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INTERACTIVE SESSION TECHNOLOGY Higher Education Redefined: Virtual Education at Ahlia University Collaboration in educational institutions usually in- educational pevcess itself and ensure that there would volves copperation among students, faculties, spon- be no disruption in the event of an emeirgency. sors, and univerities. Unlike the corporate world, Microsoft Share Foint, a webbased cloud collaborit higher education institutions have generally fallen tion toof for iniormation storage and manigrment, had behind in adopting the latest technologies and have already been implemented by the univenity toward the continued to rely primarily on face-to-face (F2F) end of 2019 . Sharefbint is used on share and maintain collaboration. F2F leatning predominates because up-to-date information and to expand awareness of the of the widespread view that it helps students stay university's phans, decisions, events, rules, and policies focused, conneet with each other, follow a standurd among students and ficulty. SharePoint has built cohe: timetable, and improve their physical wellness and sion, harnessed collective knoviedge, and driven orger mental alertness. Faculties believe that it enables. nizational efficiency by sharing common resources It them to better understand and assess their students' has also promoted coll bortion between the internal qualities and shortcomings and to fulfill their roles as units of the university and extemil bodier. mentors. F2F learning enables students to share their To conduct clases online. Ahlia Univemity chose perspectives and have their questions addressed with Microsoft Teams, a collsbocative tool that allows users a level of personal interaction that digital learning to chat, make ealk share documents, and conduct cannot replicate. meetings. The mnivenitys rT team linked time tables However, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced unt- and cless lists from the university's Student infurmation vensities to rethink their assumptions. Although many System datahuse, which stores and tracks all student. universities worlawide had already begun to imple-_information, indlading grades and attendance records, ment virtual learning before the pandemic hit, they to Mierosoft Teams using application pagarimming in-: Ahlia University Bahrain, the country's first privine secure environment where acoess to Tcams chats and university, has effectively moved the bulk of its opern- groupe is barred to outsiders All clases are recorded so tions and gervices online: teaching academic advis. students can revien and recall all that has been taught: ing, career development services, counceling services, Advice, career derelopment, and courseling services digital library services, payment services, document for mental health ianues have also boen made available management, internship programs, student activities through Microott Trams chats and calli and student complaint services. The university pre- The course details and class list from the Student pared itself for the online transition by implementing Information System hare also been linked with Moodle. a series of measures spread over a period of two to an opensouroe learning management syntem. This has three months. This includod addressing infrastructural contributed rignificancly so mas enrollment and se: requirements for online education ondimumintarnet cured authentication. Through Moodle, inatructors use speed, network upgrades, and licensing of Micnooft quiras, chat messen, forums, workahopa, uploaded ages Short videos and manuals on how to use dafieront ing and reminder opsins to imperove their students' technologies and o-learning platforms were prepared efficiency in atudying and to ensure the timely comples to help students, faculties, and administrative bodies tion of assignments and courser Online training and suppoat wern powiled throegh To oonduct online wabinas and confirrenors with YouTube videos. The umivenity provided its memben Teams. As of September 2000 , the univenity bas with acorss to Microsoft Offion 365 and a library of o- participated in 9 mehinans, 12 local confiernons and books as well Security policies were implemented to. 34 international debutes and confecences involving. enhance the protectof rof triormation and pivacy. Faculty anderwent intensive training to strengthion the Uniled Kingbom, the Unitod Seates, and the Middle. East. Before the adoption of platforms like Zoom and prompted Ahlia University to consider focusing on onMicrosoft Teams, the number of Ahlia University's in- line platforms even after the pandemic is over. temational collaborations were limited to only around 11 per year. Moving discussions online has qreatlv. Sources: Ahlia University-Bahrain, 'COVID-19,' wwwahlia.edubh, reduced expenses due to travel while facilitating the accessed December 17, 2020; Ahlia University, "WTUN Webinar exchange of knowledge and encouraging academic COVID-19-Part 2, Youtube cons Learned from contributions. The success of these collaborations has -WTUN Webinar series-Oniline, July 21, 2020; Ahlia University, Learned from COVID-19-Part 1," Youtube.com, Jaly 21, 2020; Ahlia University, "How Virtual Leaming is Becoming a Key Ingredient in Delivering University Courses," Facebook.oom, April 9, 2020. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. How does Microsoft Teams promote efficient col- 3. What advantages has using collaboration tools prolaboration in universities and colleges? vided for Ahlia University? 2. What management, organization, and technologybased issues did Ahlia University address before Case contributed by Subhashini Bhaskaran, pivoting its operations to deal with the pandemic? Ahlia University