Friday 26 / July / 2024
Muscat: The Centre for Preparatory Studies (CPS), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), organised a professional development day called Active Learning Awareness Raising Day. The event took place at Al Wahat Club and 250 teachers were involved.
The event is a training opportunity aimed to raise teachers’ awareness about active learning and improve teaching practices. There were a number of activities during the day.
Dr Badria Al Shihi, Deputy Chair of Omani State Council and CPS Director, delivered the welcome speech in which she emphasised that this day is in line with Oman Vision 2040 in order to improve educational outcomes and increase the quality of foundational and higher education. She also stressed that learning and learner centered approaches to education should be employed to facilitate the development of life-long learning and the 21st century skills of communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity.
Dr Zahra Al lawati, CPS Deputy Director for Academic Programmes, introduced the SQU Operational Plan in relation to Active Learning and the CPS measures. She said that the first strategy prioritised by order on the second SQU Operational Plan of 2021-2025 is “enrich curricula with active learning techniques and student-centred activities”.
The Key Performance Indicator (KPI) is the percentage of courses with active learning techniques and activities. The target for 2025 is to have at least 40 percent of the CPS courses implement active learning in their teaching, materials and assessment.
Dr Khalid Al Saadi, Assistant Professor at the College of Education, Department of Instructional and Learning Technologies, delivered a plenary training session in which he shared his experience and expertise in using active learning strategies and techniques, encouraging attending teachers to apply them in their teaching practice.
The CPS Active Learning Team who organised the event were Dr Nazanin Dehdary, Dr Zakiya Al Nadabi, and Sally Al Hurmuzi. The team briefed attendees about the active learning project findings and achievements as well as future plans for enhancing active learning at the CPS.
The team also introduced some examples of active learning strategies and techniques. A published Google Site on active learning at the CPS was launched at the event. The site has been developed by the team to facilitate the integration of active learning into courses by providing resources and information about active learning, its importance, strategies and techniques that promote active learning, and so forth.
The CPS Active Learning Team also introduced the initiative, a Technology-Enhanced Active Learning (TEAL) classroom and how it is planned to support active learning and student-centred activities.
