Qatar University host its second Virtual Academic Excellence Week 2020
Under the Deanship of General Studies, Qatar University’s (QU) Foundation Program organized its ‘2nd Virtual Academic Excellence Week', through the Microsoft Teams platform from 7th to 9th Dec 2020.
The virtual event acted as a platform for the exchange of expertise and good educational practices of English Language Teaching (ELT) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, it featured training workshops focused on innovative methods of excellence that enhance online teaching and learning, with the participation of researchers and experts from local and international universities, and attendance of more than 500 ELT faculty, teachers and specialists inside and outside Qatar.
In line with Qatar Vision 2030, the Director of the Foundation Program (FP), Dr. Hezam Al-Awah, pointed out that the event is considered as one of the most important activities that the FP periodically holds for its faculty members and the wider English language teaching community.
He also stressed the importance of such professional development opportunities for faculty members to further enrich their knowledge of new academic content and enhance their instructional techniques.
He added that the participation of faculty members in such events shows Qatar University's commitment to offering innovative, high-quality opportunities to its faculty members and students.
During the three-day event, the presenters discussed recent ELT research developments and showcased and shared various ideas, experiences, and research outcomes geared towards strategies of achieving learning outcomes and further enhancing student’s engagement in virtual learning contexts.
Dr. Hezam Al-Awah, Director of the Foundation Program
David Nunan, a Professor Emeritus of applied linguistics at Hong Kong University and one of the most distinguished educators in the world, presented the opening session, and the pioneer of student-based learning in the 1970's.
In the lecture, Professor Nunan discussed this kind of learning and shared exciting highlights of his own experiences about the difficulties encountered by learners in various educational settings and from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Several internationally recognized institutions' speakers from Qatar, the USA, Australia, Finland, and Hong Kong presented mostly on the field of teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). The event covered topics as diverse as a revised learner-centered approach, sustainability in distance teaching, how to increase online student engagement, and individual vs institutional response to current educational needs.
For more information on Qatar University’s initiatives, please visit www.qu.edu.qa
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