The Significance of Digital Learning for Sustainable Development in the Post-COVID19 World in Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Saudi Arabia, like other countries, has established several strategies and initiatives to support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision recognizes the technological dimension of the SDGs. Furthermore, higher education institutes are an essential component of Saudi Arabia’s sustainable development goals, and the government is eager to adopt sustainability measures in universities in this regard. Saudi universities have implemented significant e-learning and digital transformation projects aimed at long-term development. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi universities discontinued traditional face-to-face classes in favor of online learning. The rate of use of online education has been extraordinary and overwhelming. Given this background, this paper aims to study the impact of digital learning on sustainable development in the higher education institutions of Saudi Arabia post COVID-19 by highlighting the educational processes followed during the pandemic. In addition, we analyze the obstacles and values of digital learning in Saudi higher education institutes. We used the PRISMA statement 2020 for the inclusion and exclusion of the records and the VOS viewer software for the classification of literature. The results identified the three primary data streams, higher education, e-learning and digital transformation after the co-occurrences of critical terms and content analysis. Findings indicate the significant changes brought by the recent pandemic outbreak for the higher education institutes in Saudi Arabia. Results suggest that E-learning programmes have gained recognition as effective learning aids for higher education since conventional education (face-to-face) was abruptly forced to relocate online owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, findings demonstrate a substantial and positive relationship between digital transformation performance and Saudi Arabia’s higher education institutions, as well as their potential for e-learning toward sustainable development, their capacity for improvisation, and their organizational readiness.