Analysing Assistance Discourse Provided to Stakeholders to Utilize E-Learning in the Higher Education

Abstract

This paper analyses how the E-Learning Unit at the university level (re)constructs instructions that facilitate the utilization of e-learning by stakeholders. More specifically, the paper presents an analysis of an assistance discourse during the University of Ha’il transition to distance learning that was prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The researchers suggest revising educational regulations for in-depth qualitative analysis of stakeholders’ views on policy. In so doing, they conducted various levels of analyses using two sets of data: (1) two surveys (for students and academic staff); (2) and four interviews with the coordinators of the E-Learning Unit at the university. The surveys identify the institutional context during the transition period to distance learning. The interviews are also analysed using Fairclough and Fairclough’s (2012) practical reasoning approach to clarify the strategies for supporting stakeholders. The main finding of the research is that the style of assistance discourse and the types of support should be stated clearly in university policy to enhance the effectiveness of the E-Learning Unit’s support of stakeholders.