SoTL 2022

THE INTERSECTION OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE ‫ﻣﺮﻛﺰ اﻻﺑﺘﻜﺎر اﻟﺘﺮﺑﻮي‬

Scholarship of Teaching & Learning 7th Annual Conference 2022

Center for Educational Innovation

ZUCEI

‫ﻣﺮﻛﺰ اﻻﺑﺘﻜﺎر اﻟﺘﺮﺑﻮي‬

Center for Educational Innovation

OUR SCOPUS INDEXED JOURNAL Trim size: 174mm x 240mm

ZUCEI

ABOUT THE CEI Trim size: 174mm x 240mm

Number 2

The Center for Educational Innovation (CEI) is driven by: e-ISSN 2077-5504 Volume 17 Number 2 2021

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives

Volume 17 Number 2 2021

77 Editorial LTHE aims to present and discuss issues and 80 Improving Emirati students’ social responsibility competence through global citizenship education research of relevance to university and college Shytance T. Wren 95 Using social networking tools for teaching requests to undergraduate Arab EFL educators in the learners: Arab Region. LTHE is a a studyGulf of pragmatics Adil Mohammed Qadha, Baleigh Qassem Al-Wasy and Hassan Saleh Mahdi The use of technology in informal English language learning: evidence from refereed journal107published by Emerald Publishing Yemeni undergraduate students Wagdi Rashad Ali Bin-Hady and Nasser Omer Mubarak Al-Tamimi Group. The journal is tointended to be ofexperiences relevance 121 Adapting transnational education: students’ at an American university in the UAE Mikecz Munday to people teachingZsuzsanna in any discipline, or supporting 136 Omani graduates’ English communication skills: employers’ perspectives Thuraya Khalifa Al Riyami learning in other ways, in higher education in the 150 Book Review: Shift This! How to Implement Gradual Changes for MASSIVE Impact in Your Classroom by Kirr, Joy Jawad Salam and Beidan Gulf, although theRolareadership isMussa worldwide.

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives

Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives is a peer reviewed, Open Access Volume 17 Number 2 2021 journal, which focuses on all aspects of Higher Education research with aand regional focusin on the Learning Teaching Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives Gulf, but with global relevance and readership.

Connecting faculty, research and practice Evolving efforts to meet emerging professional learning needs Innovating learning and teaching experiences

Our Vision To empower faculty to enhance learning experiences in ways that are responsive to a dynamic and evolving higher education context.

As a result of interactions with the CEI, faculty are supported to improve student learning experiences within the ZU educational context. Faculty are able to:

emeraldgrouppublishing.com

• Implement new practices in course design and assessment.

• Incorporate a scholarly approach to teaching and learning.

• Reflect critically on their teaching practice.

• Contribute to an academic community which challenges and critiques current practice.

Emerald Publishing Services

• Experiment with pedagogical interventions to increase student engagement.

• Explore new ideas in learning and teaching.

https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/lthe

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• Identify, evaluate and integrate appropriate tools for the purpose of enhancing learning and teaching.

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MESSAGE FROM THE ACTING PROVOST At Zayed University we have embarked on a major transformation designed to ensure that students are equipped with the skills needed to navigate an exciting but undefined future. More of the university’s research will be targeted at addressing real-world problems, while the undergraduate curriculum is shifting toward a strong interdisciplinary focus that will require more of students but that will also help them become more flexible in their thinking and their development of skills, both during their university years and beyond.

The theme of this year’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference is therefore particularly relevant to Zayed University. “The Intersection of Research and Practice” suggests that our research and our practice can inform one another, enabling faculty to be more effective in both activities. We are eager to have all of our faculty reflect on their practice as educators, and are hopeful that much of that reflection will be informed by research. Indeed, we are exploring ways to encourage faculty to pursue opportunities for professional development as teachers. We want it to be unmistakable to anyone who comes to our campus that this is a place that is as serious about good teaching as it is about good research. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning is one way that this happens.

The disruptions of the last couple of years affected the pace of change more than its fundamental trajectory. As committed teachers develop and refine practices that will contribute to student success in rapidly changing educational and employment environments, they will redefine what it means to be an educator. I applaud you for your dedication to your profession, and thank you for your participation in this conference.

Michael Allen

Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer, Assistant Provost, Faculty Affairs and Research, Zayed University, UAE

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MESSAGE FROM THE CONFERENCE CHAIR Welcome to SoTL 2022! This year marks the 7th anniversary of the Annual Conference of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning hosted by the Center for Educational Innovation at Zayed University, Dubai, UAE. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a field of research and study that aims to improve teaching and learning in the higher education context. Given the disruptions to education due to COVID these past two years and the evolution and innovation it brought to the teaching and learning process, it is time to take stock and see what worked and what didn’t work so we can decide how to move forward when it comes to effective pedagogical practices in the university classroom. Engaging in SoTL is considered as the most effective and transformative method of teacher professional development because SoTL practitioners inform their practice by the research that they conduct in their own classrooms. In other words, SoTL is the nexus where teaching and research meet and it can be extremely powerful in developing individuals and bringing about change on a large scale by increasing the quality of teaching and learning in higher education institutions.

SoTL 2022 features 28 presentations that focus on practical examples and tools of teaching interventions. Each presentation is a classroom-based inquiry with the ultimate aim to inform practice and promote evidence-based teaching.

Finally, a huge thank you to the CEI team: Nicholas Yates, Ghalya Al Suwaidi, Samar Shamia, Aisha AlShaheen and Hamda AlHajeri. A special thank you to my colleagues, Dr. Wafa Zoghbor, Nadera Baig and Dr. Ayesha AlKetbi for providing valuable help with this year’s event.

Thank you all for being part of SoTL 2022.

Christina Gitsaki

Acting Director & Research Coordinator Center for Educational Innovation Zayed University, UAE

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Prof. Dr. Pierre Dillenbourg Orchestration Graphs in Higher Education Affiliation: Professor in Learning Technologies in the School of Computer & Communication Sciences, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL).

Abstract: Many university courses are divided into distinct time slots for class-wide lectures versus individual or team-based exercises sessions or projects. This session is about the integration of individual, team-based and class-wide activities into consistent pedagogical scenarios. These scenarios do not simply juxtapose different activities but integrate them into a workflow. For instance, individual responses in exercices maybe used to form pairs of students with divergent solutions in order to trigger rich argumentation. Similarly, the solutions produced by teams can be aggregated for feeding the following lectures. Classroom orchestration is about managing the flow of data between activities as well as the timing since as teachers we have a limited timeframe and have to make sure we fit to the class schedule.

Prof. Dr. Pierre Dillenbourg is one of the first in the world to apply machine learning to develop a selfimproving teaching system.

He obtained a PhD in computer science from the University of Lancaster (UK), in the domain of artificial intelligence applications for education. He worked as a senior scientist at the University of Geneva before joining École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in 2002. He has been the academic director of Center for Digital Education, which implements the MOOC strategy of EPFL (over 3 million registrations). He is full professor in learning technologies in the School of Computer & Communication Sciences. With EPFL colleagues, he launched in 2017 the Swiss EdTech Collider, an incubator with 90 start-ups in learning technologies. In 2018, he co-founded LEARN, the EPFL Center of Learning Sciences that brings together the local initiatives in educational innovation.

He is a fellow of the International Society for Learning Sciences. He is currently the Associate Vice-President for Education at EPFL.

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FEATURED SPEAKERS

Prof. David Palfreyman, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zayed University Prof. Hisham Alsaghbini, Senior Regional Recognition Manager META, Cambridge Assessment English, Cambridge University Prof. AlSaghbini comes with more than 15 years of international experience. He started his career as researcher at various institutions in the United Kingdom. Hisham designed various inclusive education and employment programs for people with special needs in the UK and the UAE and published a number of publications on Learning approaches and assessment techniques.

Hisham holds a Bachelor in Business, a Masters in Strategy in Education and his doctorate was on Inclusiveness in Education and bridging the (under)achievement gap in Higher Education in the UK.

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David M. Palfreyman is Professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University, Dubai, and has been Chief Editor of the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives (LTHE) journal since founding the journal in 2004. He holds a PhD in Language Studies and is an active researcher in language, learning and teaching. He also teaches, supervises research and assesses work in postgraduate study and ELT teacher development.

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LIST OF PRESENTERS Name

Affiliation

Country

Email

Session

Name

Affiliation

Country

Email

Session

Ahmed Shuhaiber

College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University

UAE

ahmed.shuhaiber@zu.ac.ae

A5

Maisa El Gamal

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University

UAE

Maisa.Elgamal@zu.ac.ae

A13

Ayisha Siddiqua

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University

UAE

Ayisha.Siddiqua@zu.ac.ae

A13

Michael Allen

Office of Research, Zayed University

UAE

Michael.Allen@zu.ac.ae

D4

Badria Almurshidi

Biology Department, UAEU

UAE

b.almarshidi@uaeu.ac.ae

B2

Mohammed Shatta

Biology Department, UAEU

UAE

202050018@uaeu.ac.ae

B2

Boshra Akhozheya

Department of Building & Architectural Engineering/Engineering, Polytechnic

Italy

boshrakhaled.akhozheya@mail. polimi.it

B6

Muna Alhammadi

Department of Education, Zayed University

UAE

muna.alhammadi@zu.ac.ae

C19

Christina Gitsaki

Center for Educational Innovation, Zayed University

UAE

christina.gitsaki@zu.ac.ae

D8

Park Beede

College of Business, Zayed University

UAE

park.beede@zu.ac.ae

B14

David Palfreyman

College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zayed University

UAE

David.Palfreyman@zu.ac.ae

D8

Said Nasser Ali Al Amrani

Sohar University

Oman

said.alamrani@gmail.com

C15

Fokiya Akhtar

College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University

UAE

Sanaa Kaddoura

College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University

UAE

sanaa.kaddoura@zu.ac.ae

A1

Sawsan Dagher

sawsan.dagher@adpoly.ac.ae

B6

Algeria

halimabenzoukh@gmail.com

C7

Electromechanical Engineering/ Engineering, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic

UAE

Halima Benzoukh

Department of Letters and English Language/ Kasdi Merbah University Ouargla

Salwa Husain

UAE

Salwa.husain@zu.ac.ae

D12

Hisham Alsaghbini

Cambridge Assessment English, Cambridge University

UK

hisham.alsaghbini@cambridge. org

College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University

Panel

Sony Sreejith

Middlesex University Dubai

UAE

s.sreejith@mdx.ac.ae

C11

Imen Ben Salem

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University

UAE

Imen.BenSalem@zu.ac.ae

A13

Sreejith Balasubramanian

Middlesex University Dubai

UAE

s.balasubramanian@mdx.ac.ae

C11

Jacklyn Gentile

College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University

UAE

jacklyn.gentile@zu.ac.ae

D12

Sharon Lindenfeld

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University

UAE

sharon.lindenfeld@zu.ac.ae

D20

Jaime Buchanan

College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University

UAE

jaime.buchanan@zu.ac.ae

C3

Tala Atrouni

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University

UAE

tala.atrouni@zu.ac.ae

B10

Karim Musfy

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University

UAE

karim.musfy@zu.ac.ae

A9

Tarannum Parker

College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University

UAE

tarannum.Parkar@zu.ac.ae

D16

Lani San Antonio

Department of Education/CHHS, Zayed University

UAE

lani.sanantonio@zu.ac.ae

D12

Tim Rogmans

College of Business, Zayed University

UAE

tim.rogmans@zu.ac.ae

A17

Lina Ahmad

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University

Palestine

lina.ahmad@zu.ac.ae

B14

Tony Myers

University College, UAE University

UAE

tony.myers@uaeu.ac.ae

C3

Marco Sosa

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University

UAE

marco.sosa@zu.ac.ae

B14

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fokiya.akhtar@zu.ac.ae

D16

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CONFERENCE PROGRAM BY ROOM MULTIPURPOSE ROOM

ROOM A

Foyer - 2nd Floor Convention Center

Room A – 2nd Floor Convention Center

8:00 Registration Desk Opens

11:00 - 11:30 SESSION A1 The Impact of gaming on students’ engagement in Cybersecurity courses Sanaa Kaddoura

8:00 - 9:00 Breakfast

Multipurpose Room – 2nd Floor Convention Center 9:00 - 9:30 Opening Session

11:30 - 12:00 SESSION A5 ZU Sidekick Application: A Chatbot and more for students and faculty members Ahmed Shuhaiber 12:00 - 12:30 SESSION A9 Crossing boundaries: Upscaling obsolete aircraft interiors in a Design Studio Lina Ahmad, Karim Musfy & Marco Sosa

9:30 - 10:30 Plenary Session

12:30 - 3:30 Lunch Break & Poster Sessions @ The Foyer – 2nd Floor Convention Center

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break

Multipurpose Room – 2nd Floor Convention Center 14:30 - 15:00 Panel of Experts Session

13:30 - 14:00 SESSION A13 Teaching and learning enhancement via interactive simulations Maisa El Gamal, Imen Ben Salem & Ayisha Siddiqua

15:00 - 15:30 Closing Session and Afternoon Coffee

14:00 - 14:30 SESSION A17 Play the Sustainability Management Simulation: Net Zero Tim Rogmans

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ROOM B

ROOM C

Room B – 2nd Floor Convention Center

Room C – 2nd Floor Convention Center

11:00 - 11:30 SESSION B2

11:00 - 11:30 SESSION C3

Badria Almurshidi & Mohammed Shatta

Jaime Buchanan & Tony Myers

Using supporting animated video tutorials in classrooms 11:30 - 12:00 SESSION B6

Using multimedia to enhance the teaching and learning process Sawsan Dagher & Boshra Akhozheya

Who do I think you are? Constructing learners through feedback

11:30 - 12:00 SESSION C7

Students’ attitudes towards teacher feedback strategies in the EFL classroom Halima Benzoukh

12:00 - 12:30 SESSION B10

12:00 - 12:30 SESSION C11

Teaching art foundation online!

Effective use of formative assessments for improving student learning: An action research study

Tala Atrouni

Sreejith Balasubramanian & Sony Sreejith

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break & Poster Sessions @ The Foyer – 2nd Floor Convention Center 13:30 - 14:00 SESSION B14

Design education for non-designers: Practice approach through learning by making Marco Sosa & Lina Ahmad

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break & Poster Sessions @ The Foyer – 2nd Floor Convention Center 13:30 - 14:00 SESSION C15

Instructor perceptions of active learning in higher education in Oman and students’ commitment to the approach Said Nasser Ali Al Amrani

14:00 - 14:30 SESSION B18

14:00 - 14:30 SESSION C19

Delivering a flipped classroom experience

Experiences of college students with disabilities with the remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates

Park Beede

Muna Alhammadi

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POSTER SESSIONS ROOM D

THE FOYER The Foyer – 2nd Floor Convention Center

Room D – 2nd Floor Convention Center 11:00 - 11:30 SESSION D4

1:00 - 1:30

Research grants at ZU: Opportunities for research

SESSION P1

Job readiness in the uae: what do employers want?

Nicole Shammas

Michael Allen

11:30 - 12:00 SESSION D8

SESSION P2

How to get published: Tips and Insights

Evolution of teaching and learning in the post covid environment

Christina Gitsaki & David Palfreyman

Manshankar Chakraborty

12:00 - 12:30 SESSION D12

Re-defining happiness: Exploring the impact of the GEN 150 course on Emirati students’ definition of happiness

SESSION P3

Lani San Antonio, Jacklyn Gentile & Salwa Husain

Self-directed learning and emotional intelligence: differences between students with high and low academic performance

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch Break & Poster Sessions @ The Foyer – 2nd Floor Convention Center

SESSION P4

Yossef Eid

Integrating information literacy into teaching to improve student outcomes

13:30 - 14:00 SESSION D16

Measuring internship alignment of learning through the application of consumptive metrics

Ajlina Karamehic – Muratovic

Fokiya Akhtar & Tarannum Parker

SESSION P5

14:00 - 14:30 SESSION D20

Jose Iparraguirre

Factors influencing lecture attendance among university students in egypt

Noskha Printshop, ZU: Teaching and mentoring UAE female artists Sharon Lindenfeld

SESSION P6

Educational innovation and enhancement through applications of neuro-linguistic programming Maanasa Kirthivasan & Sonakshi Ruhela SESSION P7

Conceptualising and re-imagining the future of inclusive education in the uae Lawrence Meda

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ABSTRACTS

Active and Collaborative Learning Digital Teaching and Learning

SESSION A1

THE IMPACT OF GAMING ON STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT IN CYBERSECURITY COURSES

Sanaa Kaddoura | sanaa.kaddoura@zu.ac.ae College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Sanaa Kaddoura holds a Ph.D. in computer science from Beirut Arab University. She is an assistant professor of information security at the College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates. She is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Advance HE (FHEA) and a certified practitioner from Blackboard Academy.

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The main objective of this study was to verify the effect of gamification on enhancing students’ motivation and participation in the learning process. Nearpod was integrated in the Information Security Basics course in order to measure student engagement and interest in this introductory course. Nearpod exercises were integrated with the lesson plan for every class. A questionnaire was distributed to the students at the end of the semester to ask them about their experience. The questionnaire was sent to them via Google Forms. The results were analyzed to measure the effectiveness of the gamification technique. Also, at the end of each class, the number of participants were counted to measure the level of engagement. The students showed high engagement in the process. It reached 100% at the end of the semester. Students’ responses showed high satisfaction. The results of the course evaluation showed that the students gave high scores for the courses and they recommended the course for other students.

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Educational Technologies The use of Mobile Technology for teaching and learning

SESSION A5

ZU SIDEKICK APPLICATION: A CHATBOT AND MORE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS

Ahmed Shuhaiber | ahmed.shuhaiber@zu.ac.ae College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Ahmed Shuhaiber is an assistant professor of Information Systems, and his background is in management information systems and computer science. This is a senior project work done by the senior students: Safiyah Alhosani, Fatima Albadi, and Qwainsa Almarri and supervised

by Dr. Ahmed Shuhaiber, at the Information Systems and Technology Management department.

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This application was created to deal better with the lack of communication that students, instructors, staff and alumni students are facing in the ZU community. The application provides a chatbot for live-chat conversations towards making easier communication between the members of the ZU community. Moreover, ZU Sidekick helps to strengthen the interconnections among students, instructors, and alumni. We did a survey to understand students’ perspectives about this application, and the acceptance factors that would influence their adoption.

In addition, we interviewed instructors to investigate the main issues that they face at ZU when communicating with students during office hours and beyond. Thirdly, we followed the SDLC (System Development Life Cycle) methodology to plan for, analyze, design, implement and test the mobile application which works in different operating systems such as IOS and Android. Regarding the survey results, around 73% of the surveyed students supported the usefulness of the sidekick application, and strongly agreed that is useful to achieve better learning outcomes, whereas 62.6% of them emphasized the ease of use of this application. Regarding the SDLC, all models and diagrams are presented. Theoretically, this study extends the UTAUT theory by investigating students’ trust in the sidekick application and its influence on their acceptance of the app. It also confirms the impact of effort expectancy and performance expectancy on the intention to use it. Practically, this study offers a mobile application that helps in handling the deficiencies of communication by emails, towards a better and more efficient solution - the sidekick app.

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SESSION A9

CROSSING BOUNDARIES: UPSCALING OBSOLETE AIRCRAFT INTERIORS IN A DESIGN STUDIO

Lina Ahmad | lina.ahmad@zu.ac.ae

Project-Based Learning Problem-Based Learning

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Lina Ahmad is Chair of Design at The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University. Ahmad has published academically, exhibited and presented in conferences internationally on Modern Architectural Heritage in the UAE, VR digital immersion and is an advocate of digital fabrication technology and its impact in higher education.

Karim Musfy | karim.musfy@zu.ac.ae College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Karim Musfy is a seasoned executive and an educator with over twenty years of international experience in academia, consultancy and development.

Currently an Assistant Professor at Zayed University. Musfy’s work was mentioned in publications including A+U, El Croquis and Eisenman Architect’s publications Diagram Diaries and Selected and Current Works.

Marco Sosa | marco.sosa@zu.ac.ae

Design learning experience in higher education tends to be academic, confined to the institution’s classrooms.

Our presentation highlights a pedagogical approach to interdisciplinary immersive learning through devised collaboration with the industry and students’ hands-on involvement. It showcases a developed teaching methodology implemented as part of the Interior Design curriculum. Adaptive Ephemeral Interiority explores design theories as a method of upscaling site specific interiors into another context and investigating nonpermanent interior design solutions as a response to permanency.

Participants were intermediate interior design students from Abu Dhabi Campus. The study was conducted twice; following a traditional approach of surveying and designing and using a design and built methodology.

The later allowed students to directly work with the pieces, thus reversed the typical design process. Drawings were used as a form of documentation. Data were collected through a mixed method of documentation, observation, and survey, followed by a comparative analysis. Outcomes were a series of prototypes conforming to the concept of Adaptive Ephemeral Interiority; Upcycling Site Specific Airplane Interiors from the national airline (Etihad) into another context. Presented solutions addressed functionality, materiality, sustainability and constructibility of adaptive interiority and ephemeral design, while simultaneously focusing on the problem of industrial waste. The findings showed how the students enhanced a dialogue with local industry to stimulate better strategies and solutions to waste. Through design-build pedagogy, the immersive learning experience allowed students to learn how to adapt and decontextualize materials adding to their skills as they prepare to enter the creative industry.

College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Marco Sosa is Assistant Dean of Research at The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University. Sosa has published academically, exhibited and presented in conferences around the world on Modern Architectural Heritage in the UAE, VR digital immersion and the continuous development of Design education in the UAE.

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Project-Based Learning Assessing the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learning

SESSION A13

TEACHING AND LEARNING ENHANCEMENT VIA INTERACTIVE SIMULATIONS

Maisa El Gamal | Maisa.Elgamal@zu.ac.ae College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Maisa El Gamal is a chemistry teacher. She offers her students different ways of learning chemistry, starting from an in-person attending lab to virtual laboratory sessions. She has provided simulation methods to help students better visualize direct relations and the related effects.

Imen Ben Salem | Imen.BenSalem@zu.ac.ae College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Imen Ben Salem is a physics teacher. She offers her students instructive guidance to assist them in meeting their academic goals and helps them to develop a plan of action in the pursuit of educational goals that will produce the desired outcomes.

Educators are aware that incorporating technological advancements can greatly enhance the educational process.

Higher education students demand incorporating technologies into the learning process to practise complicated skills. Using simulation-based learning can be safe and effective. Simulation modeling offers beneficial solutions across sectors and disciplines to engage in real-life problem-solving. This study was executed over a semester to assess project-based learning. The methodology involved a total of 24 science students who were receiving their education at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Each student was allowed to perform a science experiment, once in the university’s on-campus laboratory and another via an online simulation designed by the instructors. Subsequently, the students’ experience in both was evaluated in terms of realism, accuracy, engagement, and feasibility of using the simulation in experimentations compared to those performed in the lab, through a designed questionnaire. The results showed that the simulation was more successful in science experiments compared to those performed on-campus. This is because the simulation allows students to safely use immensely high temperatures, undergo several trials, and remotely perform their experiments. Besides, the simulation contributes to fewer expenses required by on-campus laboratories like equipment and reagents.

The study is significant as it allows for providing solutions to an ongoing global problem which is sustaining education and experimental practices through the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the study allows for an efficient educational alternative to sustain active and hands-on learning with low expenses.

Ayisha Siddiqua | Ayisha.Siddiqua@zu.ac.ae College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Ayisha Siddiqua is a chemistry teacher who is always interested in increasing the level of understanding of difficult concepts in chemistry. She has observed that incorporating simulations in her lab classes and theory classes has led to a better understanding of concepts.

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Digital Teaching and Learning Educational Technologies

SESSION A17

PLAY THE SUSTAINABILITY MANAGEMENT SIMULATION: NET ZERO

Tim Rogmans | tim.rogmans@zu.ac.ae College of Business, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

This is a workshop during which participants will play the Sustainability Management Simulation: Net Zero. This simiulation game is designed for business students at all levels to experience the challenges and opportunities related to reducing corporate greenhouse gas emissions in line with objectives of the Paris Agreement on climate change, while at the same time managing business performance.

Tim Rogmans is Associate Professor at the College of Business at Zayed University in Dubai. He developed three business simulation games, all distributed by Harvard Business Publishing (Econland, Net Zero, Coffee Shop Inc). Tim facilitates the course “Teaching with Business Simulation Games” for AACSB International and carries out research into teaching with simulations.

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Digital Teaching and Learning Assessing the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learning

SESSION B2

USING SUPPORTING ANIMATED VIDEO TUTORIALS IN CLASSROOMS

Badria Almurshidi | b.almarshidi@uaeu.ac.ae Biology Deparment ,UAEU United Arab Emirates

Badria Almurshidi is Assistant Professor at UAEU, Biology department, College of Sciences. She completed her higher education in specialty of Nanomedicine and Molecular toxicology in USA at University of South Carolina and Oregon State University. She is focusing on applying molecular therapeutic agents in cancer pathways and neurological disorders. She is also focusing on developing stem cell therapies in neurological disorders and diabetes.simulations.

Mohammed Shatta | 202050018@uaeu.ac.ae Biology Deparment, College of Science, ,UAEU United Arab Emirates

Muhammed Shatta is one of the outstanding dean’s list students at the College of Science, Biology department, Cellular Molecular Branch. He is member of the Biology Club at the university and has many student and school team work activities.

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We chose to focus on animated videos as a technique of learning because many studies showed that there was improvement in students’ skills and knowledge. Accordingly, animated videos improve learning engagement, interactive learning, imagination, creativity and emphasize learning in affordable and accessible ways. From our application of that technique during the pandemic, we found that the animated videos in learning facilitate complex processes, challenge topics in biology to be understood with simple visual cues. The technique starts by presenting a video about a story or incident related to the lesson with a simple introduction and explanation in the class. For example, in a lesson about a specific disease, in order to attract the attention of the students and consolidate the symptoms of the disease, we demonstrate a video about people suffering from that diseasethe duration of the video is between 2- i5 minutes or even less. Then we start using presentation slides to consolidate some of the terms and definitions mentioned in the video.

After that we start by detailing the symptoms and the biological mechanisms for a period that lasts for example 15 minutes, or we show another video that contains cartoon animations which explain the targeted biological mechanisms of the disease for the lesson. We can paus the videos and clarifies details or add more information. We engaged the students in questions related to explained details in the video. The methods were applied in different biological subjects for different courses (neuroscience, Toxicology, basic biology), male and female students, and applied online and face to face. Our results indicating that there was improvement in students’ skills and knowledge.

The student levels in the exams and quizzes were improved and they have availability to pass the courses beside the availability to reconnect or corelate the related information’s and facts together. The research prove that some of our students which were under the this kind of applied educational technique succeeded to work in tutoring centers for the same subjects at university. This method enhanced the students’ knowledge and learning style. It is also led to improve their progress and success toward passing the subject with decent scores. In addition, their understanding, linking and remembering, was improved and some of them started teaching the same subjects for new students.

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Educational Technologies Assessing the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learnin

SESSION B6

USING MULTIMEDIA TO ENHANCE THE TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS

Sawsan Dagher | sawsan.dagher@adpoly.ac.ae Electromechanical Abu Dhabi Polytechnic

Engineering/Engineering,

United Arab Emirates

Badria Almurshidi is Assistant Professor at UAEU, Biology department, College of Sciences. She completed her higher education in specialty of Nanomedicine and Molecular toxicology in USA at University of South Carolina and Oregon State University. She is focusing on applying molecular therapeutic agents in cancer pathways and neurological disorders. She is also focusing on developing stem cell therapies in neurological disorders and diabetes.simulations.

Boshra Akhozheya | boshrakhaled.akhozheya@mail.polimi.it Department of Building & Architectural Engineering/Engineering, Polytechnic University of Milan Italy

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Traditional teaching is being replaced by mass media and technological advancement, which is having a huge impact on teaching and learning. Integrating technology into the classroom and inventing new teaching strategies in order to increase educational output is a must. This study aimed to evaluate the use of multimedia throughout the course of a semester. The study included 24 science students from Abu Dhabi Polytechnic.

Some lectures throughout this study used multimedia such as images, animations, and videos, while others did not. Topic-by-topic analysis of student performance on assignments and quizzes was done to determine the effect that multimedia had on their results. Additionally, input from the students was gathered to assess understanding, engagement, and overall experience. The findings of this study have demonstrated that using multimedia enhances both the learning process and the academic performance of students. The students were more engaged and reported significantly greater retention and comprehension of the material in lectures that included multimedia. This was supported by the way they responded creatively and promptly to tasks and tests on those topics throughout the course. The study’s conclusions imply that science and a number of other topics could be taught using multimedia-enhanced instruction. The study also suggests that a course might be finished in proportionally less time when taught using multimedia than when taught using traditional ways of teaching science, allowing the spare time to be used for additional enriching educational activities. Teaching with multimedia tools might make up for the low academic performance of students. Due to the fact that students are more drawn to colorful graphics, teachers should be encouraged to design resources using basic software packages. Students’ proficiency in cooperation, patience, and developing the value of work can all be enhanced via activity-based multimedia training.

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Online Learning Assessing the effectiveness of technology in supporting student learning

SESSION B10

TEACHING ART FOUNDATION ONLINE!

Tala Atrouni | tala.atrouni@zu.ac.ae College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Tala Atrouni is a Palestinian-Lebanese-American artist who studied at the Lebanese American University in Beirut and the Academy of Art College in San Francisco, USA. She currently lives in the UAE and works as an Assistant Professor at Zayed University teaching Graphic Design and Foundation of Arts courses. Tala has exhibited in solo exhibitions at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and numerous group exhibitions at the Etihad Modern Art Gallery, Abu Dhabi; Atelier Gallery, San Francisco, and Sheikh Zayed Gallery in Beirut, Lebanon.

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This research study examined ways and methods that help deliver course materials while keeping students engaged during synchronous online sessions. This mode of delivery poses many challenges. Firstly, this course is required for first year art and design students who are still adapting to the new university environment.

Secondly, students are still learning how to draw from observation. Thirdly, many students haven’t drawn, painted or created 3D artwork since middle school. Forthly, they are learning how to use different art mediums properly and refine their craftsmanship. Lastly, they are intimidated by the online delivery mode during the pandemic.

The delivery method of the course is new to most students and not voluntarily chosen by them. While analyzing 2D representational studies in various media, utilizing practical art and design skills for professional results, exploring the basic fundamentals of drawing by analyzing a still life and investigating 2D representational studies in various media, producing observational drawings that interpret visual proportions, and constructing 3D forms across a range of media through observations, students are elevating their critical and analytical thinking skills in creating and interpreting creative works. The study findings suggest that instructors who use live camera along with multiple screens helps in delivering the course material better and leads to improved student performance and engagement in foundation courses. In this presentation, I will share some ways and methods that helped deliver the course materials and most importantly keep students engaged during synchronous online sessions.

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Active and Collaborative Learning Project-Based Learning

SESSION B14

DESIGN EDUCATION FOR NON-DESIGNERS: PRACTICE APPROACH THROUGH LEARNING BY MAKING

Marco Sosa | marco.sosa@zu.ac.ae College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University United Kingdom

Marco Sosa is Assistant Dean of Research at The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University. Sosa has published academically, exhibited and presented in conferences around the world on Modern Architectural Heritage in the UAE, VR digital immersion and the continuous development of Design education in the UAE.

Lina Ahmad | lina.ahmad@zu.ac.ae College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University Palestine

Today’s rapid technological development, calls for a learner-centered approach encouraging knowledge acquisition from direct interaction with the surrounding environment precipitating the Maker Space movement; a paradigm shift toward personalized fabrication. The meteoric development of computers, social media, and smart devices have democratized knowledge and skills dramatically transforming communities. The study methodology evolved within three cohorts of design students. It was then applied and tested with one cohort of non-design students in an interdisciplinary vertical design classroom through three main stages: Stage I -Individual self-empowerment where knowledge is gained on how to use and appropriate various digital fabrication tools to come up with design-built solutions. Stage II -Mastering the used tools, thus moving to the stage of being able to generate creative innovative solutions to identified problems. Stage III -Ownership where the needed tools are invented, hacked and appropriated from the identified problem parameter towards a devised solution. Results demonstrated the participants’ journey of gradual self-empowerment, from mastering tools, and acquiring needed skills, to knowledge appropriation. The findings show two essential factors: time /allowing the participants to go through a process of failure and success; and, drive/having a clearly defined objective driving the process of inquiry.

Lina Ahmad is Chair of Design at The College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University. Ahmad has published academically, exhibited and presented in conferences internationally on Modern Architectural Heritage in the UAE, VR digital immersion and is an advocate of digital fabrication technology and its impact in higher education.

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The flipped classroom approach Blended Learning

SESSION B18

DELIVERING A FLIPPED CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE

Park Beede | park.beede@zu.ac.ae College of Business, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Park Beede, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the College of Business, specializing in advertising and marketing. His research interests include advertising, branding, and consumer behavior, along with teaching and learning strategies. Park has held a variety of academic administration roles, especially in the area of graduate education.

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Split over two semesters, one instructor delivered multiple sections of one introductory business course in marketing principles. The first semester was delivered in a traditional F2F format and then, in the second semester, sections were delivered in a flipped classroom format. Consistency was key, and the course content was virtually identical. Students were not aware of the analysis, and results were drawn from final grades (student achievement), attendance (student motivation), and course evaluation surveys (student satisfaction).

Results among 133 students (79 in traditional lectures and 54 in flipped classrooms) were compared across the alternative teaching formats and inferences were drawn. Reflected consistently across all traditional student learning outcomes, the flipped classroom format negatively impacted student engagement and achievement.

While blending innovative teaching technologies and interactive classrooms has been shown to enhance student learning outcomes, positive results should not be assumed. The findings show the participants’ accelerated learning process, deeper engagement and self-aquisition of needed skills showing the increased need for hands on ‘design and build’ approach as a design learning process. Overall, the flipped classroom format resulted in diminished student learning outcomes. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results indicate a significant decrease in final average scores – M 78.5% F2F format versus M 74% flipped classroom (p < 0.001). Additional concerns were prompted by significant decreases in course evaluation scores. Shortcomings of the study include limited reach and mono-demographic participation, conducted with only one non-designer cohort over one semester.

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Student-Faculty Interaction Assessment for Learning

SESSION C3

WHO DO I THINK YOU ARE? CONSTRUCTING LEARNERS THROUGH FEEDBACK

Jaime Buchanan | jaime.buchanan@zu.ac.ae College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Jaime Buchanan is a senior lecturer who has taught academic and technical writing at Zayed University since 2012. She is passionate about action research projects that promote effective pedagogy and exploring ways of promoting feedback literacy in both faculty and students.

Tony Myers | tony.myers@uaeu.ac.ae University College, UAE University United Arab Emirates

Tony Myers is a Lecturer at United Arab Emirates University, teaching academic literacies for the Writing Center. He has taught in the UAE for 10 years in tertiary institutions, and has published articles and books on feedback literacy, genre pedagogy and psychoanalysis.

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Feedback literacy is a fast-developing field exploring ways in which successful students action feedback to improve their work. Increasing attention has been given to its dialogic underpinnings, and how understanding feedback as a negotiation can improve outcomes. Within that context, this project examines how teacher feedback creates a particular subject position for students. Approximately 20 papers from an IT discipline and 20 from a humanities discipline were chosen as a sample of undergraduate writing. The end comments from these two sets of papers (not the in-text comments) were then compiled into a mini-corpus and analyzed thematically using a version of Appraisal Theory developed from Systemic Functional Linguistics (Martin & White, 2003). This analysis focused on the use of modality and subject pronouns as an engagement strategy.

The results of these analyses were compared to determine the ways in which feedback positions students. It looks at how the deployment of two specific linguistic structures: modality and subject pronoun usage furnish teachers with the means to present themselves as recognizing, answering, ignoring, challenging, rejecting, anticipating or accommodating their students and the positions they represent. This initial study is suggestive of the need for teachers to consider how what they write as feedback helps create the space for students to occupy as self-directed agents of that feedback. It therefore further reinforces the need for teachers to consider feedback as a dialogue to engage their students. Martin, J. R., & White, P. R. (2003). The language of evaluation (Vol. 2). London: Palgrave Macmillan.

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Student-Faculty Interaction Supportive Classroom Environments

SESSION C7

STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS TEACHER FEEDBACK STRATEGIES IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

Halima Benzoukh | halimabenzoukh@gmail.com Department of Letters and English Language/ Kasdi Merbah University Ouargla Algeria

Halima Benzoukh is an Associate Professor at the University of Ouargla, Algeria. She has published a number of articles and has participated in many national and international conferences. Her research interests include TEFL, applied linguistics, stylistics, literature and peace education.

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The present paper comes to shed light on the importance of both teacher feedback and error treatment in the EFL classroom at university. The selected sample encompasses 100 first year ‘licence’ students at the Department of Letters and English Language, Kasdi Merbah University, Ouargla, Algeria. The chosen research tool was a students’ questionnaire. The questionnaire conducted with the target sample aimed at revealing the relationship between teachers’ feedback and their learners’ achievement. Teacher feedback and error treatment are basic elements in the EFL classroom interaction. Therefore, a great deal of teachers’ attention should be directed to their feedback in order to deal with their students’ errors effectively. Conducting the questionnaire revealed that teacher feedback affects students’ abilities to learn EFL and to avoid committing errors. Positive feedback helps students to improve their language skills; however, negative feedback prevents them from achieving so. There is a tight link between teacher feedback and students’ performance in the EFL classroom.

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Student-Faculty Interaction Assessment for Learning

SESSION C11

EFFECTIVE USE OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR IMPROVING STUDENT LEARNING: AN ACTION RESEARCH STUDY

Sreejith Balasubramanian | s.balasubramanian@mdx.ac.ae Middlesex University Dubai United Arab Emirates

Sreejith Balasubramanian is the founder and head of the Centre for Supply Chain Excellence at Middlesex University, Dubai. He is also the Chair of the Research Committee. He completed his PhD at Middlesex University Business School, London. His areas of expertise include supply chain, operations management, disruptive technologies, sustainability, and knowledge management. Sreejith has over 50 publications in leading academic and practitioner-focused journals, including Supply Chain Management: An International Journal; Production, Planning & Control; Business Strategy and the Environment, and Journal of Knowledge Management.

Formative assessments have become integral to teaching and learning in higher education. The objective of formative assessment is to aid student learning by generating feedback information that is beneficial to students to restructure their understanding and for teachers to realign their teaching in response to learners’ needs.

However, there are growing concerns in the literature about the use and effectiveness of formative assessments.

The authors also faced several issues related to formative assessments (or lack thereof) in their modules (subjects), which adversely impacted student learning and overall performance. This formed the motivation of this study. An action research project was designed and executed on the international branch campus of a leading UK University in the United Arab Emirates. The findings were promising and show that the inclusion of various formative assessments (online and face-to-face) contributes to enhancing student learning. The results are expected to provide academics, policymakers, and institutions in the UAE higher education sector, and in general, critical insights into the effective design, delivery, and management of formative assessments.

Sony Sreejith | s.sreejith@mdx.ac.ae Middlesex University Dubai United Arab Emirates

Sony Sreejith attained her Master’s degree in Strategic Human Resource Management with distinction from the University of Wollongong. She also holds a Master of Science, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Education from the University of Calicut and a Certificate in Statistics from University of California, Berkeley. She has 10 years of teaching, research, and administrative experience in India and the UAE and has handled large cohorts of students from diverse international backgrounds. Before joining Middlesex University Dubai, she was faculty at the University of Wollongong in Dubai.

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Active and Collaborative Learning Student-Faculty Interaction

SESSION C15

INSTRUCTOR PERCEPTIONS OF ACTIVE LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN OMAN AND STUDENTS’ COMMITMENT TO THE APPROACH

Said Nasser Ali Al Amrani | said.alamrani@gmail.com Sohar University Oman

Said Al-Amrani is an Assistant Professor at Sohar University. He joined Sohar University in 2006 after he completed his MA TESOL from Griffith University in Australia. In 2009, Dr. Al-Amrani gained a scholarship from the University of Queensland, top 50 universities in the world, to do his PhD studies. He is a reviewer in the Journal of Research in Applied Linguistics.

He currently teaches sociolinguistics and communication courses in the Faculty of Language Studies. His research interests include willingness to communicate, learning strategies, and active learning in higher education.

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Creating active learning opportunities requires building a learning culture in which the instructor plays the role of a facilitator leaving the ultimate responsibility of learning to the student. The question, however, is whether this is happening in practice. This study aimed to answer this question by providing instructor conceptualisations of active learning in a higher education institution in Oman. The study participants were eighty-five instructors working for a private university in Oman. Data were collected by surveying these instructors’ perceptions of active learning practice indicators, such as active teaching strategies and student educational practices. This was followed by interviewing a random sample of the same instructors (N=10) to obtain a deeper understanding of their implementation of the active learning approach. Data collected through the survey showed that instructors have positive perceptions of all active learning practice indicators. However, the shift from passive to active learning in higher education in Oman seems to have negatively impacted active learning practice in the sense that it created a discrepancy between instructors’ willingness to practice active learning and learners’ unpreparedness to become autonomous learners. The follow-up interview findings confirmed this point revealing instructors’ negative perceptions of student participation and engagement in out-of-class activities. This study is among the first to inquire about the application of active learning in a higher-education institution in Oman from instructor perspectives.

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Educational Technologies Online Learning

SESSION C19

EXPERIENCES OF COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WITH THE REMOTE LEARNING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Muna Alhammadi | muna.alhammadi@zu.ac.ae Department of Education, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Muna Alhammadi is a lecturer and Ph.D. holder in the field of inclusive education. Over the past decade, she has worked in a wide variety of professional capacities in the government sector in the UAE. She also has published her research internationally and has participated in international and local conferences. Dr. Muna’s ongoing mission is to develop innovative ways of teaching and supporting people with disabilities.

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This study aims to explore the experiences of college students with disabilities during the remote learning in the United Arab Emirates UAE and highlight the main challenges those students have faced with the remote learning since the beginning of the pandemic. Mixed research methods were used to collect and analyze data for this research (quantitative and qualitative). An online survey was circulated to students with disabilities who are registered for disability support services at three different universities in the UAE. The purpose of this survey was to explore the common challenges facing students with disabilities with remote learning. The survey questions also explored the advantages of the remote learning system based on the students’ experiences.

Moreover, semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a sample from each university as well as disability support staff at each university. Each interview took between 30 to 60 minutes. Research participants were given the choice to be interviewed either in Arabic or in English. Outcomes of the study suggest that students have different experiences with the online learning. Some of the advantages of the remote learning based on the students’ experiences were having access to the recording online classes when they needed, having more time to focus on their study at home, receiving support from the disability specialists and some instructors after working hours. However, some of the challenges reported by some students were difficulties to communicate with some instructors, difficulties to collaborate with other students in class activities and group assignments, difficulties in participating in class activities and social isolation. The results of the study will help in identifying the barriers facing students with disabilities with the online learning, and how to overcome those challenges. It will also provide some useful recommendations to higher educational institutions in the UAE to provide better access and services to students with disabilities through the remote learning system.

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Professional Development Research Funding

SESSION D4

APPLYING FOR RESEARCH FUNDING

Michael Allen | Michael.Allen@zu.ac.ae Acting Provost and Chief Academic Officer , Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Michael Allen is Acting Provost at Zayed University, with campuses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He has previously served as Assistant Provost for Research and as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Zayed University. Prior to joining Zayed University, he was Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences at Brigham Young University Hawaii. He has also been employed at the University of Auckland (New Zealand), the University of California at Berkeley, and the University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada). He has extensive experience in international education, and has traveled widely both for his own research and to build programs and partnerships between universities. Trained as a historian, Dr. Allen received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Washington and his Master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley. He holds undergraduate degrees in both History and Asian Studies from Brigham Young University.

Dr. Allen is a specialist on East Asian history in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and has traveled numerous times to China, Japan, and Korea (both North and South). Most of his research has focused on Korea in the 19th and 20th centuries. He also has a deep interest in world history, and his publications include books and articles on nationalism in East Asia, intellectual history, historiography, and the history of the world since 1500.

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There are four fundamental elements required for the successful completion of any research project: a good idea or question; appropriate infrastructure; sufficient time; and adequate funding. This presentation will focus on the last of these elements. Specifically, we will discuss the various funding sources available at Zayed University, each of which has different criteria and a different review process. From small start-up grants to large, interdisciplinary cluster grants, the University seeks to support the research of its faculty through appropriate funding mechanisms. Just need a student research assistant? We can help with that, too. We will discuss how to find the application forms, what to include (and not include) with an application, and what kinds of expenditures the grants will support. The process does not need to be complicated, but your chances of receiving funding are much better if you understand the process, provide all the required information, and meet the criteria expected of reviewers at the various levels.

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Professional Development Research Publications

SESSION D8

HOW TO GET PUBLISHED: TIPS AND INSIGHTS

Christina Gitsaki | christina.gitsaki@zu.ac.ae Center for Educational Innovation, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Christina Gitsaki is Professor and Research Coordinator at the Center for Educational Innovation, Zayed University. She is an applied linguist with a special interest in educational technologies and their impact on teaching and learning. At the CEI she oversees the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, she supports faculty with classroom-based research, manages a research fund and she is the current chief editor of the LTHE journal.

This workshop will give some insights into how a SoTL journal is managed and edited in an effort to help authors get their papers accepted. Two editors of the journal Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives (LTHE), will explain how to ascertain the nature of the journal; what the online platform that is used for submissions and publication looks like; the submission and review process (including how peer reviewers are selected and how reviews are used to make a decision about the article); and the acceptance and publication process. Throughout the session tips and strategies will be shared to help authors increase their chances of having their papers accepted by a journal.

David Palfreyman | David.Palfreyman@zu.ac.ae College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

David M. Palfreyman is Professor in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Zayed University, Dubai, and has been Chief Editor of the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives (LTHE) journal since founding the journal in 2004. He holds a PhD in Language Studies and is an active researcher in language, learning and teaching.

He also teaches, supervises research and assesses work in postgraduate study and ELT teacher development.

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SESSION D12

RE-DEFINING HAPPINESS: EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF THE GEN 150 COURSE ON EMIRATI STUDENTS’ DEFINITION OF HAPPINESS

Active and Collaborative Learning Assessment of Learning

Lani San Antonio | lani.sanantonio@zu.ac.ae Department of Education/CHHS, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Lani San Antonio is an Assistant Professor at Zayed University in the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. She has worked in higher education for over 15 years in the UAE and USA. She has presented internationally on many topics centered around first year college student resiliency, happiness and wellbeing in higher education and creativity in the classroom. In 2020, Dr. Lani was recognized as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Jacklyn Gentile | jacklyn.gentile@zu.ac.ae

This study aimed to investigate the impact of the required first year course (GEN 150) on Happiness and Wellbeing. Most specifically, the study aimed to understand the course’s impact on Emirati college students’ definition of happiness and wellbeing. This qualitative study had 248 participants (Emirati, first year college students enrolled in a GEN 150 course, both male and female). The study collected data at the beginning and end of the semester to see if their definition on happiness changed pre and post the course. A thematic analysis was conducted on the data. Overall, we found that the findings suggest that the course did impact the student’s understanding of happiness. In regards to teaching and learning, we found that students were more likely to use course-related language to define happiness and to incorporate course-related activities into their lives. The study has many implications. The interdisciplinary and experiential nature of the course shows the impact of interdisciplinary approaches and hands on activities on student learning.

College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Jacklyn Gentile is an Instructor in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Zayed University. She currently teaches GEN 150 (Positivity and Wellbeing) and is the Course Coordinator. With a passion and research interest in positive psychology, Jacklyn uses her M.Ed. in Counselor Education to promote happiness and wellbeing in the classroom and beyond.

Salwa Husain | Salwa.husain@zu.ac.ae College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Salwa Husain is an instructor at Zayed University in the College of Interdisciplinary Studies. She is a PhD Candidate at UAEU majoring in leadership and policy studies in education. Her areas of interest are educational leadership, emotional intelligence, and happiness and positive education.

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Active and Collaborative Learning Assessment of Learning

SESSION D16

MEASURING INTERNSHIP ALIGNMENT OF LEARNING THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF CONSUMPTIVE METRICS

Fokiya Akhtar | fokiya.akhtar@zu.ac.ae College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Fokiya Akhtar is an Assistant Professor in Media Production and Storytelling at the College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University, UAE. She has a Ph.D. from Cardiff University Wales, UK. Fokiya has vast experience in Television production as a Producer/ Director for documentary films, television series, news/ current affairs programs, game shows, and educational television content production. Her independent documentaries have won awards at prestigious film festivals across the world.

Tarannum Parker | tarannum.Parkar@zu.ac.ae College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

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This study examines the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two constructs of experiential learning for CCMS students through their onsite internship experience. The study followed the method of inductive reasoning, which begins with specific observations and moves to broad generalisations based on inductive reasoning. The researchers conducted a content analysis of the internship reports from 20 students who interned on-site during the spring semester of 2022. Content analysis involves the use of replicable and valid methods to evaluate the content of observed communications (Krippendorff, 1980). Researchers are able to sift through large amounts of data using the content analysis method. In this study, we used consumptive metrics to evaluate and measure the alignment of academics with practice based on the internship reports of 20 students. We found that students learned critical skills and extensive knowledge from the internship program. However, the extent of learning resources consumed during the internship program was limited. This leads to low alignment between theory and practice. Getting academics and practice aligned in ten weeks is crucial for ZU and CCMS undergraduate students. The program prepares them for successful integration into the professional world. Through the use of a consumptive metrics lens, we measured ‘learning’ (what students learned during the course) and ‘reaction’ (the internship experience) and found that interns generally rate the internship program positively in terms of the skills they learned and knowledge they gained, but for optimal alignment, they need to be able to apply what they have learned in the academic context to the internship program.

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Active and Collaborative Learning Project-Based Learning

SESSION D20

NOSKHA PRINTSHOP, ZU: TEACHING AND MENTORING UAE FEMALE ARTISTS

Sharon Lindenfeld | sharon.lindenfeld@zu.ac.ae College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University United Arab Emirates

Sharon Lindenfeld is an Abu Dhabi-based printmaker. Her prints have been exhibited internationally including at venues in Egypt, the US, UK, Poland, China, and Italy. Before moving to the Middle East, Sharon worked under Master Printers in New York City, on fine art editions for leading contemporary artists.

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This presentation outlines a case study of teaching and mentoring women artists at Zayed University. In 2020, Professor Lindenfeld and student interns founded Noskha Printshop, a fine art printmaking workshop, where students would make prints for professional artists, thus participating in the global art-world during a time of isolation. In our inaugural semester, we produced two hand-printed editions with international artists Alex McLeod and Sumaia Alamoodi. In the second year, students Shoug Masood and Moza Alqubaisi worked along Dutch artists Martijn Hesseling and Abdul Qader al Rais. The students were involved throughout the entire process, researching, inviting artists, meeting with them, conducting technical research, mixing colors, and hand-printing the final artworks. They were able to give their own input and point-of-view to the works. The students were innovative in their use of local materials, traditional media, and digital technology. This case study examines the way that teaching and mentorship aid in the development of professional skills. It touches on approaches especially useful during the pandemic: internet research, technology, virtual communication, and documentation. The editions project was highly successful: the invited artists were thrilled with the final work, and the interns learned first-hand about the printmaking publishing world. Opportunities for growth include expanding our reach in the exhibition and distribution of these final outcomes. This case study demonstrates how working with professional industry partners in the classroom setting has benefits for students as they develop technical skills, confidence, creative thinking, understanding and knowledge, and working as a team.

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Supportive Classroom Environments Curriculum development

SESSION P1

JOB READINESS IN THE UAE: WHAT DO EMPLOYERS WANT?

Nicole Shammas | nshammas@hct.ac.ae Dubai Women’s College, Higher Colleges of Technology United Arab Emirates

Nicole Shammas is from New Zealand and came to Dubai almost 23 years ago from Seoul, Korea. She did her doctoral studies at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia in Intercultural issues, and has a deep interest in Emirati women having published on motivation and Emirati women.

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The remit of education is to prepare students for the work force; this needs buy-in from the educational sector and a closer alignment between what is taught and what employers really want. This study identifies the skills UAE employers prefer, to help better prepare graduates for employment. This is a mixed methods study incorporating both quantitative and qualitative data collection instruments and analysis through the use of surveys and interviews. The participants of this study are both UAE employers and working Emirati graduates.

Mixed methods is the most appropriate choice for this as the primary purpose of this study is to explore the gap between skills learnt at college and the reality of skills needed on the job in order to be able to educate in more effective ways (Labaree, 2009). Analysis will be through coding, identifying key themes and the use of descriptive statistics. Preliminary results show a divergence of perceptions between employers and graduates around work readiness skills needed. Graduates highlight the need to develop technical skills for the work place, whereas employers consistently report the need for leadership skills, curiosity and initiative. It is the responsibility of the educational sector to provide employers with graduates who are ‘job ready’ and have the required skills that employers want. With this in mind, it is imperative that educational institutions provide more opportunities for students to develop their leadership skills.

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Active and Collaborative Learning Blended Learning

SESSION P2

EVOLUTION OF TEACHING AND LEARNING IN THE POST COVID ENVIRONMENT

Manishankar Chakraborty | mchakraborty@hct.ac.ae Al Ain Women’s Campus, Higher Colleges of Technology United Arab Emirates

Manishankar Chakraborty is Assistant Professor of Business at the Higher Colleges of Technology, Al Ain Women’s Campus, UAE. His research interests include teaching and learning, Human Resource Management, Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Soft Skills. He has more than two decades of experience in the academia and industry.

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The study would try to analyze the evolution of the teaching and learning environment in the post pandemic world.

Covid pandemic had witnessed lot of changes in the teaching and learning environment and that culminated in the emergence of a new normal for the stakeholders. The study has been conducted by interviewing students and teachers who had witnessed the changes that started during the covid pandemic and is still evolving.

Questionnaire-based interviews were conducted to seek opinions about different aspects of teaching and learning in order to understand the evolutionary processes that have come to the fore. Based on the opinions, analysis and inferences were drawn to propose new practices that can be embedded into the teaching and learning environment. The result has presented various indications that are good for the teaching and learning related process enhancement. Certain areas indicated opportunities for improvement, in order to make the system better. The usage of technology has been a major takeaway for both the tutor as well as the learner.

The study would allow future researchers to work further and continue to understand the evolution process of teaching and learning, especially when new practices would now be the order of the day. It would also allow the tutors and learners to look through a new prism of the learning environment.

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Student-Faculty Interaction Supportive Classroom Environments

SESSION P3

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STUDENTS WITH HIGH AND LOW ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Yossef Eid | dr.yossef@yahoo.com Special Education, College of Education, King Khalid University Saudi Arabia

Yossef Eid is Deputy General Supervisor of the Curriculum and Plans Unit at the University Vice Presidency for Educational and Academic Affairs at King Khalid University in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He is also Associate Professor of Special Education in the Department of Special Education, College of Education, King Khalid University since 2014. He has been working as the coordinator of the Department of Special Education during 2015.

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The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences between students with high and low academic performance in terms of self-directed learning and emotional intelligence. The participants were 108 university students (52 students with high academic performance and 56 students with low academic performance).

The data collection instruments were the Self-Directed Learning Scale and the Emotional Intelligence Scale.

The results showed that there are significant differences between students with high academic performance and students with low academic performance in self-directed learning in favor of students with high academic performance and in emotional intelligence in favor of students with low academic performance. There is a positive correlation between self-directed learning and emotional intelligence in students with high academic performance. The current findings of this study highlighted the significance and need for university counseling services to develop and increase SDL and EI among university students who are not academically superior. This motivates and encourages students to conduct research, study, personalize, and solve many academic and personal problems that students with low academic performance face.

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Active and Collaborative Learning Problem-Based Learning

SESSION P4

INTEGRATING INFORMATION LITERACY INTO TEACHING TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES

Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic | z10997@zu.ac.ae College of Communication and Media Sciences, Zayed University Saudi Arabia

Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in CCMS at Zayed University. She received her degree in Health Communication from the University of Kentucky, USA. Her research focuses on health interventions with refugee and immigrant communities.

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Information literacy is a skill needed in the classroom so that students are able to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively. However, many students do not possess this skill and moreover the skill is not taught throughout one’s undergraduate career. This presentation is a report of how information literacy was integrated into a Sociology of Mental Health class taught in St. Louis, MO, USA. The presentation overviews how assignments for the class were developed and staggered throughout the semester to help students achieve the desired learning outcomes. There were a total of 4 assignments that were developed for the course and staggered throughout the semester. The result of integrating information literacy into a specific class and refining it over a period of 4-5 semesters suggests that students’ information literacy is enhanced when problem-based learning assignments are staggered throughout the semester.

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SESSION P5

FACTORS INFLUENCING LECTURE ATTENDANCE AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN EGYPT

Student-Faculty Interaction Curriculum development

Jose Iparraguirre | jose.louis@giu-uni.de Faculty of Business Administration, German International University of Applied Sciences in Cairo Egypt

Jose Iparraguirre is Full Professor of Economics. He lectures in economics, statistics, research methods, and business ethics. He holds a PhD, 5 Master’s degrees, and 3 graduate diplomas.

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Many universities worldwide do not make lecture attendance compulsory. This study aims to look into the reasons behind the decision to attend lectures or not among university students across Egypt, and to what extent access to new online teaching materials affect attendance rates. A questionnaire was administered via Microsoft Forms, using a convenience sampling through several lecturers in universities across Egypt contacted via LinkedIn. Forty undergraduate students completed the survey in full. 56% of respondents disagree that online learning resources or textbooks can replace attending lectures, though 35% agree that attending tutorials can. 35% use lecture slots to complete assignments and 41% consider lecturers are not skillful. More engaging lectures with gaming, interactions, and bonuses are favoured. Insights can be drawn into how to design more compelling lectures to increase attendance rate among university students.

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EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION AND ENHANCEMENT THROUGH APPLICATIONS OF NEURO-LINGUISTIC PROGRAMMING

SESSION P6

Active and Collaborative Learning

Maanasa Kirthivasan | maanasaK@amitydubai.ae Psychology, Amity University United Arab Emirates

Maanasa Kirthivasan is a final-year undergraduate psychology student at Amity University Dubai. She is an NFNLP certified Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and has completed multiple courses on psychology including Transactional Analysis, Forensic Psychology and Psycho-Oncology. She is a student member of APA, IAAP, MEPA and IIBP.

The objective is to measure the enhancement of education by implementing various principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Aiming to assess Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques through extensive empirical research and to understand its impact on learning in the post pandemic period. The study is based on secondary and empirical data, collected through an extensive review of the literature. Findings show that Neuro-Linguistic Programming is an effective solution in the field of education as it helps strongly in facilitating holistic learning.

Neuro-Linguistic Programming has proven to increase the student’s motivation and build a more engaging environment. Considering the study’s extensive secondary data, it shows that Neuro-Linguistic Programming can be practiced in schools and it is recommended that teachers and trainers should undergo Neuro-Linguistic Programming training and students must also be taught the principles of Neuro-Linguistic Programming as it can boost intrinsic motivation and facilitate learning.

Sonakshi Ruhela | sruhela@amityuniversity.ae Associate Registrar, Amity University United Arab Emirates

Sonakshi Ruhela is the Associate Registrar and Assistant Professor - Psychology at Amity University, Dubai. She is Harvard Certified in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Psychology, recognized by the Ministry of Education, UAE. She has 12 years of extensive experience in Undergraduate and Postgraduate Teaching of students.

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Special Education Supportive Classroom Environments

SESSION P7

CONCEPTUALISING AND RE-IMAGINING THE FUTURE OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE UAE

Lawrence Meda | lmeda@sea.ac.ae Sharjah Education Academy United Arab Emirates

Lawrence Meda holds a PhD in Curriculum Studies and is currently working as an Associate Professor and Director of Research at Sharjah Education Academy (SEA) in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to joining SEA, he worked as a Chair of the Education Studies Department at Zayed University in Dubai. He is a certified online instructor. He has more than 50 publications to his name and has experience of supervising Masters and Doctoral students. He has externally examined more than 20 postgraduate theses and his research interests are in Curriculum Studies, Inclusive Education and Teacher Education..

The global pandemic caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) negatively affected the education sector across countries worldwide. Learning institutions were forced to make sudden changes from regular face-to-face classes to online learning without sufficient time to prepare for the new instructional approach. Students with exceptional learning needs bore the brunt of the tumultuous instructional transition. Students and academics had to reconceptualize the new normal and future of inclusion. The current study explored how students in various universities across the United Arab Emirates conceptualized inclusive education and views of the future. The study was conducted using a qualitative case study within an interpretive paradigm. Twenty-one trainee teachers from five different universities in the UAE participated in the study. Data collected consisted of an open-ended questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Results indicated that students unanimously conceptualized inclusion from a holistic point of view and projected the future to be associated with a higher level of differentiation of instruction.

In collaboration with Efthymia Efthymiou, Muna AlHammadi, Mohamed Fteiha & Cara Williams.

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Center for Educational Innovation

ZUCEI