Instructional Design Training

  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

  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

  Under the supervision of the Deanship of E-Learning, E-Learning Supervisor, Mohsin Khan, recently delivered a 2-day training course on "Applying the Quality Matters Rubric Workshop (Virtual)". Ms. Safa Al-Shehri and Mr. Abdullah Zubain at the Deanship of E-Learning provided holistic support.   The Quality Matters (QM) Rubric introduces participants to best practices, instructional design, and research-based design principles of an online/hybrid course to ensure quality assurance.   "The 10-hour virtual workshop was particularly helpful to those new to QM or those considering the adoption of a quality assurance process for online and blended learning. It was a great opportunity for 30 faculty members from various disciplines to learn more about the QM Rubric and its use in reviewing the design of online and blended courses," Khan said.   The Deanship of E-Learning explained that the QM Rubric is a widely respected set of standards used to design effective online courses through a faculty peer review process. Participants in the virtual workshop commented that the QM Rubric increases learn engagement and learning achievement.   The Bachelor of Arts in English program is committed to offering expertise to teaching staff in other colleges, allowing them to participate in professional and academic development programs in accordance with a plan that meets their needs and contributes to the development of their performance. Date: 3/11/2021 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

  At a webinar organized by the Language Research Center on March 3, 2021, Dr. Sarwat Un Nisa delivered a presentation titled Challenges of Online Classes and Strategies to Overcome Them. The presentation was based on several research studies conducted on the above issue.   Dr. Sarwat started her presentation by stating that the rapid shift from a face-to-face learning mode to a distance learning mode has given rise to many challenges for ELT instructors around the world. One of the challenges, she states, is handling classroom management issues. It is crucial and important to admit that virtual classroom management strategies are different from face-to-face classroom management.   Dr. Sarwat's presentation was divided into three parts – online pedagogy, challenges faced by students, the strategies instructors can adapt, and the challenges students face and the strategies they can adapt to overcome them.   According to Pelz (2009), she said, learning is more effective when students do most of the work in class. Interactivity is the heart of effective asynchronous learning. While explaining online pedagogy, first, she emphasized using technology as a tool. Creating a successful online learning experience begins with the deliberate application of instructional design principles, she added. Secondly, she emphasized keeping technology as simple as possible. If technology turns hard for the students to understand, the instructors need to spend extra time explaining the technology itself, which affects the actual learning. Thirdly, she spoke about alignment, which is all about the correlation between the course content, tests and learning objectives. Fourthly, she mentioned the ease in course design and navigation. She explained that the course teacher can make it easy for the learners by creating hyperlinks and making regular announcements. The fifth point she covered is the importance of clear expectations and directions for activities and assessments. Students should be clear about which direction they are moving towards. Finally, she emphasized making the instructor’s presence known to students. Regular correspondence between the instructor and students can solve this issue.   Dr. Sarwat, while talking about teacher-student interaction, stated that it is essential to respond quickly to student questions. By doing this regularly, such interaction increases.   Dr. Sarwat also highlighted student-to-content interaction, multimedia principles, multiple interactions with the same content, academic honesty and authenticity of student work, supporting students. She also talked about technical issues and how to solve them. She concluded her presentation by sharing some strategies that learners can adapt to overcome the challenges of online learning.   The webinar was a great success with the active participation of faculty members and graduate students. Date: 3-4-2021 Source: Mohammad Adil Siddique

The Deanship of E-Learning awarded the Faculty of Languages & Translation by presenting a certificate of appreciation for supporting the Deanship in successfully delivering the eLearning Practitioner Course. Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, Dean, and Dr. Yahya Asiri, Vice Dean, received the certificate. The university-wide eLearning Practitioner Course for faculty members was offered by the Deanship of E-Learning from 25/10/2017 to 09/11/2017. FLT E-Learning Supervisor, Mohsin Raza Khan, delivered the course. The importance of instructional design training and an enhanced learning environment for students is well known to all colleges of the university. It took place as 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. The primary objectives of the course were to improve student learning, engagement, interaction, and most importantly 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. The course was an overall success and will continue on a periodic basis as a part of the developmental projects of the Tamkeen team. Special thanks to Mohammed Jarallah, Training Manager, and Dr. Khaled M. Mohanna, E-Learning Team Manager, for their holistic support. As a final note, Mohsin Raza Khan received a certificate of appreciation by the Deanship of E-Learning for his efforts. Date: 2/4/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation