Curriculum

On Monday, March 27, 2017, the Language Research Centre, under the supervision of Dr. Ismail Al Refaai, held a seminar. Dr. Haseeb Ahmed talked about the importance of literature in English Language Teaching and Learning. His presentation was titled, What is Literature? Why Should we Study it? Dr. Ahmed emphasized the importance of studying literature. During his presentation, he quoted preeminent poets such as Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Sidney, and philosophers like Aristotle and Jean Paul to identify the purpose of literature. Some of them termed literature as a source of delight and pleasure, and some termed literature as a tool serving a political purpose.     Dr. Ahmed concluded that literature helps to express oneself, have access to culture, develop sophisticated sensibility, appreciate beauty, and develop a wider perspective of events. It is worth noting that Al Samer Campus also participated in the seminar through video conferencing. The presentation was worthwhile and engaged the participants on both sides with an interactive discussion.  Date: 03-27-2017 Source: MD Adil Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam

On Monday, March 13, 2017, Dr. Sheila Simpkins talked about the importance of Bloom’s Taxonomy in a seminar organized by the Language Research Centre held at the Al Samer Campus. Her Presentation was titled Bloom’s Taxonomy: An Effective Tool for Language Teaching. Dr. Simpkins' presentation was centered on the revised version of Bloom’s Taxonomy. She emphasized the proper application of Bloom’s taxonomy in pedagogy and designing lessons. She related that learning objectives should be student-centered, concrete and measurable. Appropriate use of process verbs could make learning objectives concrete, she added. She also allowed the participants to discuss freely how Bloom’s taxonomy could be incorporated into teaching and lesson planning. She, while talking about the proper application of Bloom’s Taxonomy, pinpointed some major issues associated with education; one of which was excessive teacher talk time (TTT). She asserted excessive TTT as a primary indicator of a teacher-centered classroom where learners play a passive role most of the time. She put emphasis on learner-centered teaching where students are fully involved in the learning process. The presenter concluded that proper application of Bloom’s Taxonomy helps to create effective lessons that make students retain information longer, enhances critical thinking and engages students successfully in the learning process. It is worth mentioning that Gregor campus also participated in the seminar through video conferencing. The presentation was worthwhile and raised awareness in regards to lesson effectiveness among faculty members. Date: 03-17-2017 Source: MD Adil Multimedia Contribution: MD Sirajul Islam