Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq), a Qatar Foundation partner university, recently hosted the Spotlight on Teaching event, organised by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and featuring a series of talks, panels. Tamuq dean Dr Cesar O Malave, said: “The field of engineering education is constantly evolving, and the talks and discussions held during ‘Spotlight on Teaching’ help our faculty stay updated on innovations in teaching, inspiring them to innovate themselves. By empowering our faculty, we also empower the students they teach to achieve success.”
CTL director Dr Bilal Mansoor, moderated the panel discussion, ‘Preparing the 2030 Engineer: Emphasising Excellence in Engineering Education at Texas A&M at Qatar’. Dr Guillermo Aguilar, department head of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M’s flagship campus in College Station, US, discussed the importance of students taking ownership of their education, the need for lifelong learning and multidisciplinary experiences, and the impact of providing opportunities for research and industry collaborations.
Other events during the week included presentations by recipients of the CTL’s Transformative Educational Experience grants who showcased their projects and the progress made. TEE grants fund faculty and staff to develop innovative ways of enhancing student learning, such as using virtual or alternate reality in the classroom to simulate learning. During her keynote address, Dr Heidi Diefes-Dux, professor of Engineering Education, University of Nebraska – Lincoln (US), spoke about the need to leverage academic assessments in fostering meaningful and ongoing dialogues between instructors and students about goals for their learning, and their knowledge, skills, and abilities development. She emphasised the importance of providing support and effective feedback in the early years of a student’s learning journey.
Spotlight on Teaching 2023 concluded with a talk from Dr Yasser al-Hamidi, mechanical engineering laboratories manager at Tamuq, who spoke about applying design thinking in multidisciplinary teaching and learning. In 2022, Dr al-Hamidi, who teaches design courses for the Mechanical Engineering Programme, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from Texas A&M University’s Association of Former Students in recognition of his achievements.
The annual event was organised by the Center for Teaching and Learning and featured a series of talks, panels.
