The University of Calgary - Qatar (UCQ) will host a symposium, “Working together to enhance teaching effectiveness in Qatar higher education”, on December 5.
The event will bring together a select group of senior academic and administrative leaders from universities and other higher education institutions in Doha to consider the ways and means of collaborating to share information, resources and expertise to enhance teaching effectiveness and create better
conditions for student learning.
Dr Ken Ryba, director, Calgary Centre for Teaching and Learning, said: “While Qatar is fortunate to have several world-class universities, little attention has been given to the idea of working together to enhance teaching effectiveness. It would be ideal if Qatar’s higher education institutions had a way of working together to share and develop quality teaching at all levels in all areas.”
Ryba explained that while there have been some opportunities for people concerned with teaching to meet through teacher retreats, there is no way at present to make visible the many excellent developments in teaching for better learning that are taking place in Qatar. “One approach might be to have an Institute for Teaching and Learning that works with all higher education providers in Qatar to share resources, research, projects and demonstrations of effective teaching.”
The symposium will be opened by Hissa al-Aali, associate director, College of Nursing Project.
Professor Dennis Sumara, dean at Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary (Canada), will present a keynote address at the symposium. The title of his presentation is “Specialised, systematic and sustained: developing integrated teaching and learning plans”.
In this presentation, he presents a conceptual framework and practical suggestions for an integrated, systemic approach to improve teaching and learning in higher education.
The keynote will be followed by group discussions on methods and strategies for Qatar’s higher education institutions to work together to optimise teaching.
The symposium will be held at Grand Heritage Hotel from 1pm.