The Roles of Informal Internet Tools in Supporting Formal Learning in Saudi Arabian Universities

caij — 2019-09-17T06:38:03+02:00

The study explores the applications of informal Internet tools on improving the learning outcomes, academic achievements and career advancement of the Saudi Arabian university students. A systematic review of studies conducted on various institutions of higher learning across Saudi Arabia enabled the researcher to evaluate the trends in the use of informal digital learning tools. The paper pools evidences from multiple studies of similar design to examine the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in the applications of digital technology in improving the learning outcomes, skills and knowledge acquisition among the university students.The internet tools present the best platform for reflective practice, exhaustive knowledge sharing, skills upgrade and accessing unlimited support services. The students capitalize on the autonomy resulting from the informal environment to source multiple data from as many stakeholders as possible thereby gaining holistic perspective of their areas of interest, career and other value adding co curricular activities.The informal internet technologies have not only grown to become essential tools for reinforcing the formal learning activities but also critical requirements for developing social competence, interpersonal skills, and creativity.