Post-COVID-19 Challenges and Opportunities for Higher Education Institutions in Oman: A Study of Modern College of Business and Science

Abstract

The present study discusses the implementation of online learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the Omani higher education context and investigates the post–COVID-19 challenges and opportunities for higher education institutions (HEIs) in Oman. The study is focused primarily on a premier HEI in Muscat, Oman, known as the Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS), as a case to understand the post-COVID-19 challenges and opportunities for HEI in the Sultanate of Oman. The data was collected through the semi-structured interview with the faculty and administrators to investigate the post-COVID-19 challenges for an educational institution in terms of delivery of the online mode of teaching. The study highlighted several challenges faced by the institution from the sudden lockdown and change of teaching methodology in favor of online teaching. Some of the main challenges include issues related to the internet/network, student engagement, academic integrity, social interaction, course delivery in numerically based courses, quality teaching and learning, and employment and internship. There is a dearth of literature on challenges and opportunities for HEIs specifically in Oman from the perspectives of teachers and academic administrators, and the study tries to fill the gap on that account.