GUST Hosts Workshop for Faculty in Preparation for Students Return

GUST Hosts Workshop for Faculty in Preparation for Students Return Date: 10 October 2021 Kuwait City, 10 October 2021: The Center for Learning, Teaching, and Research (CTLR), in coordination with the IT Department, at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) hosted a set of workshops for university faculty members in order to introduce them to the new hybrid teaching system. The workshops were held on campus and were instructed by Head of CTLR, Dr. Noura Al-Jeri, and Head of the IT Department, Dr. Taher Ali. GUST faculty and Teaching Assistants were introduced to the new smart interactive classroom screens, allowing faculty to interact and deliver their lectures to both in-person and remote students based on their given schedules. The technology enables active learning through direct engagement with the course content and material while enhancing classroom management. Introducing this technology came in response to the General Secretariat of Private Universities Council (PUC) recommendations and instructions of conducting a hybrid learning model to connect to students while fulfilling Kuwait’s Ministry of Health guidelines and maintaining a safe learning environment. Head of CTLR, Dr. Noura Al-Jeri said “With the start of the new (hybrid) academic year, we are delighted to see GUST faculty members and students back on Campus while staying safe and well. The newly installed smart interactive screens will ease the communication and uplift the level of interaction between students and instructors even beyond the hybrid learning phase. GUST aims to spread the culture of knowledge transfer and technology-aided teaching and learning methods in Kuwait. We aspire to promote and offer creative and innovative learning techniques through various professional development skills for educators and extracurricular activities for students.” These workshops have allowed faculty to begin giving lectures from classrooms since October 3rd, which is GUST’s date for students return to campus after 590 days of remote learning due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. GUST is dedicated to providing the utmost in teaching and learning experience for its faculty and students, while pushing the boundaries of innovation with the new hybrid teaching system. Students will be able to continue remote and in class learning for the 2021/22 academic year, utilizing the latest in science and technology for greater academic excellence.