HBMSU to host series of interactive online workshops during ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum'

[UAE, October 15, 2014] – Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) has revealed that it will be hosting a series of online and interactive workshops during the inaugural edition of the ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum,’ a first-of-its-kind event aimed at encouraging the exchange of best practices and the development of new online learning standards for educational and academic training institutions from around the world. The event will also promote creativity and innovation in smart learning, which is deemed as an essential factor to ensure Dubai’s successful transformation as a leading ‘Smart City’ model.

The first workshop, entitled “Middle East e-Learning Quality Framework ‘MelQ’: Standardizing quality in technology enhanced teaching and learning” will be facilitated by Dr. Souma Alhaj Ali, Director of Institutional Governance & Excellence, HBMSU. The session is set to tackle the need of educational and academic institutions to devise and develop a comprehensive system for quality management that can meet the demands and expectations of students, academic staff and the community. The workshop will particularly highlight the qualifications and features of the Middle East e-Learning Quality Framework (MelQ) system and the quality standards it represents from the perspective of students and parties concerned with education. It will be concluded with an interactive discussion on how to measure the gap between the students' perceptions and the expectations presented by the educational process itself. The session has been specially designed to help the participants gain a better understanding of the requirements, dimensions and standards of quality in smart education and technology-

enhanced learning while also highlighting the standards and indicators of the MeLQ system, which was developed by HBMSU in cooperation with The Swiss Centre for Innovations in Learning (SCIL).

The second workshop, entitled ‘Smart learning applications,’ will be headed by Dr. Amany Atef, Director of Learning and Innovations Strategies, HBMSU. The session will comprise of three levels--Basics of Smart Learning, Design of Smart Learning and Applications of Smart Learning. The workshop aims to provide teachers, trainers, educators and professionals who are interested in integrating smart learning within current learning curricula at educational instructions, schools, universities and companies, with the necessary knowledge about the essential concepts of smart learning and enabling them to use learning technologies and smart learning design tools innovatively and effectively to boost the educational process towards smart learning.

Dr. Amany Atef, said, “It gives me great honor to be part at the inaugural edition of the ‘Smart Learning Best Practice Forum,’ which reflects the growing importance of smart learning and its effective role as one of the key pillars to become a ‘smart city.’ I look forward to interacting and communicating with the participants from all over the world during the workshop—introducing them to the latest theories, concepts and applications related to smart learning and ICT basics, which will ultimately contribute in promoting innovation and creativity across the industry. We are excited to host this workshop, which will offer an interactive platform to facilitate the exchange of the latest information and best practices in smart learning, the cornerstone to a better future.”

Aside from the two interactive workshops, the exciting two-day event will also feature a series of best practices shows & demonstrations and panel discussions centered on seven key themes-- Smart Learning, Learner Centricity, Excellence Orientation, Smart Partnership, Technology Exploitation, Resource Utilization and Process Innovation. The panel discussions will also include virtual online presentations given by participants coming from other parts of the world--representing a key step to raise the bar on the culture of smart learning and encourage optimal usage of advanced technology. To date, the forum has received global interest and key response, with confirmed attendances from countries like United States, Australia, Russia, Italy, Greece, Nigeria, Indonesia, India, KSA, Oman, Bahrain and the UAE.