ICT CURRICULA IN SCHOOLS IN THE UAE

Abstract

Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a significant role in developing education in general and in k-12 education more specifically in different countries in the world. Promoting ICT in education is a key strategic direction in United Arab Emirates (UAE) and considered an essential component of the national education strategy. UAE has launched many initiatives aiming at integrating ICT in education. One of these initiatives in 2015 considered reviewing the earlier 2008 strategy by considering international standards. This research examines such updated standards for teaching k–12 computer science and technology in the light of exemplary cases extended from UK, Australia and other international organization (istel, csta, 21st-century skills). The research draws many recommendations to further enhance ict integration in education in the UAE. Introduction: There has been a growing global discussion about what must be achieved about ICT in the school curriculum. There is no doubt the growing demand for skillful ICT graduates and indeed, most universities in the world ask for more students to join computer science courses/programs (Carter, 2006). For example, the government of the UAE needs more innovative businesses to convert its economy into a model where development is driven by learning and innovation (Al-Khouri, 2012); and to convert main cities into smart cities that supply more connectivity and pervasive services (Idries et al., 2014). Such aspirations force the UAE to have a smart education system and this in turn requires a radical change in ICT curricula in schools. The Internet will have a profound impact on the lives of our students and this necessitates having a greater understanding of this world (Isik and Alkaya, 2017). Otherwise, our students will be negative users of closed devices and services and lose the needed transcendence beyond the mere usage of technology in order to innovate. Therefore, looming questions arise asking what should students be studying in computer science subject? And what should the curriculum of computer science include? They need to define computational thinking which appreciates that computer science field includes a new way of thinking about problem-solving, and it's about understanding the variation between human and artificial intelligence. Students should know how to use information resources in a systematic way, recognize examples of information processing technologies and consult information resources (Tondeur et al., 2007). The educational system should be developed in a way to overcome important infrastructure complexities and K-12 teachers require resources beginning with a clear definition and relevant age-appropriate models (Barr & Stephenson, 2011). According to Pucher (2016), any developed curriculum should have 6 stages: algorithms, problem-solving, programs, data, computers and communication and the Internet”