Analysis and Evaluation of the Online Teaching Practicum Guidelines for Higher Education in the UAE

Abstract

The Online Practicum Guidelines policy is developed within the education division in a higher education federal institution in the UAE. The interest in such a policy development is shaped by the current change in the learning experience due to sudden circumstances such as COVID-19. This study aims to evaluate and analyze the online teaching practice guidelines as a policy in higher education. A horizontal analytical approach will be used to identify the policy content, analyze the policy implementation and evaluation processes. The analysis also aims to identify the underpinning theory and approach, understanding the policy effectiveness, and drawing associated recommendations for additional enhancements. The evaluation results revealed that the policymakers followed the Elite theory and the top-down and successive-stages approaches to policy design. It also demonstrates that following such approaches can be beneficial for developing theories under specific circumstances. At the same time, it needs to be modified to meet the needs of the specific context. Recommendations include preparing participants for policy implementations through trainings, taking their feedback into consideration and taking immediate actions that reflect an evaluation during the implementation process. Another recommendation is to compare the development of different policy versions to identify the similarities and differences happening through a period of time.