Investigation The Requirements For Implementing Digital Platforms During Emergencies From The Point Of View Of Faculty Members: Qualitative Research

Abstract

Covid-19 pandemic is the largest emergency that educational institutions faced in modern history and led to radical changes in the educational structure. Digital platforms are the basic environment for education and learning during the crisis and monitoring the requirements for their implementation paves the way for the development of clear rules and systems to implement digital platforms in the event of any emergency. The current research aimed at investigating the requirements for implementing digital platforms during emergency from the point of view of faculty members. To achieve the research goal, the qualitative approach was used to reach a deeper understanding of how the faculty members use digital platforms during Covid-19 pandemic and determine the requirements for implementing these platforms. Twelve faculty members from three universities, namely King Abdulaziz University, Umm Al-Qura University and Jeddah University, Saudi Arabia, participated. Participants were chosen according to the rates of participation and time used in digital platforms. Semi-organized in-depth interviews that were implemented electronically and then discharged and analyzed through the MAXQDD program were relied upon. The research results have shown that the basic requirements for implementing digital platforms during emergency were based on four basic requirements: technical, human, governance, and content requirements. The research recommended a need to work on finding a clear plan to activate digital platforms during emergency based on the requirements that were identified with the current research outcomes.