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Enhancing Capacity Building in Smart Learning Environments: The HU-CET Experience

This paper presents the experience of Hebron University's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in capacity building for new teachers in developing and managing Smart Learning Environments.

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Enhancing Capacity Building in Smart Learning Environments: The HU-CET Experience

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  1. Al-Quds Open University Continuing Education Center & Open Learning Center Smart Learning for Community Development Conference University teachers’ capacity building in the area of SLE: The experience of HU-CET NAEL SAYEDAHMED 20/3/2017 Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017

  2. Introduction : • Technology gained popularity in many fields, including: sports, health, economy, and education… leading to a movement from chalk and talk • In this approach, teaching-learning process is done through digital instruction materials, 3D movies, videos, and many others • Examples include: personal computer for instructors, overhead projectors, wireless internet access, smart board, DVD, and any other smart technology which could be utilized for the benefit of students, such as smart phones and I Pads, and sound systems. • The current paper focus on presenting the experience of Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Hebron University (CET-HU) in the process of capacity building for new teachers in the area of developing and managing a Smart Learning Environment (SLE). Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 2

  3. Statement of the problem : • In today’s modern life, technology plays a vital role in the process of helping students learn • All students may not understand a teaching methodology of a teacher, but certainly would understand a video on the same topic • Students have gained a greater access to computers and smart learning devices which in turn helped them gain access to information through the internet. • The use of technology within the classroom is not strange for students, and students are even smarter in terms of using some of the technologies presented nowadays. • Capacity building for university teachers is a MUST Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 3

  4. Advantages vs. disadvantages of SLE Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 4

  5. Rationale for SLE • The use of internet among other technologies in the process of teaching at university level has shaped a new era of education Researchers believe that students learn best when they combine their past experience with new information they gain to solve problems of interest to them • Learning is not about reading anymore, it is more about gaining an access to information and study material in a smart and interesting way • Teachers are also required to develop new ways of assessing students' level of understanding and learning of new topics Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 5

  6. ABOUT CET-HU • CET-HU was established in 2011. • The main objectives of establishing the center are related to promoting excellence in teaching and continuous skills development for academic staff at the university • During the past few years, the center managed to promote the culture of capacity building of existing and new teachers joining the university, especially in the area of adapting and using technology innovation in the teaching-learning process • Teachers are trained on • how to develop course materials, • how to communicate interesting content to students, and • how to assess students' interaction through the unit Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 6

  7. Developing course material: • After providing teachers with their semester courses, doing online registration, and gaining access to university portal.. • Teachers are trained on the use of E-learning unit and how it could be utilized to further improve teaching-learning process • For example, the teachers could add additional reading on specific topics, upload certain videos or links to YouTube videos, and even record some additional examples for students • The teachers are encouraged to spend time on this as it is the cornerstone of the online course, and hence; once prepared, it could be used several times later, while making needed adjustments, and updates as seen appropriate by the teacher Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 7

  8. Communicating interesting content: • The teachers at Hebron University are provided with tools that could make the content more appealing to students. These range from the use of smart phones, audio or visual devices, and smart board examples to further illustrate ideas. The use of such tools and others helps teachers present the same ideas from different viewpoints, and in a more interesting way • online chatting is also available and both the teachers and students could discuss the content of the material instantaneously Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 8

  9. Assessment done by teachers • some of the popular tools used include: interaction with other students and the teacher through the chatting function, uploading homework and solutions to homework online, downloading information regarding a certain topic from online, preparing for next class topics which could be evaluated through in-class short verbal questions or quick popup test Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 9

  10. Challenges for teachers at HU • Some of the main problems that face teachers in the process of adapting E-learning to their courses at Hebron University include: the time constraint, the limited resources available to some additional material, the problems related to developing suitable assessment methods, and the problems related to students' encouragement to actively engage in online learning. • Some tips are provided by the trainers at CET to help overcome such problems, and continuous advice is available to teachers, especially in terms of technical issues that might rise along the way. Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 9

  11. Concluding remarks.. • During the past few years, technology has been widely adapted in education and higher educational institutions • Smart Learning has shaped the teaching-learning process in a way which made education more about the tools of gaining knowledge rather than the course content • CET-HU would continue its training activities in the area of Smart Learning and its adaptation in classrooms, as its advantages outweigh the disadvantages, and as it is gaining more popularity among students • whereas the university administration is continuously supporting such trends to promote the quality of the educational process in Palestine. Smart Learning for Community Development Conference 20/03/2017 9

  12. Thank you for your participation 10

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