QM

FLT E-Learning Supervisor Delivers Several University-Wide Workshops

  In October 2021, E-Learning Supervisor, Mohsin Raza Khan, delivered an e-learning practitioner certification course open to all faculty members. The importance of instructional design training and an enhanced learning environment for students is well known to all colleges of the university. "The two-week practitioner course is part of a university-wide strategy to provide the knowledge and skills needed to capitalize on one of the fastest-growing areas of education while creating captivating learning experiences for students. Around 60 faculty members participated, and we really focused on how to leverage some of the tools that can be used to increase social interaction, which is often missing in an online or remote environment," said Khan.   The primary objectives of the course were to improve student learning, engagement, interaction, and quality learning. These objectives were solidified by the core foundation of the program that participants would be able to:   Create content items to present a variety of learning activities to enhance student learning. Deliver authentic assessments to evaluate student knowledge in a variety of meaningful ways. Use Blackboard communication tools to promote interactions between the student and instructor, the student and course content, and the student and peers. Effectively utilize Blackboard Collaborate™ tools to increase student engagement by providing a means to share and create knowledge.   Of noteworthy mention, in March 2021 and concurrently with the e-learning practitioner course in October 2021, Mr. Khan also delivered the Applying the QM Rubric workshop (APPQMR), which is offered by the Deanship of E-Learning in partnership with QM. "Dozens of workshop participants successfully completed 10 modules. They learned more about the QM rubric and annotations. We really focused on the importance of having measurable course and module objectives." Director of Instructional Design, Abdullah Zubain, said: "The APPQMR course is also a prerequisite for anyone looking to obtain the QM peer reviewer certification. I thank Mohsin, our women's campus QM coordinator, Safa Al-Shehri, and our training manager, Ali Alaosi."   The Bachelor of Arts in English program is expanding its educational resources to serve more members of the community and is committed to continuous improvement in all academic programs. E-learning is a vital component of both objectives and a vital tool for educational development at the university and other educational institutions throughout the Kingdom. Date: 10/14/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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Online Course Design: Teacher-Student Interaction is Key

  On October 7, 2019, Hassan Costello delivered a workshop titled 'Introduction to Building Quality Online Courses'. The workshop, organized by the E-Learning Unit at Faculty of Languages & Translation in collaboration with the Deanship of E-Learning, was initially tailored toward the English teachers at the Faculty of Languages and Translation (FLT). However, under the supervision of Vice Dean of Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, and guidance from E-Learning Unit Supervisor, Mohsin Khan, the FLT decided to open the program to all faculty members in the university system. The college expanded the program university-wide because the material is applicable to online course design across a broad spectrum of professions and disciplines. Members of the FLT and faculty from the College of Medicine attended the workshop.   As the overall quality of online courses is paramount, Mr. Costello framed the workshop in accordance with the eight general standards of Quality Matters (QM). Teaching online requires the skillful interplay of two distinct but closely related activities- course design and student interaction.   Course design requires clarity of purpose. That is, everything in the course must support the desired learning outcomes for the students. Also, online courses must be logically formatted and clearly presented with easy navigation. As students will generally not have unfettered access to the course instructor nor their classmates, the course designer should make individual student autonomy a high priority. Tracking the QM Rubric in the design process helps assure that the ultimate course objectives can be met.   Student/teacher interaction with online courses is very different than traditional classes. Students often work during irregular hours and/or at their own pace. The teacher might not be available to students at mutually convenient times. Also, a teacher may not have the time to respond to every student inquiry in a timely fashion based solely on the number of students enrolled in the class. The limitations on the level of expected student/teacher interaction must be carefully considered in the course design.   In his presentation, Mr. Costello introduced the attendees to each of the QM Rubric standards and provided a summary of 'best practices' for complying with same. The current QM Rubric (6th edition, revised in 2018) has 42 specific standards that are used to evaluate the design of online and blended courses. "Applying the QM Rubric to your course is all about 'alignment'. That is, each lecture, assignment, and activity furthers an objective supporting one or more desired learning outcomes. Aligning tasks and activities with objectives translates into a fully integrated course. The end result is a successful and positive learning experience. Think of the eight general standards of the QM Rubric as a road map that we use to design a course so that both the students and teacher reach the objective in an efficient and pleasant manner," he said.   Mr. Costello provided an introduction to and the best practices of the following general standards:   The Course Overview and Introduction; Learning Objectives (Competencies); Assessment and Measurement ; Instruction Materials; Course Activities and Learner Interaction; Course Technology; Learner Support; Accessibility and Usability.   Mr. Costello also paid particular attention to the issue of accessibility. Unsurprisingly, accessibility in course design is a top priority for many schools and institutions around the world. In point of fact, accessibility is so important that the QM Rubric includes an 'Accessibility and Usability' component. King Khalid University fully embraces the goal of expanding access to course work. King Khalid University was the first university in the Kingdom to subscribe to the tenets of QM.   Mr. Costello's presentation was chock-full of information. He acknowledged that it was hard to take it all in at once. But he encouraged the attendees in saying, "I want you to think of this workshop as a primer to the 'Applying the Quality Rubric (APPQMR) Workshop'. That workshop is provided free of charge and is sponsored by the Deanship of E-Learning to all interested faculty members. The APPQMR workshop is QM's flagship presentation on the QM rubric. There you will review many of the concepts and requirements we have seen today. Being exposed to the material and having access to the resources will be valuable in the future."   Faculty members in attendance from the College of Medicine showed great interest in applying the strategies Mr. Costello explained in his presentation. The medical college currently has an online course taught by 20 faculty members, and this workshop provided the tools to make substantial improvements to that course.   The FLT hopes to repeat this workshop to benefit more of the faculty in the near future. The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to providing world-class language education to an ever-expanding segment of the population. Date: 10/9/2019 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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Faculty of Languages and Translation E-Learning Unit: A Look Back, and a Look Ahead

  The Faculty of Languages and Translation's (FLT) E-Learning Unit had a very busy semester. Under the supervision of Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and direction of E-Learning Supervisor, Mohsin Khan, the unit rolled out and implemented the Cambridge Learning Management System (CLMS), which has been a great benefit to our students. See article: "New Textbooks Are Key to 'Unlocking' the Potential of Our Students".   This system is highly flexible. It allows and encourages the learners to interact with one another, their teachers, and a host of online content outside of the classroom. CLMS was an enormous undertaking, and naturally, there were some growing pains. However, the system is highly capable and useful. Approximately 9,000 ELC students and 160 teachers at all university campuses were given access to the Cambridge Learning Management System (CLMS).   Given the size and scope of CLMS, quality assurance of course content is a high priority. The publishers take great pains to assure that the content is useful and appropriate for our students and have systems of quality management that drive continuous improvement. King Khalid University also has a quality assurance framework in place to ensure optimal learning outcomes and continuous improvement. The university utilizes the Quality Matters (QM) methodology for many academic and support functions.   QM is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of online educational programs. The program started with a small consortium of colleges and universities in the United States, and has grown to more than a thousand institutional subscribers worldwide. To date, QM has certified more than five thousand online courses and has provided professional development resources for nearly 50,000 teachers.   King Khalid University was the first QM subscriber in the Kingdom and has several certified courses in various curricula. KKU has won many accolades and awards for its QM efforts and course content. Our university’s QM Program serves as a model for other educational institutions throughout the MENA region. The university encourages the development of additional e-learning courses to serve our students and the community better. A QM certified course rubric must satisfy 43 international standards based on the following 8 design criteria:   Course Overview and Introduction Learning Objectives (Competencies) Assessment and Measurement Instructional Materials Learning Activities and Learner Interactions Course Technology Learner Support Accessibility and Usability   "I hope that all FLT faculty members will get involved with e-Learning to benefit our students. If you have any questions, please contact me by sending an email to  mokhan@kku.edu.sa," said Khan.   The FLT E-Learning Unit conducted numerous programs for both students and faculty. These programs are designed to enhance learning outcomes for the students and further developing faculty skills. Some of this year’s programs included:   E-Learning Workshops for Students; E-Learning Practitioner Course for all University Teachers; E-Learning Campaign; Virtual Classroom (University-Wide Teacher Workshop); E-Learning Orientation for New Faculty Members of the University; Introduction to the Blackboard With Special Reference to the QM Rubric (University-Wide Teacher Training Workshop).   The e-Learning Unit also has a busy calendar for the upcoming academic year. The unit has planned a suite of programs that will further benefit existing students, attract new students, and help prepare our faculty members to better serve the university and the community. Some of these programs include:   Implementation of the QM program in EFL Teaching; E-Learning Campaign; E-Learning Day; Virtual Classroom Workshop; Student Training Workshop; Teacher Training Workshop; New Trends in e-Learning Workshop; Online Course Design; QM Alignment Concept Workshop; Online Interaction Workshop.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is expanding its educational resources to serve more members of the community, and is committed to continuous improvement in all academic programs. E-learning is a vital component of both objectives and a vital tool for educational development at the university and other educational institutions throughout the Kingdom. Date: 5-27-2019 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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FLT E-Learning Supervisor Delivers University-Wide Workshop

  On January 16, 2019, there was a face-to-face 'E-Learning Practitioners Training' organized by the Deanship of E-Learning available to all faculty members on Blackboard, which is one of the premier learning management systems in higher education. E-Learning Supervisor at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, Mohsin Khan, led the online training program. In attendance were some new faculty members from various colleges and locales. Mr. Khan provided some basic instruction for those who were not familiar with King Khalid University’s learning management system, Blackboard. Mr. Khan then conducted a training session in which he focused on the flipped classroom method. 'Blackboard is a powerful tool. If utilized to its maximum capabilities, our students have better learning outcomes and benefit greatly', said Mr. Khan.   Of note, Mr. Khan introduced the standards of the internationally acclaimed and recognized Quality Matters (QM) Rubric. QM provides certification to online courses that demonstrate a commitment to creating an environment of excellence and quality. Mr. Khan discussed how these standards could be implemented in online courses.   E-Learning Training Manager, Mohammed Jarallah, thanked all of the participants for their time and attention. He noted that E-Learning is an increasingly important aspect of higher education. The university is committed to maintaining the highest standards and best practices for modern college-level curriculum. Date: 1/17/2019 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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Fall 2017 Blackboard Learn and Collaborate Training

Under the supervision of Mohammed Jarallah, Training Manager, the Deanship of E-Learning organized a training session open to all new faculty members university-wide. Mohsin Raza Khan, Supervisor of the E-Learning Unit, Faculty of Languages & Translation, was invited to conduct the training session. He introduced the new faculty members to the concept of E-Learning. Mohsin familiarized the faculty members with our learning management system (Blackboard) and made them aware of the processes involved in uploading and organizing content for their Fall 2017 courses. He also focused on the standards of the internationally acclaimed Quality Matters Program (QM). Mohammed Jarallah thanked all of the participants, FLT Lecturer Jawed Ahmed, and the Faculty of Languages & Translation for their enthusiastic support. Date: 9/20/2017 Source: FLT Media Center
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