NEWS
Dr. Al-Rayes: Faculty’s Capabilities Are Developed in Accordance with Educational Requirements UoB Organizes a Series of Training Workshops to Enhance Teaching Skills
Sakhir – University of Bahrain (Khadijah Abdusalem)
26 September 2023
The Director of the Unit for Teaching Excellence and Leadership (UTEL) at the University of Bahrain (UoB), Dr. Amal Mohammed Al-Rayes, confirmed the continued enhancement of the expertise and capabilities of the National University’s faculty members in a way that suits educational requirements and consolidates performance efficiency, especially byusing latest contemporary technological means to achieve competitive educational outcomes.
This came within a series of intensive training workshops for professional development programs that UTEL recently organized for academics, presented by faculty members – from various colleges of the University – who hold the Advanced Higher Education (Advance HE) Fellowship.
Dr. Al-Rayes welcomed the participants, congratulated them on the new academic year, presented a summary of the Unit’s programs, their importance and benefits in terms of academic development, and encouraged them to obtain the fellowship.
Moreover, Dr. Al-Rayes stated that 33 faculty members registered for the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP), the Certificate of Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and the New to Teaching in Bahrain Certificate (NTB) this year.
Regarding the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), Dr. Hassan Mohsen Al-Wadi, a faculty member at Bahrain Teachers College (BTC), stressed the importance of student-centered learning and learner independence, pointing to the unified framework of professional standards.
In addition, faculty member at the English Language Center, Priti Jaiswal, noted the role of active participation, conformity with international standards, and creating active, conducive learning environments in enhancing the quality of teaching in the classroom.
While on academic practices, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed, a faculty member at the College of Health and Sports Sciences (CHSS), stressed that “preparing a reflective academic practices portfolio is one of the most important requirements for achieving professional recognition in the United Kingdom”, drawing attention to how to properly link educational practices with the dimensions of UKPSF framework.
Assistant Professor at the French Studies Center, Dr. Sarah Abdullah Bader, noted the use of action research in academic practices and continuing professional development to keep pace with the challenges of teaching and learning.
In the context of teaching methods, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design and Architecture at the College of Engineering, Dr. Noor Nabil Al-Doy, pointed out the effectiveness of peer observation education in supporting teachers, strengthening their professional development, and enhancing the learning experience for their students.
For her part, Tara Fryad Henari, coordinator of the Introduction to Teaching in Bahrain program, stressed the importance of educational and interactive teaching methods in enhancing the learning experience in the classroom, and the use of electronic blogs as basic concepts on which continuing professional development programs are based.
The training workshops were attended by the Vice President for Academic Programs and Postgraduate Studies, Dr. Mohammed Reda Qader, to review the progress of the educational process.
It is worth mentioning that UTEL seeks to serve the academic community and develop the teaching, leadership and professional skills and capabilities of faculty members at UoB and the universities in the region in general.
The Unit monitors the annual needs of faculty members, taking into account developments in the educational field. In addition to its accredited programs, the Unit offers the regionally pioneering program “Academic Leadership” (ALP), and the leadership program for women in various sectors “She Leads”, which achieved remarkable success in the years (2021 and 2022) with local and regional participation.
