 Dubai , October 20, 2007 - The Office of The Provost at the American University in Dubai (AUD) organized a Teaching Effectiveness Workshop on October 20, 2007. The workshop was an overview of the classroom practices that have been identified with exemplary university teachers. It provided a common basis to examine the broad teaching role of a faculty member at any level of experience. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. David Langley, Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, University of Minnesota , Twin Cities.
Dr. Jihad Nader, AUD Provost and Chief Academic Officer, commented: “Dr. Langley did a superb job of presenting recent findings on how people learn, how teachers teach, and what factors on both sides (teachers and students) are critical for the teaching and learning process to be successful. Active participation by faculty in the group exercises added a ‘fun' element and a collegial atmosphere to the workshop, and made the subject matter come alive. Initial feedback about the quality of the workshop, both as a learning event and as an opportunity for fruitful interaction among faculty from all disciplines, has been very positive. This will be helpful for purposes of designing future professional development events on teaching and learning, which are at the center of AUD's mission.”
Dr. Langley's overall responsibilities include coordinating the current array of services that support the University of Minnesota 's goal for excellence in teaching. About the workshop, Dr. Langley noted that: “I was most impressed with the vigor of the conversations on each of our topics. Faculty at AUD have a sincere desire to further develop their teaching skills, and it was evident at each phase of the seminar. For me--and I believe for many faculty--the time passed quickly, a sign of deep engagement on our part. My hope is that the seminar serves as a catalyst for deepening the professional development of faculty. A powerful faculty development program is a commitment held by both Provost Nader and President de Masi, and I was privileged to be a part of this effort. ”.
The workshop was started off by discussing the teachers' knowledge and understanding of classroom material; the course preparation process such as instructional design, course planning, and setting clear learning outcomes; students' expectations and standards of excellence; teachers' classroom performance; the effective use of instructional technology; productive teacher/student interactions and effective classroom management methods; and finally, how teachers evaluate their students and themselves in an objective manner.
The workshop was well received by AUD's faculty members, such as Dr. Jusri DeVries, Associate Professor of Interior Design, Dr. Richard Gross , Associate Professor of Communication and Information Studies and Program Coordinator, and Mr. Kevin Nawn , Assistant Professor of English, who have commented on the workshop. Dr. DeVries stated that “the most significant outcome of the Teaching Effectiveness Workshop was creating a healthy and constructive dialogue among the faculty members in order to exchange views and address issues related to teaching and learning. In addition, I felt that every colleague left the workshop learning a new idea or re-assured of one that he/she already knew. I take this opportunity to thank Provost Nader for organizing such an educational event”. Dr. Gross on the other hand noted that “ it was most impressive to have the AUD faculty gathered together as a whole under Dr. Langley's mentorship and with Dr. Nader's support. We spent a full day discussing common educational concerns and sharing successful teaching strategies. A day like this one remains with professors throughout their teaching careers.” Mr. Nawn added “This workshop offered the members of the AUD faculty the opportunity to discuss educational issues which are relevant across all disciplines. I hope this is just the first step to an on-going dialogue about the complex task of educating students from so many diverse backgrounds.” |
