ETEC

  On Monday, March 28, 2022, the accreditation team celebrated news of the Bachelor of Arts in English Program, one of the leading programs at King Khalid University, being awarded full accreditation for the first time by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, represented by the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation (NCAAA) for 7 years beginning in the first quarter of 2022.   The new accomplishment cements BAEP's position as a prestigious language and translation program offering an excellent quality of education centered on preparing students to be future leaders in the fields of English language studies and translation and contributing to the overall development and economic growth of the Kingdom.   "We are grateful to the entire senior leadership team of King Khalid University at the level of the president, vice president, vice rectors, and deanships. Without their support, this achievement would not be possible. We would also like to thank all internal quality consultants, whose dedication to the program and enthusiasm for its success made this possible. Finally, we thank all faculty members and staff who worked together to accomplish this feat. We strive to uphold the highest standards in teaching, learning, research, student support, curricula, learning resources and community service. This is an accomplishment for all of us," said Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation.   "I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the quality team for their tireless efforts. Working day and night, their efforts have helped us continuously improve our quality assurance system. It was not an easy task for all of us, and now it is time to celebrate," said Vice Dean for Quality and Development, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa. He then congratulated all faculty and staff and mentioned that BAEP is aligned with Vision 2030 and the Aseer Strategic Plan in that we aim to graduate students who can contribute positively to the national economy and development being witnessed on all levels all across the Kingdom, especially the Asir region. Date: 3/30/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  On Monday, March 28, 2022, the accreditation team celebrated news of the Bachelor of Arts in English Program, one of the leading programs at King Khalid University, being awarded full accreditation for the first time by the Education and Training Evaluation Commission, represented by the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Evaluation (NCAAA) for 7 years beginning in the first quarter of 2022.   The new accomplishment cements BAEP's position as a prestigious language and translation program offering an excellent quality of education centered on preparing students to be future leaders in the fields of English language studies and translation and contributing to the overall development and economic growth of the Kingdom.   "We are grateful to the entire senior leadership team of King Khalid University at the level of the president, vice president, vice rectors, and deanships. Without their support, this achievement would not be possible. We would also like to thank all internal quality consultants, whose dedication to the program and enthusiasm for its success made this possible. Finally, we thank all faculty members and staff who worked together to accomplish this feat. We strive to uphold the highest standards in teaching, learning, research, student support, curricula, learning resources and community service. This is an accomplishment for all of us," said Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation.   "I want to express my tremendous gratitude to the quality team for their tireless efforts. Working day and night, their efforts have helped us continuously improve our quality assurance system. It was not an easy task for all of us, and now it is time to celebrate," said Vice Dean for Quality and Development, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa. He then congratulated all faculty and staff and mentioned that BAEP is aligned with Vision 2030 and the Aseer Strategic Plan in that we aim to graduate students who can contribute positively to the national economy and development being witnessed on all levels all across the Kingdom, especially the Asir region.   Date: 3/30/2022 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  Vice Dean of Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, sponsored a training seminar for the Bachelor of Arts in English program titled 'Creating and Assessing Learning Outcomes' on Saturday, February 8, 2020. The event was co-sponsored by the Deanship of Academic Development and Quality. In attendance were nearly 50 course coordinators from numerous campuses. It is worth noting that both male and female team members attended the event at Saudi German Hospital.   Dr. Abdul Wahed Al Zumor began the event by presenting on the purposes and requirements of developing course learning outcomes and the relevance of this move to the educational aspirations of the Kingdom, as stated in Vision 2030. He stressed the need to shift the focus from content-based education to outcome-based education. When comparing both forms of education, Dr. Al-Zumor explained that content-based learning is dependent mainly upon mastery of course material content. In contrast, outcomes-based education goes beyond mastery of content and into constructing knowledge and skills by the students themselves with guidance from instructors. "Outcomes-based education is part and parcel to the SAQF Level 7 Descriptors and the three domains in which they are in," he said. There was a call to action at the conclusion of his presentation to align course learning outcomes and the program learning outcomes with the SAQF framework.   Dr. Eman Alzaanin, Supervisor of the Academic Development and Quality Unit, expounded upon the fundamentals of outcomes-based education. Dr. Alzaanin emphasized the need to create an aligned curriculum where the intended learning outcomes, the learning activities and resources, and the assessment tasks and criteria are all aligned to enhance students' attainment of the intended learning outcomes at the course and programme level. She walked the participants through an exercise designed to activate the ability to spot the extent of alignment between course intended learning outcomes and written assessment tasks. "We do not want students just to learn what they think they will be tested on. By ensuring that assessment tasks mirror intended learning outcomes, the curriculum will be accurately reflected," she noted. Dr. Alzaanin also introduced a checklist to evaluate and ensure the quality of assessment in three phases: designing of the assessment, marking and verification, and review and recommendations. "This will ensure that the teaching activities of the instructor and learning activities of the student are heading in the same direction," she concluded. The end of Dr. Alzaanin's session was quite active, with a proposal put forward towards modifying the assessment structure in use.   The FLT is grateful to the Deanship of Academic Development and Quality for its co-sponsorship of the event and Quality Consultant, Dr. Ahmed Farid, for his brief explanation of benchmarking and measuring course learning outcomes along with assessments. "Thank you all for giving up part of your weekend to attend this most important event. We will begin the process of revising course learning outcomes in the near future," said Dr. Almosa.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to providing excellence in all aspects of its educational offerings.   Date: 2/8/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  Vice Dean of Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, sponsored a training seminar for the Bachelor of Arts in English program titled 'Creating and Assessing Learning Outcomes' on Saturday, February 8, 2020. The event was co-sponsored by the Deanship of Academic Development and Quality. In attendance were nearly 50 course coordinators from numerous campuses. It is worth noting that both male and female team members attended the event at Saudi German Hospital.   Dr. Abdul Wahed Al Zumor began the event by presenting on the purposes and requirements of developing course learning outcomes and the relevance of this move to the educational aspirations of the Kingdom, as stated in Vision 2030. He stressed the need to shift the focus from content-based education to outcome-based education. When comparing both forms of education, Dr. Al-Zumor explained that content-based learning is dependent mainly upon mastery of course material content. In contrast, outcomes-based education goes beyond mastery of content and into constructing knowledge and skills by the students themselves with guidance from instructors. "Outcomes-based education is part and parcel to the SAQF Level 7 Descriptors and the three domains in which they are in," he said. There was a call to action at the conclusion of his presentation to align course learning outcomes and the program learning outcomes with the SAQF framework.   Dr. Eman Alzaanin, Supervisor of the Academic Development and Quality Unit, expounded upon the fundamentals of outcomes-based education. Dr. Alzaanin emphasized the need to create an aligned curriculum where the intended learning outcomes, the learning activities and resources, and the assessment tasks and criteria are all aligned to enhance students' attainment of the intended learning outcomes at the course and programme level. She walked the participants through an exercise designed to activate the ability to spot the extent of alignment between course intended learning outcomes and written assessment tasks. "We do not want students just to learn what they think they will be tested on. By ensuring that assessment tasks mirror intended learning outcomes, the curriculum will be accurately reflected," she noted. Dr. Alzaanin also introduced a checklist to evaluate and ensure the quality of assessment in three phases: designing of the assessment, marking and verification, and review and recommendations. "This will ensure that the teaching activities of the instructor and learning activities of the student are heading in the same direction," she concluded. The end of Dr. Alzaanin's session was quite active, with a proposal put forward towards modifying the assessment structure in use.   The FLT is grateful to the Deanship of Academic Development and Quality for its co-sponsorship of the event and Quality Consultant, Dr. Ahmed Farid, for his brief explanation of benchmarking and measuring course learning outcomes along with assessments. "Thank you all for giving up part of your weekend to attend this most important event. We will begin the process of revising course learning outcomes in the near future," said Dr. Almosa.   The Faculty of Languages and Translation is dedicated to providing excellence in all aspects of its educational offerings.   Date: 2/8/2020 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  Vice Rector of Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Merzin Al-Shahrani, sponsored a learning session entitled "Improving the Outcomes of the Bachelor of Arts in English Program at King Khalid University in the National Center for Assessment (QIYAS)" on Monday, November 18, 2019. The event was co-sponsored by the Deanship of Academic Development and Quality, and hosted by the Faculty of Languages & Translation's senior leadership. In attendance were nearly all faculty members at the main campus and the King Abdullah Road campus via teleconference.   Vice Rector Al-Shahrani began the event by explaining how the Ministry of Education has endeavored to improve the quality of program outcomes in all Saudi universities. Furthermore, he mentioned that educational outcomes are a key focus area of His Excellency, Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Shaikh. The Vice Rector also noted that while institutional accreditation and university ranking are important, outcomes are paramount. The National Center for Assessment has refocused learning outcomes (LOs) under a similar model to the Bologna Process in Europe, which places all emphasis on LOs. By drawing from the Bologna Process key domain areas: Cognitive achievement (essential knowledge), behavior (skills and abilities) and affectivity (attitudes, values or beliefs), LOs will be greatly enhanced. Vice Rector Al-Shahrani then covered the main components and sub-components of the LOs that should be integral to our undergraduate program. The national standardized examination for English teachers reflects these LOs. Alumni performance on this exam is extremely important for career opportunities with the Ministry of Education. The test score parameters are:   Linguistics (15%); Applied Linguistics (12%); Translation (9%); Literature (20%); Language Skills (42%); Research Methods (2%).   Vice Rector Al-Shahrani then turned to the audience and reiterated the importance of adhering to the main components of the LOs. He stressed that our students deserve better learning outcomes that lead to enhanced employment opportunities. He then went through graphs and charts on how the 677 FLT graduates performed on the exam in the year 1440. Although the results were not as favorable as expected, there are promising indicators for potential improvement.   The Vice Rector presented a 'road map' based on teacher actions to improve test scores. Shortly thereafter, a detailed question and answer session began in which Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi expressed his concern for the results and his optimism in the plan for improvement. Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Yahya Asiri, and Vice Dean for Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, stated that they are also confident in the Bacehlor of Arts in English program's ability to resolve the issue, noting that sub-committees are already being formed to address each deficiency in the program.   There were many tough questions during the Q&A session. For example, the existing basis for the undergraduate program and the required LOs are set forth in the Saudi Arabia Qualifications Framework (SAQF). Vice Rector Al-Shahrani concurred, but he stated that both sets of requirements apply to the undergraduate program. The Vice Rector said that our curriculum must be modified to reflect the current requirements set forth by His Excellency, Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Shaikh. The King Abdullah Road Campus participants made mention of the significant obstacles to overcome in making these changes.   The Bachelor of Arts in English program (BAEP) at the Faculty of Languages and Translation (FLT) is dedicated to providing excellence in all aspects of its education. BAEP, the FLT, its students, and alumni deserve national recognition for the quality of the degree program. The department is determined to reform its curriculum to ensure optimal learning outcomes and better results on standardized national exams. Date: 11/19/2019 Source: Faculty of Languages & Translation

  Vice Rector of Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Merzin Al-Shahrani, sponsored a learning session entitled "Improving the Outcomes of the Bachelor of Arts in English Program at King Khalid University in the National Center for Assessment (QIYAS)" on Monday, November 18, 2019. The event was co-sponsored by the Deanship of Academic Development and Quality, and hosted by the Faculty of Languages & Translation's senior leadership. In attendance were nearly all faculty members at the main campus and the King Abdullah Road campus via teleconference.   Vice Rector Al-Shahrani began the event by explaining how the Ministry of Education has endeavored to improve the quality of program outcomes in all Saudi universities. Furthermore, he mentioned that educational outcomes are a key focus area of His Excellency, Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Shaikh. The Vice Rector also noted that while institutional accreditation and university ranking are important, outcomes are paramount. The National Center for Assessment has refocused learning outcomes (LOs) under a similar model to the Bologna Process in Europe, which places all emphasis on LOs. By drawing from the Bologna Process key domain areas: Cognitive achievement (essential knowledge), behavior (skills and abilities) and affectivity (attitudes, values or beliefs), LOs will be greatly enhanced. Vice Rector Al-Shahrani then covered the main components and sub-components of the LOs that should be integral to our undergraduate program. The national standardized examination for English teachers reflects these LOs. Alumni performance on this exam is extremely important for career opportunities with the Ministry of Education. The test score parameters are:   Linguistics (15%); Applied Linguistics (12%); Translation (9%); Literature (20%); Language Skills (42%); Research Methods (2%).   Vice Rector Al-Shahrani then turned to the audience and reiterated the importance of adhering to the main components of the LOs. He stressed that our students deserve better learning outcomes that lead to enhanced employment opportunities. He then went through graphs and charts on how the 677 FLT graduates performed on the exam in the year 1440. Although the results were not as favorable as expected, there are promising indicators for potential improvement.   The Vice Rector presented a 'road map' based on teacher actions to improve test scores. Shortly thereafter, a detailed question and answer session began in which Dean Abdullah Al-Melhi expressed his concern for the results and his optimism in the plan for improvement. Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Yahya Asiri, and Vice Dean for Academic Development and Quality, Dr. Abdulrahman Almosa, stated that they are also confident in the Bacehlor of Arts in English program's ability to resolve the issue, noting that sub-committees are already being formed to address each deficiency in the program.   There were many tough questions during the Q&A session. For example, the existing basis for the undergraduate program and the required LOs are set forth in the Saudi Arabia Qualifications Framework (SAQF). Vice Rector Al-Shahrani concurred, but he stated that both sets of requirements apply to the undergraduate program. The Vice Rector said that our curriculum must be modified to reflect the current requirements set forth by His Excellency, Minister of Education Dr. Hamad Al-Shaikh. The King Abdullah Road Campus participants made mention of the significant obstacles to overcome in making these changes.   The Bachelor of Arts in English program (BAEP) at the Faculty of Languages and Translation (FLT) is dedicated to providing excellence in all aspects of its education. BAEP, the FLT, its students, and alumni deserve national recognition for the quality of the degree program. The department is determined to reform its curriculum to ensure optimal learning outcomes and better results on standardized national exams. Date: 11/19/2019 Source: Faculty of Languages & Translation