E-Learning Deanship

Lourdes Ortega, Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University, delivered a presentation as a part of the Faculty of Language Translation's Webinar Series on February 19, 2018. The webinar, supported by the E-Learning Deanship of King Khalid University, drew a crowd of nearly 170 participants from around the Kingdom.  Ortega’s webinar, entitled “Aptitude and Motivation in Second Language Acquisition,” examined the relationships between aptitude and motivation with a special focus on the best-researched SLA works on motivations and the complex set of constructs that follow. A relatively recent paper that was discussed in the webinar is also Dr. Fakieh Al-Rabai's -- Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at King Khalid University -- most well-known research article in the field. The 2013 paper, titled The Effects of Teachers’ Motivational Strategies on Learners’ Motivation: A Controlled Investigation of Second Language Acquisition, was cleverly devised as related by Professor Ortega. From the abstract of the webinar: In this webinar, I discuss the wealth of research on aptitude and motivation that has become available in the field of second language acquisition and which can help teachers answer some important questions: Are there special cognitive abilities (aptitude) and certain personal predispositions (motivation) that could help explain the large difference we all see in how successful students are in learning a new language in our classrooms? How much does the surrounding environment contribute to shaping aptitude and motivation: the classroom, family and peers, a society's message about the new language, its value, and its difficulty? And to what extent can aptitude and motivation to learn a new language change with experiences inside and outside of the classroom? I also point at ways in which this research can help language teachers strategize so they can support their students' aptitude and motivation and enhance their odds of lasting success with English, in the language classroom and beyond. Delivering official closing remarks, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Chairman, advised participants to implement the lessons learned during the webinar. Ortega’s academic and research interests are broadly in second language acquisition, particularly sociocognitive and educational dimensions in adult classroom settings. Her research utilizes insights from bilingualism and from usage-based linguistics to the investigation of second language development. Date: 2-19-2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Lourdes Ortega, Professor of Linguistics at the Department of Linguistics at Georgetown University, delivered a presentation as a part of the Faculty of Language Translation's Webinar Series on February 19, 2018. The webinar, supported by the E-Learning Deanship of King Khalid University, drew a crowd of nearly 170 participants from around the Kingdom.  Ortega’s webinar, entitled “Aptitude and Motivation in Second Language Acquisition,” examined the relationships between aptitude and motivation with a special focus on the best-researched SLA works on motivations and the complex set of constructs that follow. A relatively recent paper that was discussed in the webinar is also Dr. Fakieh Al-Rabai's -- Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics at King Khalid University -- most well-known research article in the field. The 2013 paper, titled The Effects of Teachers’ Motivational Strategies on Learners’ Motivation: A Controlled Investigation of Second Language Acquisition, was cleverly devised as related by Professor Ortega. From the abstract of the webinar: In this webinar, I discuss the wealth of research on aptitude and motivation that has become available in the field of second language acquisition and which can help teachers answer some important questions: Are there special cognitive abilities (aptitude) and certain personal predispositions (motivation) that could help explain the large difference we all see in how successful students are in learning a new language in our classrooms? How much does the surrounding environment contribute to shaping aptitude and motivation: the classroom, family and peers, a society's message about the new language, its value, and its difficulty? And to what extent can aptitude and motivation to learn a new language change with experiences inside and outside of the classroom? I also point at ways in which this research can help language teachers strategize so they can support their students' aptitude and motivation and enhance their odds of lasting success with English, in the language classroom and beyond. Delivering official closing remarks, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, Chairman, advised participants to implement the lessons learned during the webinar. Ortega’s academic and research interests are broadly in second language acquisition, particularly sociocognitive and educational dimensions in adult classroom settings. Her research utilizes insights from bilingualism and from usage-based linguistics to the investigation of second language development. Date: 2-19-2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

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

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

Earlier this month, internationally renowned author and professor James Dean Brown drew a capacity crowd of nearly 150 candidates as he unraveled his research expertise and demystified the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research in applied linguistics research, and the continuum from which the mixed-methods research (MMR) paradigm emerged. The free webinar -- featured in Arab News and promoted throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -- was conducted under the guidance of the FLT Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and supervision of the FLT Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, in cooperation with the E-Learning Deanship and their exciting KKU Now initiative.   Al-Melhi: I would like to thank everyone who initiated the webinar series we are launching and all who are in attendance. Your participation and support are much appreciated and will allow us to continue to offer our webinars. In his presentation, Prof. Brown emphasized that mixed-methods research is best explained in terms of its three main varieties, its differences from multi-methods research, and its capacity to combine the best features of qualitative and quantitative analysis by identifying connections and searching for convergence, divergence, and elaboration. He also discussed the underlying principles of validity and reliability by cautioning that researchers need to determine whether the study is primarily statistical or qualitative in nature.  According to Prof. Brown, MMR concepts are best viewed as a menu of strategies to be utilized when planning, conducting and explaining any study. He also discussed the four characteristics of sound quantitative and qualitative research studies: consistency, fidelity, verifiability, and meaningfulness. Another approach that he delved into involved data triangulation - all of its types - and examples appropriate to ELT research. To conclude, Prof. James Dean Brown provided personal accounts of how he succeeded in this field and the people who sparked the inspiration to do so. He further related that he still finds himself learning more and more every year and that we can learn more from engaging in research. All in all, the webinar lead participants on a journey through the complexities of MMR in a concise and effective method To view a recording of this webinar, please click here. Date: 1/11/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation

Earlier this month, internationally renowned author and professor James Dean Brown drew a capacity crowd of nearly 150 candidates as he unraveled his research expertise and demystified the characteristics of qualitative and quantitative research in applied linguistics research, and the continuum from which the mixed-methods research (MMR) paradigm emerged. The free webinar -- featured in Arab News and promoted throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia -- was conducted under the guidance of the FLT Dean, Dr. Abdullah Al-Melhi, and supervision of the FLT Chairman, Dr. Munassir Alhamami, in cooperation with the E-Learning Deanship and their exciting KKU Now initiative.   Al-Melhi: I would like to thank everyone who initiated the webinar series we are launching and all who are in attendance. Your participation and support are much appreciated and will allow us to continue to offer our webinars. In his presentation, Prof. Brown emphasized that mixed-methods research is best explained in terms of its three main varieties, its differences from multi-methods research, and its capacity to combine the best features of qualitative and quantitative analysis by identifying connections and searching for convergence, divergence, and elaboration. He also discussed the underlying principles of validity and reliability by cautioning that researchers need to determine whether the study is primarily statistical or qualitative in nature.  According to Prof. Brown, MMR concepts are best viewed as a menu of strategies to be utilized when planning, conducting and explaining any study. He also discussed the four characteristics of sound quantitative and qualitative research studies: consistency, fidelity, verifiability, and meaningfulness. Another approach that he delved into involved data triangulation - all of its types - and examples appropriate to ELT research. To conclude, Prof. James Dean Brown provided personal accounts of how he succeeded in this field and the people who sparked the inspiration to do so. He further related that he still finds himself learning more and more every year and that we can learn more from engaging in research. All in all, the webinar lead participants on a journey through the complexities of MMR in a concise and effective method To view a recording of this webinar, please click here. Date: 1/11/2018 Source: Faculty of Languages and Translation