In a recent conference, “Reimagine Teaching to Maximize Student Learning Conference” held at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Oman, Pearson Middle East delivered a keynote session on how focusing on new age critical thinking and problem-solving skills is going to be the way forward for higher education institutes to shape the learners for the future corporate world.

Attended by academics, ed-tech innovators, policymakers and teachers, the conference aimed at fostering partnerships among educational researchers and provided a perfect platform to discuss how innovative classroom practices can lead to institutions reimagine teaching and maximize learning outcomes by developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in learners.

With automation looming in every industry and 50% of today’s most sought-after jobs predicted to be completely eliminated by 2030-2040, the need of the hour for universities is to focus on the right skillsets needed for preparing the future workforce. As per the findings of the Global Learner Survey 2019 by Pearson, 80% of the students in Middle East feel that academic institutions should do more to teach and inculcate job-oriented skills such as complex problem solving, critical thinking, etc. to enable the students to thrive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Dalia Leil, Head of Product & Services, Higher Education and Career Success, Pearson Middle East shared her insights on the importance of Critical thinking in higher education and highlighted how enabling students or younger generation to think critically is a goal of many professionals in higher education as it is vital not only to students' readiness for college and career but to their civic readiness, as well. 

Ahmed Samir, Learning Advisor-Higher Education, Pearson Middle East also engaged the audience with multiple hands-on sessions, discussing the Learning Catalytics platform, a sophisticated classroom assessment system helps students become more actively engaged in learning, developed for Pearson by Eric Mazur, Author & Educator, Harvard University. The tool enables instructors to generate classroom discussion and promote peer-to-peer learning and interaction with real-time analytics.

Samir discussed at length, the significance of Learning Catalytics in present times, which acts as a key tool for collaboration in the classroom, facilitating digital transformation in learning and enhancing critical thinking skills for students.The conference received attendance from more than 300 participants related to the field of education from 17 countries and also witnessed an exhibition of international publishers, learning Catalytics and learning spaces infrastructure.

Go back to News section

read more

Pearson Middle East has recently concluded a series of educational workshops in Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah, focusing on innovative ways to inspire a love of the Arabic language in the classroom. With more than 150 educators who were part of the events including school owners, principals and heads of the department, the focus was on adopting bilArabi, the recently launched student-centred Arabic language programme, in both international and private schools across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

bilArabi sets a new quality benchmark for Arabic with a standards-based approach and champions interactive methods to accelerate language proficiency. It is the first inquiry-based programme developed for both native and non-native speakers to address the current gap for rigorous, modern and forward-thinking Arabic courses in schools. Developed for students aged 5-14 (Level 1-9), it helps them learn and reconnect with the Arabic language in a fun and engaging way, through relatable stories, contexts and characters.

The course also enables learners to demonstrate their Arabic language proficiency level and rate of progress through ongoing formative assessment delivered through the bilArabi digital platform.

Dr Hanada Taha-Thomure, lead author of the bilArabi commented, “The rigour of the programme is matched by its progressively cutting-edge approach to learning Arabic, through standards, literature and inquiry-based learning.  Fun characters and engaging stories that students can relate too are the main focus of the program. The bilArabi programme fosters a sense of cultural identity and knowledge of Arabic history by the use of past and current case studies and literature in the course content.”

Emma Whale at Pearson Middle East commented, “The Kingdom is witnessing significant transformations in its academic sector, as it presses ahead to realise the Vision 2030 aim of creating a knowledge society and economy. At the core of this process is establishing high-performing education systems, including a consistent approach to learning the Arabic language, which draws on international best practices and close collaboration.

bilArabi sets a new quality benchmark for the Arabic language with a standards-based approach. A number of schools in KSA and the UAE have recently piloted the programme and contributed to its development. By collaborating with educators to create a ‘whole school’ responsive pedagogy, our professional development solution meets specific child needs and ensures a consistent approach to learning Arabic. It also actively develops students’ 21st-century skills to prepare them for higher education, employment and future success, alongside comprehensive Arabic language acquisition and proficiency.”

Following on from the successful pilot phase, bilArabi is now available for levels 1-3 in the KSA and UAE. Higher levels will be available from September 2020 in the KSA, UAE and Kuwait.

Dhahran Ahliyyah School in the KSA that piloted the bilArabi program commented “bilArabi is wonderful and useful, we were able to increase our children’s vocabulary, sentence structure and storytelling, allowing them to write with confidence.” Furthermore, Hani Naguib, Head of Arabic at Orbit International School: "A huge thanks and appreciation to Dr Hanada in her efforts to develop a modern, engaging and effective approach for teaching Arabic in schools".

Saudi Arabia’s vision 2030 is now the driving force behind a number of education reforms. The Kingdom emphasises the centrality of education and bilArabi gives great importance to education improvement and keeps pace with the transformations that Saudi Arabia is experiencing in all areas of development.

Online Coverage

Eye of Riyadh | Zawya Thomson Reuters | News 2 day  | Eye of Dubai | MENA FN | Edarabia | Arab News | Destination KSA

Print Coverage

Arab News

Go back to News section

read more