Tip of the Week

CEI Weekly Newsletter

The Mobile Learning Research Fund is now in Cycle II, and there are a growing number of faculty across the university engaged in classroom based research projects related to mobile learning. Here are just a few of the projects underway, and if you have an idea that you would like to investigate, be sure to submit your proposal by 15 Oct. 1. Mobile Technology: University Students using the TI-Nspire App to make sense of mathematics – Jason Johnson (UC-Maths) 2. Mobile learning approach to the implicit assessment of second language reading automicity – Justin Thomas (CSSH-NSPH) 3. Using mobile learning and multi-modal composition for prewriting and essay writing tasks – Matthew Andrew (UC-EWS) 4. Social Learning on the move: Challenges and Solutions – Dima Alhadid (CTI) 5. iPad as a pedagogical tool at Zayed University; value, challenges and student perception – Heba Barazi and Janine Tan (CSSH-NSPH) 6. Flip Flipping Marking: A Self-Editing Approach – Zeina Hojeji (ABP) 7. Enhancing the student learning experience through electronic assessment tools – Alya Arabi (CSSH-NSPH)

Mobile Learning Research Fund

Okay, so everyone is talking about mobile learning and we all have iPads and mobile phones, but now what? What does mobile learning have to do with me and my class?

Educational fads come and go, and some faculty might be waiting for this latest craze to fade away so that they can get back to the important work of ‘teaching’. But mobile technology is not a fad, it is a fundamental feature of the world we live in now, so it is up to us to figure out how to harness some of the potential of the technology. We know that the use of mobile devices is as much a requirement of life for most of our students as breathing, so the question then becomes, can we take advantage of this passion for technology to help out students learn?

One of the great features of mobile learning is just that, it’s mobile, so students are able to engage with their courses and their classmates and the information and skills they are learning anywhere and at any time; the activity of learning is not confined to the classroom. But even in the classroom, the technology can offer real benefits for learning, it does not have to be a distraction.

The range of possibilities is almost infinite, so you can decide how far and how fast to wade into the waters of mobile learning: Assessment, communication, collaboration, content creation (by your students as well as you), use of real world resources, you can choose where you think mobile learning might make something easier or solve a problem or simply offer a new way of doing things. This weekly newsletter will highlight some new ideas you might want to try out in your classes.

For example, let’s say you want to check whether your students understand the new information that you have presented. You could just ask for a show of hands, “Does everyone understand?” But we all know this does not really give us what we need to know. So maybe instead of a show of hands, you could use a poll in Nearpod or Socrative or PollEverywhere to more accurately gauge student understanding, and to find out exactly where students are still struggling. It really can be just that easy.

The fact is that students are already using phones and other mobile devices to learn. The only question is whether our content is included in this ubiquitous learning, or whether we will we cordon off our content, and keep ‘learning’ as a hallowed activity that can only take place within the walls of our classroom and without the interference of technology.

Upcoming

events

Teaching and Learning Roundtable Discussion Series: September – Mobile Learning Mon, 29 Sept – R-L1-015 (DXB) / Tue, 30 Sept – ADM.1.139 (AUH)

October – Exams, Assessment and Plagiarism

November – Arabization

December – Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

CEI, Dubai – R-L1-021 1st floor ring, between A & B wings CEI, Abu Dhabi – ADM.1.137 1st floor admin building, men’s side

Tip of the Week

CEI Weekly Newsletter

Through interviews conducted with a cross section of faculty at Zayed University during the 2013-14 academic year, three important themes emerged as key issues in teaching and learning for ZU:

• Student skills and knowledge • Motivation and engagement • Opportunities for innovation in

teaching and learning The first theme is the main activity faculty are engaged with every day at ZU, helping our students acquire the skills and knowledge they need to be successful after graduation. The other two themes represent the possibilities; imagine how much more our students might be able to achieve if we embrace strategies which are novel and innovative and which lead to improved motivation and engagement. This is where mobile learning has the potential to be transformative, so the question now is, are we ready to step up to this new challenge?

Key T&L Issues at ZU

The word this week is communication. Every teacher wants to increase the amount of communication and interaction that is happening, inside and outside the classroom, but sometimes it can feel like our choices are limited. Inside the classroom, we can put students in groups and tell them to discuss, or assign group activities that they have to work together to complete, but we know that outside the classroom, students use a wide range of different apps and software to text, talk to friends, share pictures and media files; why not tap into this beloved means of communication to encourage more talking about your course?

You can make use of communication channels that are already familiar and that are easily accessible. Students can talk, share ideas, ask questions, and interact in what is to them a very natural environment. And with some of the tools, teachers can control membership and monitor and capture the communication, so it can even feed into grades. And who knows, you might find yourself enjoying this as much as the students!

There are many tools available, here are just a few to get you started. The tools fall along a range of control, so some, like Twitter, are completely open, a simple way to share short messages instantly. Other tools require the teacher to set up a class or group and invite participants. Most of these tools allow groups, so even public communication channels allow for a bit of privacy. Here are a few best sellers to check out:

• BBM – not just for Blackberry anymore! – chat, text, share images and audio files, to a select group or beyond

• WDWDT (class messenger) – set up your class, then you can send reminders and messages by email or text

• WhatsApp – create groups for messaging, as well as sending images, video, audio

• Snapchat – best to ask a student to explain it! There are also more full featured online LMS tools. These require a

bit of set up in the beginning, then students have access to messaging, file sharing, discussion and blogs, quizzes and more, but all within the class you have created. Have a look at Schoology and Edmodo for a start.

And finally, there are chat rooms. Again, these require the teacher to set up a session, but then share the code and get busy talking! Some popular sites to look at are TodaysMeet, which allows live chat, messaging, sharing files, synchronous and asynchronous discussion; and Zoom.us or Join.me for live chat and screen sharing.

Upcoming

events

Teaching and Learning Roundtable Discussion Series: • October – Exams, Assessment and Plagiarism

• November – Arabization

• December – Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Good Teaching to Great Instruction – Oct-Nov

http://www.zu.ac.ae/cei Dubai – R-L1-021 – x4021 (1st floor ring, between A & B wings)

Abu Dhabi – ADM.1.137 – x3883 (1st floor admin building, men’s side)

9 Oct 2014

Tip of the Week

CEI Weekly Newsletter

Dr Christina Gitsaki, Research Coordinator Prior to joining ZU, Dr Christina Gitsaki served as the Associate Dean of Foundations for the Higher Colleges of Technology and served as the UNESCO Chair in Applied Research in Education at Sharjah HCT where she fostered partnerships with the wider academic community to strengthen national capacity to offer quality education. Dr Gitsaki’s research interests include: Second language acquisition and pedagogy, the use of educational technology to enhance learning, educational program evaluation, materials development, teacher professional development. Dr Gitsaki has presented her research at international conferences and has published over 50 papers in refereed journals and edited books on language education and pedagogy. She is the author, editor and co-editor of eight books on educational research and pedagogy. In her role as the Research Coordinator, Dr Gitsaki will oversee the design and delivery of the Scholarship for Teaching and Learning certificate course for ZU faculty, she will manage the Mobile Learning Research Fund, and she will mentor faculty who are interested in carrying out research projects and increasing their publication output.

Meet the CEI Research Coordinator

Ubiquitous Mobile Learning: Anywhere, Anytime, Any Device

Learning opportunities exist inside and outside of the classroom. Mobile technology (smartphones and tablets) provides students with the ability to interact with content, with teachers, and with each other when and where it suits them best. In the language of mobile learning, we are in an age of ubiquitous learning (anywhere, anytime).

People use mobile technology differently depending on where they are and what they are doing. It’s easier to carry a smartphone when you are shopping or socializing compared to a tablet. However, when reviewing content for class, a tablet may be a better choice due to its larger viewing area. To make it even more interesting, smartphones come in a variety of makes and models, using different operating systems (iOS, Android and Windows). Students may use an Apple tablet (iPad) for some things and an Android smartphone for others. If we want to truly support ubiquitous learning for everyone, then we need to make sure we don’t exclude anyone through our choice of content delivery (anywhere, anytime, any device).

Here’s the tip: In an effort to reach the largest number of users, app developers often make versions for each of the major platforms or devices. When choosing an app to use with your class, check to see if it works on more than one device or operating system (Android, iPad, phone, tablet, etc). If not, is there a similar app that does? This should make it easier for you and your students, and let’s them use whatever they already have and know how to use!

Upcoming

events

Teaching and Learning Roundtable Discussion Series: • November – Arabization

• December – Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Good Teaching to Great Instruction – Oct-Nov Mobile Enhanced Learning Leadership – Oct-Nov

http://www.zu.ac.ae/cei Dubai – R-L1-021 – x4021 (1st floor ring, between A & B wings)

Abu Dhabi – ADM.1.137 – x3883 (1st floor admin building, men’s side)

23 Oct 2014

Too often we give children answers to remember rather than problems to solve.

~Roger Lewin

Looking for a way to navigate the vast amount of information on the web, or perhaps a way to get your students to read more on their own? Try Mashable, a website that brings together news, information and resources about social media, technology, entertainment, business, world events and more. Sign in with any social media account, and decide which stories and topics you want to follow. Available on the web, and on iOS and Android devices.

Tip of the Week

CEI Newsletter

Chr ist ina Davison, Instructional Designer CJ is an Instructional Designer with the CEI. With 17 years of experience working in university settings in Canada, Qatar and now the UAE, she joins the team with a passion for improving teaching. She is interested in educational technology but has a clear understanding that the most elaborate technical tools are impractical if they do not resolve an existing teaching and learning problem.

Combining her teaching experience, academic preparation in education, practical skills with educational technology, and a passion for problem solving, she is looking forward to supporting instructors in resolving many types of teaching and learning issues. She has an MA in Learning and Technology and is currently pursuing her Ed.D in Adult Learning. Her research interests are in faculty development, transnational teaching, educational technology, and mobile learning.

Meet the CEI Instructional Designer

Inquiry-Based Learning

Many faculty recognize the need to increase student engagement in their classes, and to help students develop the language, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills that they will need for success later in life. The question of course is how?

Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) can be the key to achieving this educational goal. IBL is a well-established constructivist approach to student-centered learning and teaching, increasingly adopted around the world. IBL focuses on interactive and collaborative question/problem-driven learning. The main components of the IBL cycle include asking questions, investigating solutions, acquiring new knowledge and gathering information, discussing new knowledge and learning processes with peers, and reflecting on one’s own knowledge and learning. In this process, students become engaged in synthesizing, interpreting and evaluating information instead of passively receiving information. Of course, this has implications for the role of the teacher. In IBL, the instructor becomes a mentor or facilitator of learning; this new role requires careful, pedagogically-guided course design, session planning and prior knowledge stimulation activities. Because our learners, courses, instructors and disciplines are so different, instructors can employ the structured, the guided, the open or the combined approach to inquiry.

The most common forms of IBL are Problem-Based Learning, Project-Based Learning and Case-Based Learning. Each form has been developed to accommodate the specific needs of different academic disciplines. One obvious benefit of this form of learning is that students are working together and finding information to solve real problems for real people, not just ‘completing assignments for the teacher’. This can have a dramatic impact on how they view the learning process and the effort they are willing to invest.

If you want to learn more, in the spring semester CEI will be offering an Inquiry-Based Learning Certificate Program. There are also many websites and articles about PBL that you can peruse for ideas about how to incorporate elements of PBL into your courses. Here are a couple to get you started: http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning http://bie.org

Upcoming

events

Teaching and Learning Roundtable Discussion Series: • 25 Nov (DXB) & 26 Nov (AUH) – Arabization

• December – Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Good Teaching to Great Instruction – ongoing Mobile Enhanced Learning Leadership – ongoing

http://www.zu.ac.ae/cei Dubai – R-L1-021 – x4021 (1st floor ring, between A & B wings)

Abu Dhabi – ADM.1.137 – x3883 (1st floor admin building, men’s side)

6 Nov 2014

"People cannot learn by having information pressed into their brains. Knowledge has to be

sucked into the brain, not pushed in.” Victor Weisskopf, Physics Professor

Tip of the Week

CEI Newsletter

CEI Videos:

Student

Generated

Content

Arabization

This term, along with others such as localization or domestication, represent the

notion of adapting content to make it more accessible for our students. While

language might be our first thought, this is about more than just words, it’s about

culture and society, adapting materials which have been produced in English to be

compatible with local cultural norms, customs, expectations and experiences.

So what does this mean in practice? As a first step, we need to bear the cultural

context in mind when we develop our own content for our students – they are

Emirati, Arab, Muslim, bilingual, studying in an educational institution with

multinational faculty. Any or all of these particular characteristics might impact our

choices about the information or examples we provide, or the ways in which we

present them.

Second, we need to know more about out students and their culture, beyond the

general stereotypes of Arabic culture that are familiar. What really makes our

students tick, what are they interested in, what are their experiences? We must

bridge the gap between our students’ experiences and the examples that they see

in textbooks and articles that we give them to read.

Maybe this seems like extra work for the faculty, surely students should just learn

what we tell them to learn. But is it realistic for us to assume that our students, who

are already doing yeoman's work in bouncing back and forth between two

languages all day, should also be expected to learn and understand all the cultural

assumptions, norms, biases that sit underneath all the material that we give them

that was originally produced for native speakers of English? Why shouldn’t they be

able to read and learn about these concepts through example and content that

align with their own cultural norms and experiences?

This does not mean we have to throw out all the textbooks and start over, but it

does mean we need to have a certain awareness and empathy for the challenges

our students face. When we are going to supplement the textbooks and reading

material that we use, try as much as possible to present the concepts in ways that

the students can relate to. Something as simple as a glossary with Arabic

translations of key concepts/terms might be a place to start. Or perhaps use

examples that are based on local businesses, local places or people, local context.

And if you don’t have this knowledge, let students develop the content and share it

with you; the classroom can become a place for genuine exchange of information

and ideas – a truly reciprocal learning environment.

Upcoming

events

Teaching and Learning Roundtable Discussion Series:

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning – Dec 16 (DXB) & 17 (AUH)

Ed Tech Training (DXB)

Create online tests using Blackboard – 8 Dec

Enhance your Mac experience with a few tips! – 10 Dec

Are you ready for grading? (Blackboard Grade Center) – 14 Dec

Take advantage of the free tools in your Mac! – 16 Dec

Ed Tech Training (AUH)

Blackboard Grade Center – 8 & 14 Dec

Macbook Pro: The Essentials – 10 & 16 Dec

http://zuportal.zu.ac.ae/sites/CEI/STS/Lists/Session2/All%20Sessions.aspx

http://www.zu.ac.ae/cei

Dubai – R-L1-021 – x1419

(1st floor ring, between A & B wings)

Abu Dhabi – ADM.1.137 – x3883

(1st floor admin building, men’s side)

4 Dec 2014

CoB Project – Chrysi Rapanta, Catherine

Nickerson, Valerie Goby

For many years, CoB faculty have been looking for a way

to address the lack of business communication teaching

material specifically related to the Gulf context. This is

an acute problem because many cultural issues that

have an impact on the nature of communication in the

region are typically absent, and this region has a very

different cultural context which is not adequately

addressed in most commercial textbooks.

CoB faculty decided to have one group of students

create materials for some of the chapters in the form of

iBooks which were then piloted by another group of

students in another section of the same class. Two

benefits that emerged from the pilot were increased

student engagement on the part of the students who

produced the materials, and increased satisfaction with

content which illustrated principles of business

communication in the local context.

Video showcases for this and many other innovative

projects from across the university will be available on

the CEI website from Jan 2015.

Roundtable Discussion on SoTL –

Get involved and get published!

Tip of the Week

CEI Newsletter

What are learning objects? This seems like an easy question, but as it turns out we have a hard time agreeing on what a learning object is, how big it is, and how to store it. Here is a start: • A learning object is a bit of content

(lesson, activity, assessment). A lesson is made up of a collection of learning objects.

• A learning object should be discrete and

address only one thing. Granularity is the word most often used here.

• A learning object should be stored in a

repository in such a way that it is easy to find amongst hundreds or even thousands of objects.

Merlot.org is one of the bigger Learning Object Repositories and worth a look.

Learning Objects: What are they?

Reflective Teaching Practice – Brookfield’s Four Lenses

Thinking about how we teach and how well we teach is something many of us plan to do but may have trouble actually doing. Making time is, of course, paramount. We need to take the time to reflect and think about what went well in our teaching and what we could do better. However, before setting aside the time to reflect, it is worthwhile considering what we should reflect on.

Brookfield (1998) suggests that we focus our reflections on four areas. He calls these critical reflective lenses:

1. Our Experience as a Learner Our experience as a learner influences how we teach. Which teacher from your past do you consider to have been a great teacher?

2. Our Learners’ Eyes How do our students experience and understand our teaching practice? How does that impact their learning?

3. Our Colleagues’ Experiences Sharing of experiences is crucial to our growth as teachers.

4. Theoretical Literature Can we ‘name’ our practice? Are we using constructivist practice? Behavioural? Cognitivist? Why does knowing matter?

There are, of course, other models to help guide reflection on practice. Brookfield is just one, but it is one that seems particularly useful in our context at Zayed University.

Brookfield, S. (1998). Critically Reflective Practice. The Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 18, 197–205.

Upcoming

events

Educational Technology Workshops in January: • 11-15 Jan – Gradebook Emergency!

• 18-22 Jan – Planning Assignments for Next Semester

Specific dates will be announced in January. If there are other topics you would like to suggest, please contact: marwa.basil@zu.ac.ae or ghalya.alsuwaidi@zu.ac.ae

http://www.zu.ac.ae/cei Dubai – R-L1-021 – x1419 (1st floor ring, between A & B wings) Abu Dhabi – ADM.1.137 – x3883 (1st floor admin building, men’s side)

18 Dec 2014