primarily on “Gemini Pro”, a paid version of Google’s AI-powered assistant Gemini, which has been approved by Egypt’s Supreme Council of Universities and is being provided to university students free this year.
He said he uses AI selectively in preparing his lectures, drafting specific paragraphs or searching for suitable training courses to recommend to his students. He believes AI tools can help simplify some complex economic concepts.
However, El-Bendary is also concerned about over-reliance on AI, which can lead to mistakes and distortions, making human oversight and verification essential.
El-Bendary also criticised the British university’s experiment with allowing AI to design and teach a course, saying faculty members should personally review academic content to ensure its quality and accuracy.
El-Bendary also addressed concerns about students using AI to prepare research papers, saying he uses tools that analyse papers to detect AI-generated content.
Transformation of Teaching
Many Arab academics say they find it challenging to keep pace with digital transformation. Studies show that a significant proportion of faculty members in some universities lack adequate training in digital curricula and e-learning.
Additional obstacles are that heavy workloads limit the time available to learn about new digital tools and gaps in training programmes that leave some academics feeling they have to confront the emerging technology on their own. There is also weak technological infrastructure at some universities.
Kuwait U. Finds Its Teachers Mostly Prepared
A study by Kuwait University’s College of Education of the state of digital transformation at the university found that faculty members were meeting most modern teaching requirements. They were using educational platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Moodle for communication and assignment submission and multimedia and e-strategies to deliver content and encourage students’ self-directed learning.
Training needs were moderate, the study said. It found that professors had a clear commitment to developing their technical skills, were applying digital security standards, were using cloud computing tools, and were suggesting specialised training programmes when needed.
Professional Development for Instructors
Arab universities are increasingly aware they need to support faculty members’ professional development. For example, Al Ain University, in the United Arab Emirates, says a dynamic professional environment is essential. The university seeks improves faculty members’ capabilities through continuous training in technical and research skills and digital teaching methods.