Blackboard

FLT E-Learning Supervisor Delivers University-Wide Certification Course

  At the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester, 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 focal point of the two-week practitioner course was to ensure alignment between assessments and learning outcomes. Fifty-eight faculty members registered in the course, and nearly half were able to complete it on time successfully. E-Learning Deanship Training Manager, Ali Alaosi, was instrumental in ensuring smooth delivery of the course, and we thank him for his support," 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. Date: 2/9/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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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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حفل استقبال الطلاب المستجدين

أقامت وحدة التوجيه والارشاد بكلية اللغات والترجمة يومنا هذا الأحد بتاريخ  5 /2 /1443، حفل استقبال الطلاب المستجدين.  حضر اللقاء سعادة عميد الكلية ووكلائه الكرام ورئيس قسم اللغة الإنجليزية والمشرف على وحدة التوجيه والإرشاد ومسؤول وحدة التعلم الالكتروني وعددا من أعضاء هيئة التدريس، وكان لقاءا إيجابيا قدم من خلاله سعادة العميد والوكلاء كلمات ترحيبية و توجيهية وحثوهم على الجد والاجتهاد و المشاركة في الأنشطة الطلابية المتنوعة، كما ألقى رئيس وحدة التوجيه والإرشاد بالكلية كلمة توجيهية عرّف من خلالها بأنشطة الوحدة وأهدافها وخدماتها وأهمية وجود مثل هذه الوحدات في الكليات، تلا ذلك تقديم مقدمة تعريفية عن استخدام منصة البلاك بورد من مسؤول وحدة التعلم الالكتروني.  وختاما، تم الرد على عدد من أسئلة واستفسارات الطلاب، ثم التقطت صور تذكارية بهذه المناسبة. Date: 9/12/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation
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Spring 2021 Orientation Day

  On 26 January 2021, the Bachelor of Arts in English program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation held an orientation program for first-year students. At the gathering, new students received important information delivered in a small group and discussion format in line with COVID-19 social distancing measures. Several members of the leadership team and functional units of the FLT were there to introduce the curriculum and the culture within the campus.   Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi began the program by welcoming the students. He explained that this meeting is not just a perfunctory gathering, highlighting that this welcoming activity was designed to help students overcome the challenges and difficulties they will face while keeping an eye on success. Dean Al-Melhi then imparted important instructions about the English program and useful tips for academic success.   Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Yahya Asiri, then introduced students to the intended outcomes of the Bachelor of Arts in English program, how they will be assessed, an overview of Blackboard, and the expectations of their performance as they progress through the university. English Department Chair, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, echoed Vice Dean Asiri's advice and familiarized students with university rules and regulations. Academic Advisor, Dr. Dawood Mahdi, followed after and encouraged students to use the services available on campus to support their success.   At the end of the event, E-Learning Unit Supervisor, Mohsin Raza Khan, guided students through the basics of Blackboard, such as how to log in, upload assignments, use the discussion forum, and take exams. He explained that if they need help throughout the semester, the Blackboard Student Support team is also just a call or click away.   The Bachelor of Arts in English program is committed to providing a comprehensive orientation for new students, ensuring their full understanding of the types of services and facilities available.   Date: 1/26/2021 Source: FLT Web
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Quality Parameters for Blackboard Evaluation: A Case Study

  On October 28, 2020, a webinar was organized by the Language Research Center. The presenters were Dr. Rizwana Wahid and Ms. Qudsia Zaini. They spoke on the subject of Quality Parameters for Blackboard Evaluation based on a case study they had conducted.   Wahid and Zaini's paper attempted to explore how teachers justify online learning effectiveness and learner performance quality during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before they began their main presentation, they raised a question regarding the authenticity of Blackboard exams in evaluating students' learning and performance.   They stated the challenges involved in conducting remote online exams as far as fairness and validity are concerned. They explained quality parameters that involve multiple strategies and activities to evaluate students' readiness and progress of learning outcomes.   The study was significant, they said, because of the challenges teachers experience while teaching and giving their students exams online. Their paper's major objectives were the investigation of quality parameters to ensure online exam quality, finding the best ways to assess students during the pandemic, and the exploration of the proper ways to justify students' performance in online distance exams. While highlighting the literature review, they mentioned Frazer, Dickinson & Gronseth, and Chang had discussed and emphasized practical approaches to online teaching.   Wahid and Zaini discussed some solutions previously considered difficult or impossible to implement that teachers now use in accurately assessing their students, whether the students really deserve the grades they get by taking online exams, and how the availability of the Internet affects such exams. In response to the questionnaire, most of the teachers expressed their opinion in favor of traditional face-to-face teaching, they said. There were, however, some mixed opinions as well, some of which were in favor of online assessment. To overcome the difficulties experienced by teachers, they made some recommendations. Implementing strategies to increase test security, using the timer effectively, creating larger test pools, randomizing questions, and using Blackboard's "SafeAssign" option may solve the problems associated with online assessment, they added.   They concluded that one of the most important criterion of quality assurance and academic accreditation is ensuring that teaching/learning strategies and assessment methods are aligned with the intended learning outcomes at the program and course levels. They added that the teachers should evaluate the quality of learning, exams, and assignments for every course while ensuring learning strategies are student-centered.   It was an informative webinar and a great success with the active participation of male and female faculty members from the Bachelor of Arts in English program. Date: 10/29/2020 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique
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Using Pools and Random Blocks to Increase Test Security

  On September 21, 2020, E-Learning Unit Supervisor, Mohsin Khan, delivered a webinar titled "Using Bb Random Block for Online Midterm Exam/Quizzes". The webinar, supervised by Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Yahya Asiri, was developed to provide faculty members with tools they can use to reduce academic misconduct in their online exams and quizzes, leading to an effective mechanism used to verify that the work and assignments of students are of their own.   As the overall participation of teaching staff in the assessment and development activities of the Bachelor of Arts in English Program (BAEP) is paramount, Mr. Khan welcomed the participants and thanked them for attending, noting that a recording of the session will be available in the near future. Mr. Khan then introduced the attendees to the concepts of creating Pools and Random Blocks. He then explained that Pools are a collection of questions that function as a sort of test bank. He mentioned that we have the ability to edit or delete each question in a Pool and change the default point values for each assigned question. It is important to remember, he noted, that when instructors select Pool questions for a test, any changes made in the Pool will take effect anywhere the question appears.   Mr. Khan then moved on to Random Blocks, defining them as assessments created from Pools at random so each student’s exam is unique. He then made an important point about Random blocks in that they can be created from one or more Pools of questions. He showed why it is essential that each Pool have a variety of questions with no similarity. It is critical, he explained, that instructors edit the number of questions to display within each Random Block while monitoring the assigned points per question and variety of questions pulled from the Pool.   The Bachelor of Arts in English Program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to developing and improving the professional skills and capabilities of faculty members in line with modern developments. To view the recording of this session, please (click here). Date: 9/21/2020 Source: FLT Web Team
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Fall 2020 Freshmen Orientation

  On 3 September 2020, the Bachelor of Arts in English program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation held an orientation program for first-year students. At the gathering, new students received important information delivered in a small group and discussion format in line with COVID-19 social distancing measures. Several members of the leadership team and functional units of the FLT were there to introduce not only the curriculum but also the culture within the campus.   Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi began the program by welcoming the students. He explained that this meeting is not just a perfunctory gathering, highlighting that this welcoming activity was designed to help students overcome the challenges and difficulties they will face while keeping an eye towards success. Dean Al-Melhi then imparted important instructions about the English program and useful tips for academic success.   English Department Chair, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, echoed Dean Al-Melhi's advice and familiarized students with university rules and regulations. Academic Advisor, Dr. Dawood Mahdi, then informed students about the university facilities and resources.   At the end of the event, E-Learning Unit Supervisor, Mohsin Raza Khan, delivered an interactive Blackboard training session using iPads. He highlighted the key areas students need to be aware of and noted strategies for success in the online learning environment. Date: 9/6/2020 Source: FLT Web
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New Approaches to Building Online Courses in Blackboard

  On February 5, 2020, under the supervision of Vice Dean for Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, E-Learning Supervisor, Bachelor of Arts in English program, Mohsin Khan, delivered a university-wide webinar titled 'Using Blackboard to Build Online Courses'. The webinar, organized by the Tamkeen team at the Deanship of E-Learning, aimed to explore the effective use of Blackboard and expose participants to the important tools of Blackboard. Approximately 170 faculty members from the numerous faculties registered for the webinar.   Mr. Khan provided an introduction to and the best practices of: Blackboard course management tools; The Fundamentals of building online courses using the QM Rubric; Creating quizzes, tests and assignments; Using the discussion board, announcement and start here content areas; Creating online sessions using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to providing specialized training and services to all faculties. The webinar was an overall success and will continue successively in future webinars as a part of the Tamkeen Team efforts. Special thanks to E-learning Deanship Training Manager, Mohammed Jarallah, for his holistic support. Date: 2/8/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation  
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Implementing Quality Matters to Build Online Assessments

  On November 13th, the E-Learning Unit of the Bachelor of Arts in English program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation, in collaboration with the Deanship of E-Learning, conducted a webinar titled 'Implementing Quality Matters (QM) to Build Effective Online Assessments' from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. 185 faculty members from across the university attended.   QM is a faculty-centered, peer review process designed to properly evaluate and certify online courses and the constituent components thereof. QM has achieved both domestic and international recognition for its quality assurance and continuous improvement capabilities in online education.   Much of QM's success is attributable to its end-user focus. QM programs are: Faculty driven; Collaborative; Able to provide detailed, constructive course feedback; Collegial in nature; Learner-centered in program design and execution.   Under the supervision of Vice Dean of Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, and Training Manager at the Deanship of E-Learning, Mohammed Jarallah, E-Learning Unit Supervisor, Mohsin Raza Khan, delivered the webinar. He is a certified QM Master Reviewer and seasoned e-course design professional. At the outset, he reviewed the applicable QM standards for course assessment, followed by an explanation of each evaluative rubric.   Mr. Khan then described the various methods for successfully implementing the standards into an online course assessment. Later, he identified and discussed various QM strategies for online course integration into a variety of curricula. At the conclusion of the webinar, Mr. Khan said, "QM often seems extremely complicated and labor-intensive. However, following the program pays off in the long run with well-designed and highly useful courses that benefit the students." Vice Dean Almosa stated that "e-learning and online courses will play an increasingly vital role in education. QM is an important part of making sure the courses provide efficient learning and high value."   The Bachelor of Arts in English program at the Faculty of Languages and Translation is committed to faculty development and providing students with cutting-edge educational programs and the highest quality learning outcomes. Date: 11/16/2019 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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