Exchange of Experience Through (Blackboard): A Tool to Develop Faculty’ Skills in Innovative Learning

Rasha Al-Malik, Kholoud Al-Madani, Dar Al-Hekma University, KSA

Dar Al-Hekma University

Mission:

The university mission is to graduate accomplished leaders and entrepreneurs

Vision:

Dar Al-Hekma University serves as a leading higher education for women in the Kingdom of Saudi and a model of teaching and learning

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Blackboard History in DAH

• Dar Al-Hekma University has been started the blackboard in 2008 in 12 /123 courses

• In 2009, One design studio section was registered in Blackboard as a collaborative section between the Interior Design Program at DAH and the department of Architecture and planning at the University of Colorado

• Even though, different BB orientation sessions were given by IT dept. to faculty covering different features, the number of active faculty members were 12

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Blackboard History in DAH

• IT asked faculty who used blackboard to encourage other faculty to register their courses

• In 2011, decision came to utilize BB features effectively by encouraging faculty members to use Blackboard to communicate with students and it was involved in professional appraisal

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Number of active faculty has incremental increased as will as attendees of the sessions have increased

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1220

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102

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139

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

However, interaction through the sessions was disappointed and features of BB weren't optimized

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So, the question is how to increase the interaction & usage?

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Outlines

• Introduction

• Framework

• Methodology

• Results and Discussions

• Conclusion

• Recommendations

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Introduction

Research Objective:

To raise the engagement between faculty and trainers through blackboard system sessions from 20% to 100%

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Introduction

Research Problems:

• Fewer Interaction between faculty members and technical trainers during blackboard system sessions

• Bored during the sessions

• Limited usage of the blackboard features

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Research Framework

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Implementation phase

Result and discussions

Analysis phase

Methodology , Research Model

Diagnostic Phase

Backgrounds

Ways to Improve Learning

• Professional learning will be improved by observation and exchange of professional experience

• Professional learning is a shared creativity where people rely on expertise and support of one another to implement innovative new practices

• Cooperation between the teachers is a tool to improve the educational abilities

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Zwart, Wubbels, Bergen, and Bolhuis (2009, p. 243)Joyce,B.R, and Showers,B.1983,Zwart, Wubbels, Bergen, and Bolhuis (2007, p. 165)

Ways to Improve Learning

The advantages of the training between colleagues are:

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Reducing the isolation

Enhancing the cooperation

Successful experiences exchanging

Leading to apply new skills

Encouraging teachers

(Robins P,1991)

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Ways to Improve Learning

• All the experience that the teacher gains in the colleagues training group could generate new ideas for the group members.

• Stories and the experiences' exchanging between the teachers could improve creative solutions to the problems that face them.

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(Almazrooa H,2004)

Methodology

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Methodology Cont.

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Input Process Output

Methodology Cont.

• Surveying tool

• Observing tool

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Results and Discussions

• The workshops were successful

• The rate of the audience interaction, problems discussions and solutions suggested were higher than the rate of workshops conducted by theinformation technology team

• 70% of the faculty members preferred to have the workshops by an experienced faculty than by technicians, while only 30 % of them preferred IT technicians' workshops

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IT Member

Facultymember

Results and Discussions

• Faculty could exchange new education strategies like applying new methods to evaluate the students' participation through (blackboard) and finding new ways to generate a competitive environment between the students

• IT members explaining functionality of blackboard and how to use it. While, faculty explaining the same topic in different way (ex: weighted column)

• The number of usage increased to 193 active faculty

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Conclusion

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Recommendations

• Expand communication between faculty members and cooperate with E-learning experts in the university

• Seek for help from experts in other universities, To develop the exchange techniques and to enhance cooperation

• Increase the awareness of the importance of faculty participation in this type of the educational workshops.

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Contact Information

Rasha A. AlMalik, M.Sc,

Certified Blackboard Administrator

Mobile number: +966556605005

E-mail: rmalik@dah.edu.sa

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