THESEVENTHINTERNATIONALCONFERENCEONEFFECTIVETEACHINGANDLEARNINGINHIGHER

EDUCATION

FEBRUARY10&11,2017

ConferenceProgram

CenterforTeachingandLearning(CTL)ITAcademicServicesCommunicationSkillsProgramAmericanUniversityofBeirutBeirut,Lebanon

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CENTERFORTEACHINGANDLEARNINGThe mission of the Center for Teaching and Learning is to promote and support high qualityteaching and learning at the American University of Beirut in keeping with the mission of theUniversity,particularlytheuniversity’scommitmenttoexcellenceinteachingandtheenablementofstudentstothinkindependentlyandbecomelife-longlearners.OFFICEOFINFORMATIONTECHNOLOGYTheOfficeofInformationTechnologystrivestoprovideAUBwithanITenabledenvironmentandinnovativesolutionsthatfacilitatecreativeteaching,highqualityresearch,effective learning,andprofessionalskills,collaboration,anddevelopment.Weperformourresponsibilitiestransparentlyto empower our stakeholders (students, faculty, donors, alumni, provost’s office, andadministration)with IT services inorder to smoothlyexceland lead ineducationaladvancementandresearch.COMMUNICATIONSKILLSPROGRAMThe Communication Skills Program at AUB adheres to the philosophy that learning towrite is adynamicprocess,bothsocialandindividual,thattakesplaceovertimewithcontinualguidanceandpractice. The program is comprised of six English courses designed to satisfy universityrequirementsandtomeetthediverseliteracyneedsofAUBstudents.Itaimstoeducatestudentstousewritingandreadingforlearning,criticalthinking,andcommunicationinacademicandothersocialcontexts. Itseeksto fosteracollaborativeenvironmentwithintheprogramandacrosstheuniversity.

Pleasemark your calendars for February 16 & 17, 2018; the tentative dates of the Eighth

AnnualConferenceonEffectiveTeachingandLearninginHigherEducation.

ForfurtherinformationpleasecontacttheCenterforTeachingandLearningatthefollowing

emailandphonenumbers:

• Email:ctl@aub.edu.lb

• Phone:00961-1-362811OR00961-1-350000extension3046

CTLnewslettercanbereadonhttp://www.aub.edu.lb/CTL/Pages/newsletter.aspx

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THESEVENTHINTERNATIONALCONFERENCEONEFFECTIVETEACHINGANDLEARNINGINHIGHEREDUCATIONFEBRUARY10&11,2017TheCenter for Teachingand Learning (CTL), the ITAcademic Services, andCommunication SkillsProgram at the American University of Beirut welcome you to their Seventh InternationalConferenceon“EffectiveTeachingandLearninginHigherEducation”.TheConferenceincludesfivestrands:1.AssessmentofProgramandCourseLearningOutcomesinHigher Education; 2. Community-Based Learning and Community Service; 3. E-learning andPedagogy; 4. Teaching, Learning and Assessment Procedures in Higher Education; 5. WritingInstructionandResearchinHigherEducationAssessmentofProgramandCourseLearningOutcomesinHigherEducation.Learningoutcomesattheprogramandcourselevelshavebecomeanintegral indicatorforassessingcurriculainhighereducation.Inthecontextofevidence-basedreporting,learningoutcomespresentthemselvesasaninevitable source of data for assessing academic programs and student performance. Therefore,departmentsandprogramswhicharekeenonassessingtheirstudents'attainmentofsetprogramandcourse learningoutcomesdevelop learningoutcomes,designassessmentprocedures,collectdata, analyze it and use the results in order to improve their curriculum and student learningperformance.Inthisstrand,presentersareexpectedtoshare,reflectonandgeneralizefromtheirongoing research, published papers or field experience in planning, developing and assessingprogram/course learning outcomes of different programs in higher education including generaleducation.Community-Based Learning. Community-based learning, a teaching and learning strategy, thatintegrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learningexperience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. It is a hands-on approach tomastering contentwhile fostering civic responsibility. Community-Based Learningbuilds strongerandmorerelevantacademicskillsandprovidesacontextforlearningintermsofwhatstudentsareas citizens, and how they are able to contribute to the needs of society. In this strand, papersshould reflect on, present research or field experience in the domain of Community-BasedLearning.E-learning and Pedagogy. Innovation in teaching inevitably brings forward different deliveryformats and modern teaching methodologies. Furthermore, E-Learning is a comprehensiveumbrella that incorporates technology tools to support and enrich the learning experience. Thisstrandprovidesanopportunityforfacultymembers,graduatestudentsandinstructionaldesignerstodiscussandshareresearch,bestpractices,collaborationsandideasonintegratingtechnologyinlearning. Topicsmay include but are not limited to: Innovations in teaching technologies,Web-Enhanced Learning, Blended Learning, Online Learning, Mobile Learning, Quality course design,CreativeusesofLearningManagementSystem(LMS).Teaching, Learning and Assessment Procedures in Higher Education. The focus in this strandrelates to research on issues in teaching, learning, and assessment. Research reports can be oninstructorcognition,contentknowledge,pedagogicalknowledge,pedagogicalcontentknowledge,studentunderstandingandlearning,andconceptualchangeattheuniversitylevel.Writing Instruction and Research in Higher Education. Teaching writing at the college levelpresents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for educators. Researchers need to testvarious pedagogical approaches in order to understandwhich classroom practices work best tohelpstudentsbecomemorecriticalandsuccessfulwriters.Inaddition,researchisneededtobetterunderstandhow,why,andwhenwriterswrite.Inthisstrand,presentersareencouragedtoshareandreflectuponthephilosophiesthatguidetheirapproachtowritinginstruction,thepedagogicalpracticesusedintheclassroomtoengagestudents,and/orassignmentsthathelpenrichstudents’writingandthinkingpracticesincriticalways.Thisstrandalsoencouragesproposalsthatreportonthe results of qualitative or quantitative research related to writing practices and pedagogy.

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Innovative proposals representing a range of writers and writing courses, including first-yearwriting, writing-in-the-disciplines (WID), writing-across-the-curriculum (WAC), and ESP/EAP, arewelcome.CONFERENCEORGANIZINGCOMMITTEE• SaoumaBouJaoude

Director,CenterforTeachingandLearning,AUB

• AmalBouZeineddineAssociateDirector,CenterforTeachingandLearning,AUB

• RayaneFayedInstructionalDesigner,ITAcademicServices,AUB

• DorotaFlezsarDirector,CommunicationSkillsProgram,AUB

• RanaHaddadInstructionalDesigner,ITAcademicServices,AUB

• LamiaHusseinyAdministrativeOfficer,CenterforTeachingandLearning,AUB

• MalakehKhouryAcademicandTechnicalWritingInstructor,CommunicationSkillsProgram.AssessmentCoordinatorFacultyofArtsandSciences,AUB

• ZaneSinno

Lecturer,CommunicationSkillsProgram,AUB

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KEYNOTESPEAKER:Prof.CHRISANSONProf.CHRISANSON isDistinguishedUniversityProfessorandDirectoroftheCampusWritingandSpeaking Program at North Carolina State University, where he works with faculty across thecurriculumtoincreaseandimprovetheuseofwritingandoralcommunicationinstudents’coursework.Previously,hespent15yearsattheUniversityofMinnesota,wherehedirectedthePrograminCompositionfrom1988-96andwasMorse-AlumniDistinguishedTeachingProfessor.Chris has received numerous awards, including the North Carolina State Alumni AssociationDistinguished Graduate Professor Award, the State of Minnesota Higher Education TeachingExcellenceAward,andtheMorse-AlumniAwardforOutstandingContributionstoUndergraduateEducation.Hehasreceivedorparticipatedinover$1.8millioningrants.Chrishaspublished16booksandover120journalarticlesandbookchaptersandisontheeditorialboards of ten major journals. He is past Chair of the Conference on College Composition andCommunicationandpastPresidentoftheCouncilofWritingProgramAdministrators.Hehasgivenover550papers, keynotes, and invited lecturesand facultyworkshopsacross theU.S. and in29othercountries.Hisprofessionalsummaryislocatedatwww.ansonica.net.KEYNOTESPEAKER:Dr.YOUSIFASFOURCIO,OfficeofInformationTechnologyAmericanUniversityofBeirut

DR.YOUSIFASFOURisanexperiencedCIOandtechnologyexecutivewithmorethan30yearsofexperienceintheUSandMiddleEast.Heisanexperiencedanddynamicleaderwhohassuccessfullyhelpedseveralorganizationsinthehighereducation,government,transportation,technologyandfinancesectorsbuildandsustaintheircompetitiveadvantagebyleadinghighperformingITteamsthroughthedesign,implementation,deploymentandoperationsofinnovativeproducts,services,applications&infrastructure.BasedinBeirut,LebanonheiscurrentlyservingastheChiefInformationOfficerattheAmericanUniversityofBeirut,leadingthetransformationoftheinformationtechnologydepartmentintoastrategicpartnerwiththeacademicunits.PriortoAUB,Dr.AsfourservedasChiefInformationOfficerforNewYorkUniversityAbuDhabiandthenasAssociateVicePresident,GlobalTechnologyServicesforNewYorkUniversitywhereheledthedesignofthenewcampus,andthedesign,implementationandoperationsofITservicesacrossthreedifferentlocations.HeservedaschairmanoftheITdepartmentattheAmericanUniversityinDubaiwhereheledrevampingthecurriculumandgettingitaccreditedbySACSandtheUAEMinistryofHigherEducation,andasDirectoroftheInjazatInstitute,wherehefoundedanexecutiveleadershipconsultinganddevelopmentsubsidiaryofInjazatDataSystems.HehasalsoheldseveralexecutiveleadershippositionswithanumberofUS-basedtechnologycompanies,includingChiefTechnologyOfficerandVicePresidentofEngineeringatInflow-amanagedservicesstartup;VicePresidentofEngineeringatdbDoctor-asoftwaredevelopmentcompany,andseveralconsultingandengineeringpositionsatSymmetrix,SapientandDigitalEquipmentCorporation.Dr.AsfourreceivedaB.S.andM.S.inelectricalengineeringfromNortheasternUniversityandaPh.D.incognitiveandneuralsystemsfromBostonUniversity.Inadditiontoseveralpublicationsinprofessionaljournals,Dr.Asfouralsoholdsapatentrelatedtofastdatatransferformulti-processorsystems.

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KeynoteSpeech:WritingasaHigh-ImpactPractice:TowardanEcologicalModelofWritingandLearning;ByProf.ChrisAnsonDate:FridayFebruary10,2017Time:9:30AM–10:30AMRoom:WestHall,BathishAuditoriumDominant metaphors of writing in higher education position it as a “skill” to be “mastered,”“honed,”and“refined”.Strugglingwritersarecharacterizedas“deficient,”sufferingfromtheneedfor “remediation.” This view dissuades teachers across the curriculum from embracing thepotential of writing as a tool for learning by framing it as a something in need of separateinstruction thatotherwise intrudesoncoursecoverage,notasapowerful toolwhenwoven intothe fabric of learning. This presentation will offer an ecological model of writing as a languageactivityofvital importanceto learning,and,throughexamplesandresearch,suggestwaysthat itcanplayacentralroleineverydiscipline.

PRE-CONFERENCEWORKSHOPSCurriculumMappingandAssessmentofProgramLearningOutcomesPresenter:AmalBouZeineddineFriday,February10,2017-11:00am-12:45pm-WestHall,AuditoriumASo, we articulated our program learning outcomes (PLO’s). What is next? Next is curriculummapping.ThisworkshopwillwalkyouthroughtheprocessofassessingPLO’sthroughaligningyourcourselearningoutcomes(CLO’s)withPLO’s.Theworkshopwilladdressthedecisionsthatneedtobemade according to this curriculummapping. Interested participants need to bringwith themtheir PLO’s and as many CLO’s from different courses in their program in order to work oncurriculummappinghands-on.WordPressWebsiteDesignPresenter:RayaneFayedFriday,February10,2017-11:00am-12:45pm–JafetLibrary,E-Classroom“Areyoulookingforavenuetoempoweryouronlinepresence,publishyourwork,andshareyourreflections with the world? Are you looking to engage your students and offer them an onlinespace for collaboration? Are you looking to build your own website/blog but don’t have thetechnicalskillstostart?AworkshoponWordpressiswhatyouneed!Wordpressisapopularandfreesoftwareusedtocreateyourownwebsiteorblog.Itenablesyoutobuildandmanageafullfeaturedwebsite,usingasimplewebbasededitor-Nocodingneeded!In this hands-onworkshop, youwill learn how to create yourWordpress site, use themes, addcontentandinteractivity,usepluginsandwidgets,andmuchmore!ASelectedCollectionofTeachingPracticesthatEnhanceStudentLearningPresenter:SaoumaBouJaoudeFriday,February10,2017-1:00-2:45pm–WestHall,AuditoriumAThe purpose of this workshop is to introduce a collection of teaching practices that result inexcellence in college teaching. These practices represent an assortment of effective measuresfacultymembers take and necessary conditions they establish to facilitate student learning. The

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practices include, but are not limited to, lecture practices, thoughtful questioning, reflectivereactionstostudents’responses,andeffectivefeedback.Participantswillbeinvolvedinactivitiesthatdemonstratetheseandothereffectiveteachingpracticesthathavethepotentialtoenhancestudentmeaningfulinvolvementintheirlearningandconsequentlytheirachievement.OnlineToolsforWritingProjectsacrossDisciplinesPresenters:MalakiKhouryandZaneSinnoFriday,February10,2017-1:00pm-2:45pm-WestHall,AuditoriumBThisworkshop introducesparticipants toa selectionofonline toolsuseful fordifferent stagesofthe writing project process (invention, writing, and publishing) regardless of the discipline.Participantswillthinkcriticallyofhowappropriatethesetoolsaretotheircontext.KeynoteSpeechTechnologyinanERAofTransformationinTeachingAndLearningDr.YusifAsfourDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:9:00am–10:00amRoom:WestHall,BathishAuditoriumToday’suseoftechnologyextendsourstandardteachingmethodsbyhelpingprofessors improvethe knowledge acquisition for students. However, we live in an era of hyper-change. Theknowledgewegaintodaybecomesobsoletebeforewecanuseit.Besides,technologyprovidesuswithreal-timeaccesstoinformation.So,whatshouldbethegoalofteachingandlearninginthisenvironment?Isittoprovideknowledge?Expertise?Orsomethingelse?Whatistechnology’sroleinachievingthisgoal?Thistalkwillexplorethedifferentquestionsweneedtoask,providessomeideastoaddressthesequestions,andhopestoinspiretheaudiencetoseekanswers.

CONCURRENTSESSIONSSet1-1Options,Strategies,Performances:MultilingualFacultyMembersasWritersPresenters:JohnPill,AmyZenger,andSouadElden;AmericanUniversityofBeirutDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCOur proposed conference presentation will report on a study in progress that interviewsmultilingualfacultymembersfromdifferentdisciplinestocollectindividualliteracynarratives.Thestudyaimsare:toinvestigateviewsoffacultyonhowtheyhavedevelopedtheirownlanguageandwritingabilities toperformatahigh level in theiracademicdisciplines; topresent findings inaneasily accessible format as a resource for reflection, discussion, and (self-) development in ouracademiccommunityandbeyond;andtoreportonmultilinguallearningandwritingstrategiesofourparticipants.By making the narratives openly accessible as online video clips and using them to stimulateconversationandreflectiononlanguageandliteracylearning,weseektoencouragenovicewritersandtofosterastrongercommunityofpracticearoundacademicwriting inmultilingualcontexts.We envisage this research project as a prototype that may be repeated to invite further

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contributions of individual literacy narratives from successful undergraduate and graduatestudents,aswellasfromadditionalfacultymembersandinothermultilingualacademiccontexts.Ourwork isthereforebothspecifictoour institution,theAmericanUniversityofBeirut,andalsorelevantmorebroadly inthemanyacademiccontextswherecommunitymemberswrite inmorethanonelanguageorinlanguagesthatarenottheirfirstlanguage.Set1-1ACaseStudyofFacultyPerceptionsofBilingualInstructorEffectivenessintheClass-roomataPrivateUniversityinSaudiArabiaPresenter:ZiadShakerElJishi,NahedHariri,HebaShehata,TerumiTaylor;EffatUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCThereisadilemmathatinstitutesofhighereducationintheArabGulfarefacingintheinstructionof students that come from a predominantly Arabic background, andwhomust learn in Englishduringfouryearsofundergraduateuniversitystudy.Onewaytoovercomethisdilemmamaybeinthe recruitment of highly qualified bilingual facultywho can use both Arabic and English in theclassroom.This study surveys and interviews facultyon their perceptionsof theeffectivenessofbilingual instructors in theclassroom.Therationaleof thestudy iswhetherstakeholderssuchasfacultywouldbeinfavorofutilizingArabic-Englishinstructioninabi-lingualapproachthatwouldenhancestudents’understandingofconceptsintheclassroom.Set1-2ACross-SectionalStudyaboutTelecommunicationinDistanceLearning;Presenters:AnwarKawtharaniandDinaShouman;LebaneseInternationalUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBTechnologyiseverexpandinginallaspectsofourlivesandeducationisadaptingtothisexpansion.Therefore,thenewgenerationofstudentsisrequiredtobetechnologysavvyinordertosurviveinan ever changing, technology-based economy. Content knowledge will not suffice the globallycompetitiveinformationage,thedemandsoflife,oreffectivecareerskills.Thepurposeof this studywas to findoutwhether theusageof telecommunications indistancelearninghasanyeffectontheLebanese InternationalUniversitystudents’ -MauritaniaCampus -satisfaction and if it varies between online and face-to-face course delivery. The research wasconductedusingasurveydistributedto30studentswhohavecompletedanonlinecoursehavingthe instructor located in Beirut, Lebanon and the students inMauritania. The survey examinedstudents’attitudesandperceptionstowardstheusageoftelecommunications inonlineteaching,and the gathered data was analyzed using Simple andMultiple Linear Regression Analysis. Theresults revealed statistically significant correlation between the tested variables and studentsatisfaction. The researchers recommendhavingmoreonlinecourses fromdifferentmajorsanddifferentlocationsleadingtoalargersamplesizetomakefutureresearchmorereliableandvalid.Set1-2DigitallyEnhancedCollaborativeResearchWritingandtheQuestionoftheAuthorPresenters:NajlaJarkas,JuheinaFakhreddine,andAbirWard,AmericanUniversityofBeirutDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumB

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Collaborativewriting,definedastwoormorewriters jointlycomposing,editing,andmodifyingacompletetext,hasbeenregardedasamuchmoreeffectivelearningexperienceforstudentwriters(Bruffee,1973)since it reducesanxietyand fostersself-confidence (JohnsonandJohnson,1999).Researchers argue that in technology-enhanced environments, students gain knowledge andexperiencenotonly incoursecontentbut in“teamworkcommunication, timemanagement,andtechnology use” (Daley et al, 2001, p. 127-128). However, research on students’ perceptions ofcollaborativewriting is scarce (Kessler,Bikowski,&Boggs,2012),which raises thequestionas towhether it iswise forus aswriting instructors to insist on studentsworking togetheronwritingassignments. Moreover, little has been researched on what parts of the writing process couldsuccessfullybedoneindividuallyandwhichcouldbecompletedcollaboratively.Thisstudyseekstoanswerthefollowingquestions:WhatareAUBstudentwriters’perceptionsondigitalcollaborativeauthoring?WhichcollaborativepatternismostlyfavoredbyAUBstudentsandwhy?Andwhatarethe factors that impact the students’ collaborations during such an experience? The aim of thisstudy is ultimately to bridge the gap between best practices in pedagogical approach &collaborativewritingusingonlineplatforms and students’ perceptions, learnmore about textualownership, agency, and voice in writing groups, and assist writing instructors at AUB in furtherunderstandingthewritingprocessfromstudents’perspective.

Set1-2E-LearningandMOOCsPanelDiscussionPresenters:ShireenYacoubandRihamNajia;Edraak;YusefSidaniandZaneSirajSinno;AmericanUniversityofBeirutDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBThepanelwillstartwithanoverviewofEdraak.org,aplatformthataimstorevolutionizetheaccessto and delivery of education across the entire Arabic speaking region. Edraak is amassive openonlinecourse(MOOC)platformthatisaninitiativeoftheQueenRaniaFoundation(QRF).QRFhascapitalized on regional Arab talent to leverage technology developed by the Harvard-MITconsortium, edX, to create the first non-profit ArabicMOOCplatform. Launched in 2014byHerMajestyQueenRaniaof Jordan,Edraak reachesaround1million learnersacross theArabworldoffering50coursesacrossawidearrayoftopics.Withover1.5millionfansacrossallsocialmediachannels, Edraak’s reach and impact continues to grow. Growing at over 1,000 learners a day,Edraak’s learnerscomefromawiderangeofcountriesacrosstheregionincludingEgypt,Algeria,Jordan,SaudiArabiaandtheUnitedArabEmirates.LearnersonEdraakhaveearnedover70,000certificatesofcompletionthathaveservedthembothacademicallyandprofessionally.Thesecondpart of the panel will feature presentations by two AUB professors who have developed andoffered courses on the Edraak platform reaching tens of thousands of learners from theMENAregion.TheprofessorswillshareinsightsaboutpedagogyanddesignforonlinelearninginadditiontokeylessonslearnedfromtheirexperiencewithEdraakandworkingonMOOCs.ThepartwillwillallowsometimeforQ&Awiththeaudience.Set1-3OptimalContextofInnovation:LessonsLearnedfromtheHistoricalEvolutionPresenters:BassamMackyandSimonAbdelmassih;LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumAEveryuniversityissearchingforaninnovation-orientedmodel,yetthereisashortageofsuggestingways to develop them(Louca et al, 2014). Universities are seen as ‘innovation centers’ (Nybom,

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citedinRothblatt,2012).Dedicationto innovationrequiresanewinnovationparadigm, includingtransforming higher education (Swanger, 2016) and changing the institutional DNA and context(Christensen, 2011; Persson, 2008). Research acknowledges a gap between the spectrums ofpedagogies and learning environments that educators value and those that are currently beingpracticed(NAS,2016).Exploringhistoryenablesexpertstounderstandthefactorsinvolvedinthechangeinacertainfield.Historically,externalfactorshavepulleduniversitiestobattlestaticscience.ReviewingthehistoryofUShighereducation,Gregorian(Rothblatt,2012)concludedthatcertain legislationsandotherdevelopments put universities where the people were,made itmore accessible, and promoteddevelopmentofboththeoreticalandpracticalknowledge;italsoshowswhatwentwrongandwhatopportunitiesweremissed.Moreover,exploringthesecret forthebackandforthdynamismandevolutionofscienceswasonlythroughreviewingthesciencehistory(Rajeh,2008).Certain transitions caused negative externalities (Witt, 2016). Over-prioritizing research fordifferent purposes (commercialization, ranking, etc...) caused a breakdown of the educationalmasterplanandhighlyimpactedteachingandlearningatuniversities(Shin&Harman,2009;Kerr,2001).Onthecontrary,appreciatingtheprofessionalcreativityofteachers(Jackson,2013),andthechange to student-centered approach generated innovative teaching, learning and assessmentmethods(Harman,2004).Areverseshift,fromindustrytouniversitythroughinsertingmanagersasinstructors,may initiate new teachingmechanism that contribute to the innovation’s spirit andsystem(Swanger,2016;Ferretti&Parmentola,2015).ThispapertraceshistoricaldevelopmentsthathelpedtoestablishHEinnovativeframework.

Set1-3InnovativeTechnology-SupportedPedagogicModelsinSTEMEducationPresenter:SereenItani;LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumAThe importance of STEM education is based upon the critical role played by these subjects atmultiple levels of society and their profound impact on the public, private, academic and civilsocietysectors.Ourcountry’sentireeconomyiscenteredonmathematics:accounting,economics,functions and logarithms, and calculus. The architecture industry revolves around math, as dourbandevelopmentandcityplanning.Medicalresearchispoweredbythestudyofchemistryandbiology.Thus,it’sdifficulttolocateasectorofsocietythatdoesnotinterrelatewithSTEMsubjects.Set1-3 InquiryLevelof theUndergraduateChemistryLaboratoryManuals inOneUniversity inBeirutPresenters: Hanan Arnous and Zalpha Ayoubi; Lebanese American University and LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:10:15am–11:45amRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumATheundergraduatechemistrylaboratoryisanidealplaceformeaningfullearningtooccur,andthelaboratoryworkisconsideredasanintegralpartofmostchemistrycourses;however,asignificantproportion of laboratory experiments remain highly prescriptive and fail to challengeundergraduate students. This study evaluated the chemistry laboratory manuals in a private

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universityinBeirut,Lebanon.Atotalof24experimentswererandomlyselectedfromsixchemistrylaboratory manuals. Data were collected using Tamir and Lunetta’s Laboratory Task AnalysisInstrument (LAI) (1979). Results from the analysis of the LAI data indicated that almost all themanuals’ experiments focused on the lowest levels of inquiry. Suggestions for modifying the“cookbook”chemistrylaboratorymanualswereprovidedtopromotestudentinquiry.Set2-1AUnifiedFrameworkforSeniorDesign-BasedAssessmentofStudentOutcomesPresenters:IssamDamajandJibranYousafzai;AmericanUniversityofKuwaitDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCAcapstonedesignproject (CDP) is anextensivepieceofwork that requires creativeactivityandthinking. It provides a unique opportunity for students to demonstrate their abilities, skills, andexperiences that are attained throughout a bachelor of engineering program. The learningoutcomesof capstoneprojectsmostlymap toall studentoutcomesat theprogram level.At thesametime,assessingstudentsinaCDPisachallengingtaskprimarilyduetotheuniqueandnon-uniform nature of the projects that vary from one group to another [1]. Furthermore, in theabsenceofananalyticandreliableassessmenttool,aCDPevaluationmightinvolveinconsistenciesduetothefactthatstudentsareevaluatedbymultipleexaminerswithdiverseareasofexpertiseandevaluationstrategies.Thispaperpresentsaunifiedassessmentframeworkforcapstonedesigncourses which allows for sound evaluations of student performance and project qualities inadditiontoassessingstudentoutcomes(SOs)attheprogramlevel.Set2-1PlanningStudentLearningOutcomesAssessmentinaForeignLanguageProgramPresenter:GhadaBualuan;UniversityofNotreDameDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCStudent LearningOutcomesAssessment (SLOA) is now an integral part of college and universityaccreditation and program reviews, and an intentional process for inspiring educationaladvancement. SLOA presented the Arabic program at the University of Notre Dame with thechallengeofnotonlystatinganddemonstratingitsvalue,intermsofwhatandhowwellstudentslearn,butalsoutilizingassessmentinformationforevaluatingtheprogram’seffectiveness,mission,andpractices.Thispaperexplores theusefulnessofSLOAas thebasis forongoingmonitoringofcurricula of language programs and provides insights into potential adaptations to improve theteachingandlearningofaforeignlanguage.Thispaperreportsonamulti-yearassessmentprojectundertakenbytheArabicProgramintheDepartmentofClassicsatNDU.Itfeaturesthreesections,covering(a)thedevelopmentofstudentlearningoutcomes(SLO)statements,(b)thedesignofanassessmenttobetterunderstandhowwellthenewSLOsmatchedinstructionandcontentinArabiccourses, and (c) the collectingand interpretingofassessmentdata, and theusingofassessmentfindings to analyze which aspects of the curriculum encompassed the learning benchmarksarticulated in the new SLOs, andwhich SLOswere unaddressed. In the end, the presenterwillsharereflectionsonthepotentialofSLOAinplayinganimmediate,criticalroleinbothsupportingandimprovingthevalueofinstructionandofstudentlearninginforeignlanguageeducation.Set2-1DecouplingbetweenDirectandIndirectAssessmentofCourseLearningObjectivesPresenter:RoyKanbar,HaniDimassi,PamelaFernainy;LebaneseAmericanUniversity

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Date:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCAssessment of learning objectives has been established as the main drive for curricularenhancementat theprogramandcourse levels (Astinetal.1993;Abateetal.2003;Farrisetal.2009; Schlesselman et al. 2015). This quality assurance exercise utilizes several assessmentinstruments,groupedunderdirectand indirectassessmentmethods(Palombaetal.1999;Boyce2008). The formermeasures objectively the acquired knowledge and skill level, while the lattermeasuresstudents’perceptionofthelearningexperience.Hence,theaimofthepresentstudywastoinvestigatewhetherdirectandindirectassessmentresultsarecorrelatedattheintra-courseandinter-courseprogramlevels.Therelationshipwithcourseevaluationratingswasalsoexamined.Set2-2StudentOutcomesfromaPilotSouth-SouthMaster’sPrograminHealthandSustainableDevelopmentPresenters: BK Singh; EARTH University; Maia Sieverding, Nasma Berri, Maha Damaj, JocelynDeJong,andRimaAfifi;AmericanUniversityofBeirutDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBWiththeadoptionoftheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs),theinternationalcommunityhasrecognized the interdependency of health, environment and socio-economic development inachievingequity.TheSDGsechoagrowingrealization inthesustainabledevelopmentandglobalhealth fields, amongothers, that inter-sectorial thinking and cooperation, aswell as approachesthat challenge traditional North-South hierarchies, are needed in order to advance global goals(Waageetal,2010;Frenketal,2010;Lancet2012;McMichael2013).However,thefieldsofglobalhealthandsustainabledevelopmentremainlargelyseparateinresearch,universityeducation,andpractice. Inorder toaddress the sustainabledevelopmentandglobalhealthagenda,universitieswill need to adapt their academic programs with the aim of training ethical leaders with theknowledgeandskillstoconfronttheseinterlinkedchallenges.EARTHUniversityinCostaRicaandtheFacultyofHealthSciencesatAUBhaverecentlydevelopedtheGlobalMaster’s inHealthandSustainableDevelopment(HSD),whichappliessuchatrans-disciplinaryapproach.StudentsoftheHSD program will complete coursework in both Costa Rica and Lebanon, after which they willimplement a social entrepreneurship project in their home countries. Transformative learningtheoryservesasthebasisfortheprogram’spedagogicalapproach.Set2-2TheNeedforPeaceEducationforUniversityStudentsinLebanonPresenters:GhadaChehimiandNadineJoudi;LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBLebanon’s young generations face the harshest outcomes of the country’s continuous state ofturmoilandinstability.Regardlessoftheirdistinctsocial,economicandeducationalbackgrounds,Lebaneseyouthseemtobevictimsoftheaggressivepolitics,degenerativecultureandmisleadingnotionsofwhatitmeanstobeapeacefulindividual.Theseconditions,thoughover-simplified,tendtonecessitateamoreinstitutionalizedapproachindirectingyouthandequippingthemwithpeaceeducation. The objective of this study hence is to channel available academic and practical

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resources towards providing peace education for university students; essentially guiding themtowardsbrighter,lessviolentcommunities.Set 2-2 Body Mass Index (BMI) and Eating Habits for Prospective Teachers at the Faculty ofEducation,LebaneseUniversityPresenter:SuzanneElTakach;LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBAMixedstudywasconductedon222students,allfemalesenrolledinallsemestersatthefacultyofEducationIduringtheacademicyear2014-2015.Theaimofthisstudywastoevaluatehowfarthe Health Education course taken by students in Semester 3, 4, 5 and 6 for all majors, isinfluencingtheirhabitsofeatingandtheirawarenessofagoodhealth.Qualitativeandquantitativedatawerecollectedfrom1)aBMIandeatinghabitsquestionnaire,2)on-siteadministeringtheBMIquestionnaireduringtheHealthyFoodDaywhichhastakenplaceatthe Faculty of Education I, and 3) a Post-Questionnaire administered in 2 classes enrolled inSemesters4and6whoparticipatedintheHealthyFooddayactivities.Toincreasethevalidityofresults, amember checkingwasused.Results showed that, overall, prospective teachershaveanormalBMI,buttheyhavebadeatinghabits.Themoreadvancedstudentsare,thelessregularlytheyexerciseandthemoretimetheyspendontheinternetandlessonreading.Asforsmoking,itvariedfromonemajortoanother.Forinstance,Mathstudentsintheir6thsemestersmokemorethansciencestudentsintheir4thSemester.Set2-3WhatRolefortheLiberalArtsintheArabRegion?Presenter:ColinSmith,AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumAThespeakerwilldiscuss the role that liberalartseducationcanplay in theArabregion fromtheperspectiveofsomeoneeducatedinaUSliberalartsmodelandwhohastaughtattheAmericanUniversityofBeirutformorethanadecade.Hearguesthattheneglectoffreeinquiryandliberalartsinfavorofprofessiontrainingwilldelaydevelopmentoftheregion.Heaskswhetheraliberalartseducation,especiallywith its focusoncritical analysisand the intellectual's role toquestionauthority in all fields, may clash with social norms in the region. He believes the variety of USmodelsofhighereducationarepoorlyunderstoodandthatreflectionoftheteachingpracticesandeconomic contributionsacross thediversityofUSexamples, from researchuniversities to liberalartscolleges,willhelpunderstandwhataspectscanbetransplantedsuccessfullyandhowtheycancontributetodevelopment.Set2-3StudentAcademicIntegrityintheDigitalAge:AMulti-LevelSolutionFrameworkPresenters:MonaItaniandIssamSrour;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumA

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Looking at students’ academic integrity in schools anduniversities is not anewareaof interest.However,withtheadvancementoftechnologyandthespreadofpervasivecommunicationtools,new ways of cheating and plagiarism have emerged. Although technology has helped with thecreation of tools to detect such types of dishonesty such as plagiarism software, many othermethods remain more difficult to detect such as the use of essay mills which have gainedpopularity in the last decade. The proposed research study seeks to examine using qualitativemethods,namelyfocusgroups,students’academicintegrityinaprominentuniversityinLebanonandlearnaboutstudents’beliefs,tendencies,andpracticeswhenitcomestoacademicdishonestyaswellasverifythereasonsbehindthesepracticesasmentionedintheliterature.Theresultsofthe study will mainly comprise multi-level solutions to the student academic integrity problemwhich will include recommendations for classroom instruction and course design as well asrecommendationstoimproveuniversity-wideacademicpolicies.Set2-3TheRoleofUniversityinTurningStudentsintoActiveCitizens,andviceversa:TheUSAID-USPandMEPI-LDFProgramsatAUBPresenters:CarmenGeha,MalekTabbal,SamarHarkous,andRabihShibli;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:12:00pm–1:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumAThis panel explores two intertwined questions on the role of universities in building a cadre ofactivecitizenswiththeknowledgeandskillstocontributetosolvingproblemsintheArabregion.The argument that the role of the university extends well beyond the confines of classroomteachinghasbeensubstantiatedintheliterature.Theuniversitycanandshouldcontributetoasetofskillsthatstudentscanusetohelpmaketheworldabetterplace.Whilethereislittledoubtinthatstatement,themechanismsandnormsthatgohandinhandwiththeroleoftheuniversityareatopicofmuchdebate.Howdoweteachstudentstobeactivecitizens?Whatwouldthevaluesofsuchaneducationbe?Thisisthefocusofthefirstpartofthispanel.Wethenturnourattentiontotheflipsideofthequestion,whichishowcantheuniversityattractactivecitizensforauniversityeducation. Can the university support active citizens through education? What would such aneducationlooklike?Set3-1AnIntroductoryCourseinEngineeringandArchitecture–AMultidisciplinaryApproachPresenters:FarookHamzeh,NaseemDaher,andSaraKhaddaj;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBEngineers and architects employ their technical abilities, innovative approaches, and problemsolving skills to devise products and services that support human needs and contribute to theprogressofcivilizations.Designingandbuildingintherealworldrequirethecollaborativeinputofseveral specialists from different disciplines. To mirror the needs of the job market, universityeducation should focus on training students to work in a multidisciplinary environment anddevelopaholistic viewof engineeringpractices that their future jobswoulddemand. This studypresents a new course aimed at engaging first year engineering and architecture students in amultidisciplinary environment, which inspires students’ creativity in problem solving andengineeringdesign.Thispaperpresentsdifferentteachingmethodsforachievingvariouslearningobjectives,analyzingstudents’satisfaction,andhighlightinglessonslearnedfromdeliveringanovelcoursetoengineeringandarchitecturestudents.

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Set3-1MeasuringComplexAchievement:PerformanceBasedAssessmentPresenters:SalamSayaghaandOlaSbeity;LebaneseInternationalUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBThegeneraltermassessmentisusedtorefertoallactivitiesdonebybothteachersandstudentsintheprocessofevaluation.Suchassessmentsprovideinformationtobeusedasfeedbacktochangeteachingmethodsandlearningactivities inordertomeetstudents’needs.AssessmentisdefinedbyHubaandFreed(2000)astheprocessofcollectinganddiscussinginformationfromvariousanddiversesources inordertoprovideadeepcomprehensionofwhatstudentsdiscern,understand,and achieve with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences; the processconcludes when evaluation outcomes are used to enhance subsequent learning. PerformanceBased Assessment iswhen students are asked to apply real-world tasks that exhibitmeaningfulapplication of essential knowledge and skills in a certain course. There are many examples ofperformancebasedassessment,suchasartisticproductions,experiments,oralpresentations,useofmathandphysicstosolverealworldproblems,essaywriting,playwriting.Itisimportanttonotethatperformanceassessmentsmeasurecomplexskillssuchastheabilitytoincorporateknowledgeacrossdisciplines,contributetotheworkofagroup,anddevelopaplanofactionwhenconfrontedwithanewsituation.Set3-1OnlineAssessmentinUniversityMathematicsCourses:ATooltoStrengthenLearning?Presenters: Hiba Othman, American University of Science and Technology; and Nina Hayfa,LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBMonitoring students’ learning progress has always been required as part of any teaching andlearning approach. "Assessment" is a term that includes variousmethods andwaysof gatheringinformation on the nature of the learners’ performance—the learning process and progress instudies(BlackandWilliam,1998;Schank,2001).Effectiveassessmentincludesbothsystematicandnon-systematic collectionof any information thatmay contribute tounderstanding the learners’place in terms of knowledge acquisition. The process involves analyzing and interpreting theinformation,aswellasmakingjudgmentsbasedonthatinterpretation.Asanalysis,interpretationandjudgmentareprocessesthatmaybeaffectedbyexternalandsubjectivefactors;somesuggesttheuseofonlineassessment.Online assessment has been offered in higher education in general andmathematics educationspecificallyformanyyears(He,Q.,&Tymms,P.,2005;Dedeetal.,2002;Smith,2006).Historically,theclassroomhasbeenthestandardvenuefordeliveringinformationtostudents.Theaimofthispaper is to investigate if there are differences in student learning when subjected to onlineassessmentascomparedtothepenandpapersetting.Set3-2 LocatingVisualCommunicationacrossDisciplines: ExaminingCompositionandScience-WritingTextbookstoImproveAwarenessofReadingandComposingConventionsinCompositionandtheSciencesPresenter:ErinZimmerman;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pm

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Room:WestHall,AuditoriumATraditionally in the field of composition, as inmost humanities disciplines, written text is mostvalued in documents: Written text conveys claims and provides evidence; the documentorganization relies primarily onwritten text; and audiences read and skimwritten text to gleanmain ideas and concepts. However, this is not typically the case for documents composed inscience disciplines. Luc Pawels (2006) remarks, “Verbal style, rhetoric, and structure…cannot beseparatedfromthevisualaspect,sincethetwomodesofexpressionandtheircomplex interplaymake up scientific argumentation” (p. x). While written text is still vital to convey noteworthyresearchinscience,oftenvisualsconveymostorallevidence,documentorganizationreliesmoreonbothwrittenandvisual components,andaudiencescan readandskimnotonly textbutalsovisualsoracombinationofvisualsandabstracts,captions,orotherbriefwrittenpiecesoftexttogleanmainideasandconcepts.Insum,thedisciplinarydifferencesbetweenvisualcommunicationconventions—thepurposes,practices,andexpectations—incompositionand thesciencesare,attimes,sizeable.

Set3-2TeacherandPeerFeedbackasFactorsofLexicalAccuracyPresenter:NuwarMawlawiDiab;LAUDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumATheterm“lexicalerrors"referstoerrorsinwordform,spelling,andwordchoice,yetitisthislatterthatposesthegreatestdifficultyforstudents(Carrio-PastorandMestre-Mestre,2014)andisoftenconsidered a determiner of poor writing quality, particularly among adult students pursuing auniversityeducationas theyareexpected tohavea richvocabulary.Wordchoiceerrorsmaybeclassifiedintoseveraltypes,suchas‘collocation’errors,‘unnecessary’,‘informal’,and‘redundant’worderrorsbasedonthereasonsthatmaketheselexicalchoiceswrong.Thisstudy,carriedoutin2016,proposestheuseoftwotechniques,namelylanguagelearningstrategies(LLS)andcorrectivefeedback,tohelpstudentsmakecorrectwordchoices.LLSaredefinedas‘thelearner’sconsciouslychosentoolsforactiveself-regulatedimprovementoflanguagelearning’(Oxfordet.al.,2014,30).Oxford (1990) classified LLS intomemory, cognitive, compensation, affective,metacognitive, andsocial strategies,whichmaybeused toassist students indeveloping their lexical repertoire.TherationaleforusingLLStofacilitatecorrectwordchoiceisthatitprovides‘alearning-how-to-learndimension’ which positively influences second language acquisition (Wong and Nunan, 2011, p.147) and encourages students to become agents of their own learning. In addition to theapplicationofLLS,studentsmaybenefitfromcorrectivefeedback,whichdrawsstudents’attentiontotheirerrorsandmotivatesthemtorethinktheirwordchoicesinordertoconveytheirintendedmeaning. The most common types of corrective feedback are teacher feedback (TF) and peerfeedback(PF).ThisstudycomparestheeffectsofLLScombinedwithTFtothoseofLLSandPFinreducingwrongwordchoiceerrors.Set3-2ArchivingWritingCenterCommunityEngagement:PerspectivesfromLebanonandEgyptPresenters: Emma Moghabghab, Najla Jarkas, and Ira Allen, AUB; Kathleen Saville, AmericanUniversityinCairo;SandraWhitehead,RafikHaririUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumA

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For writing centers, teaching and learning centers, and other campus institutions run byprofessional academics and serving broad populations, creating archives can be a difficulty.Effectivearchivingistypicallytime-consuming,andarchivesarenotalwayssharedwhenleadershiptransitions occur. Moreover, one of the most important elements of institution-building—thedelicate latticeworkofhumanrelationshipsand interactionsthatmakeourworkpossible—tendstogetlostintheprocess.Thisisespeciallysoforcommunityengagementwork,whichinvolvesagreat deal of relationship-building, not all of which bears fruit. This presentation suggests asustainablestrategyforbuilding institutionalarchives,whichwecall“flasharchiving,”andsharessomeofthelessonsdrawnfromusingthatstrategyforarchivingthecommunityengagementworkwearedoinginourownwritingcenters.TheprojectisacollaborationbetweenwritingcentersattheAmericanUniversityofBeirut,theAmericanUniversityinCairo,andtheRafikHaririUniversity(inLebanon).ItsimportanceisespeciallyclearforacademicsadministeringcentersandstrugglingtonameandtrackthemanyinterpersonalengagementsthatmakeupourworkSet3-3HybridSimulationinTeachingClinicalBreastExaminationPresenter:RanaSharara;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCBreastcancerremainsthemostcommoncanceramongwomenworldwide(1).Globally,preventiveefforts are targeted towards early detection. The evidence to support the benefit of breastexamination in terms of reducing breast cancermorbidity andmortality via early breast cancerdetection is notwell established (2). ClinicalBreast Examination (CBE) is extensivelypracticed incountriesliketheUnitedStatesandisconsideredpartoftheregularhealthexamevery3yearsinthethirdandfourthdecadesofawoman’slifeandeveryyearasofthefifthdecade(2).Inaddition,CBE remains a basic required skill for physicians in training and offers healthcare providers thecapacitytoeducatewomenonbreasthealth.TheMiddle Eastern countries around Lebanonvary in termsofCBE screeningprograms (13% to31%) (3–6), despite WHO recommendations for more screening in countries with insufficientresourcesandunavailablemammography.PotentialbarrierstothesuccessofCBEprogramsintheMiddleEastrangefromtheeducational levelsofwomen,theirperceptions,beliefsandattitudesregardingCBEtotheavailabilityofsocialandhealthservices(7,8).BasedonnumbersfromtheLebaneseNationalCancerRegistry,Lebanesewomenrankamongthehighestworldwideinratesofbreastcanceratyoungerages(9).Overthepast12yearsconcertedpublic health efforts have adopted aggressive screening strategies and targeted promoting andfacilitatingmammographyscreeninginLebanon;however,Lebanesewomen’sreligiousbeliefsandcultural views being polarized on both ends of the spectrum, made it imperative for medicaleducation leaders to ensure that physicians-in-training are not only proficient in CBE, but alsocognizantoftheculturalandreligiousdiversity.Set3-3In-SituSimulationforLatentThreatIdentificationintheEmergencyDepartmentPresenter:RanaSharara;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCSimulation is the "imitationor enactment, asof somethinganticipatedor in testing" (1). In-situsimulation isa formofsimulationthattakesplace intheactualclinicalsettingratherthan inthe

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simulation lab (2, 3). Theemergencydepartment (ED)has alwaysbeenapopular site for in-situsimulation because it is a high-stress high-acuity environment with a high turnover of patients,characteristics that make EDs naturally more prone to error (4-7). Working under situations ofextremestresscancausemedicalprofessionalstodeviatefromclinicalguidelinesandpoliciesevenif they know of their existence (5). The major advantage in-situ simulation has over regularsimulation is that it offers a more realistic experience but still with the bonus of no adverseconsequencesonpatient safety (2,3).Otheradvantages include theavailabilityofmedical staff,theapplicabilitytoinstitutionsthatdonothavespecializedsimulationcentersandthefamiliarityofthe participants with their surrounding (8).Many healthcare professionals and institutions haverealized the importance of in-situ simulation and started applying it as part of educationalprograms and other purposes including: (1) identifying general suboptimal performance incommunicationandteamwork(9-12);(2)detectinggapsinpatientsafety-"latentsafetythreats"(medication,equipment,resource/system,human)(11-16);(3)detectingsystemerrorsanderrorsrelatedtopoorcommunicationbetweendifferentdepartmentsorunitswithinaninstitution(17);(4) testing the medical team's readiness to respond to medical emergencies and to performresuscitationthroughunannouncedinsitusimulation(18-20);(5)assessingthemedicalknowledgeand procedural skills of the medical team (2); and (6) providing evidence that can be used forqualityimprovement(12,21).Set3-3MedicalEducationStandardsRevisitedPresenter:FayezSalehDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:3:00pm–4:30pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) founded on February 1947 andheadquartered inGeneva,Switzerland, is theworld’s largestdeveloperofvoluntary internationalstandardswith162membercountries.Thetwentythousandstandardsincludinghealthcare,serveto safeguard consumers and the end-users of products and services, ensuring that certifiedproducts conform to theminimum standards set internationally (ISO, 2007). The need formoreprofound and clear guidelines to standardize and improve the quality of health care deliverynecessitatesthedevelopmentofnationalandregionalstandardsformedicaleducationbyqualifiedexpertsandexperiencededucators.Set 4-1 Relative Effectiveness of WhatsApp Mediation on Improving Writing Proficiency andPerceptionsPresenter:GhadaAwada;AUBDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCMobiletoolsincreasethesocialinteractions,cooperationandcollaborationamongonlinestudents(Barhoumi & Rossi, 2013). Mobile educational technologies provide online learners withopportunitiestocommunicateandexchangeknowledge(Nelson,Christopher,&Mims,2009).InastudyinvestigatingtheeffectofWhatsAppgroupin improvingtheinteractionamonghighschoollearners, Bouhnik & Deshen(2014) asserted that the WhatsApp group the learners usedimproved interaction, promoted the social atmosphere, fostered dialogue, increased sharingamong learners and created an enjoyable atmosphere and a profound collaborationwith peers.The study was framed within the theories of Active learning, Activity, Community Sharing andLearningCommunities,whichpositthatcollaborationpromotesLearning.Assuch,theWhatsApp

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mediation promotes the construction and dissemination of knowledge among the collaboratingand interacting learners through collaborative learning activities (Bielaczyc & Collins, 1999).WhatsAppmediationhelps the learners toget inquiresquicklyansweredwhileparticipating inasupportive, interactive, and collaborative community (Rovai, 2002). Community sharing asdevelopedbyEngeström(1987)formsanothertheoreticalframeworkofthepresentstudy.Activitytheory motivates teachers to reintroduce knowledge during the implementation of onlinecooperative and collaborative learning approaches in online communities (Mercier and Higgins,2013).Set4-1ImpactofGraphicOrganizersonAdultLearners’ReadingComprehensionSkillsPresenter:SosilSomokian;BoxHillCollegeofKuwaitDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCStudies indicatethepositive impactofgraphicorganizersondeveloping learners’comprehensionskills as they help decode and reconstruct meaning from text and organize information moreefficiently.“Graphicorganizersareusedinordertoassessthedegreeofstudents’understandingandenhancerecall,retentionandsummarizationofmainideas,whichcanoftenfunctionasaplanleadingtowritingtasks,”(Manoli&Papadopoulou,2012,p.353).Thepurposeofthisactionresearchwastodeterminewhichtype(s)ofgraphicorganizers–KWL,QARorSQRareeasier foradult learners touseduringreadingcomprehensionexamsandwhichone(s)helplearnersdecodeandorganizeinformationmoreaccurately.ThestudywasdoneatBoxHillCollegeofKuwait.Participantswereadultfemalelearners(ages19-21),enrolledinanintensiveintermediatelevelESLcourse,studyingEnglish15hrs/week.Set4-1TheDoubleFunnel:aTeachingTechniquePresenter:YousraSabra;LebaneseUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumCTheDoubleFunnelisatechniqueItitivatedandemployedinteachingwriting.Theideacomesfromthe “Nurnberg Funnel” (Carroll, 1990), which was invented by German poet, George PhilippHarsdörffer(1607–1658);itisusedasamechanicalteachingtechniquethroughwhichknowledgeis“pouredintothebrainofthelearner”,graduallynarrowingthefocusorthetopicfromthegeneralto the specific. This technique is also used in writing introductions for diverse purposes. Theimplementation of this technique has become pluri-disciplinary extending to other majors likejournalism (inverted pyramid),media andmarketing. Besides, the Nurnberg Funnel has evolvedanddevelopedtoothershapes,yetoneshaperelevanttomyprojectisthe“flippedfunnel”(Jaffe,2010),movinggraduallyfromthespecificfocusortopictothegeneralone.CombiningNurnbergFunnelwiththeflippedfunnelresultsintheDoubleFunnel–ateaching/learningtechnique.Set4-2WhatMakesaTechsavyTeacher?Presenters:NabilMneimneh,AhmadShatila,andNisrineAdada;GlobalUniversityDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumB

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Interestineducationisinterestinthefuture.Teachereducationinstitutionsarepreparingteachersto educate students that will join tomorrow’s workforce. However, they are challenged withdesigning programs that prepare digital immigrants to educate today’s students - the digitalnatives.Preparingteacherstobeeffectivetechnologyusersisimportantduetotheincreasingroleoftechnologyeverywheretoday(Al-Zahrani,2015).However,researchreportsthatteacherstodaydo not feel adequately prepared to integrate technology into teaching (National EducationAssociation,2012).Set4-2CollaborativeActionResearchasaTeacherProfessionalDevelopmentToolPresenters:OlgaFleonovaandGiuseppeTassone;UniversityofBalamandDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBCollaborative action research (CAR) is gaining currency as a teacher professional developmentstrategy. The paper reports on the collaborative action research undertaken by two universityteachersfromdifferentdisciplines,ateacherofCulturalStudies(CS)andateacherofEnglishTheresearchaimedat introducinga greater varietyof activities in apredominantly lecture-basedCSclassroom,andatincreasingstudentinvolvementinclassthroughtheintegrationofactivelearningtechniques such as groupwork. In addition to itsmain focus, the research brought to light theimportanceoftakingintoconsiderationsuchaspectspeculiartoCARaschallengesofcollaborativemeaning-making, tensions arising in the process of collaboration, power relations between theresearchers, and the role of differing teachers’ perceptions. Observations, teacher diaries,transcriptsofreflectivedialoguesofthetworesearchers,andastudentquestionnairewereusedtodocument and analyze the classroom practice, the outcomes of the instructional changes, andchanges in the teachers’ beliefs. The research shows that professional development cannot bereducedtoamere introductionofnew instructional techniques inclass.Changes in instructionalpracticesinvolvedeeperchangesintheteacher’sbeliefsandteachingphilosophy,andthusrequiretime.Set4-2TheLBPSFbyE-TALEBco-fundedbytheERASMUS+ProgrammeoftheEuropeanUnionPresenter:NathalieBouldoukian;USEKDate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumBHigherEducationInstitutionsacrosstheworldarefacingthechallengeofthedigitalrevolutionandare trying to invent new teaching and learning strategies to shift from traditionally teaching-oriented institutions towards learning-oriented institutions. In this regard, thenationalprojectE-TALEB, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, aims at developing theProfessionalStandardsFrameworkforExcellenceinTeachingandLearninginLebaneseUniversities(LBPSF). This framework supports the initial and continuing professional development of staffengaged inteachingandfostersdynamicapproachestoteachingand learningthroughcreativity,innovation and continuous development in diverse academic disciplines and/or professionalsettings.Set 4-3 U.S. Faculty Learning Communities and Hong Kong Communities of Practice: OutcomeComparisonsandProjectInvitationsPresenter:MiltonCox;MiamiUniversity,OH,USA

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Date:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumAThis research project involved designing and implementing communities of practice (CoPs) at auniversity inHongKong.TheU.S.assessmentresultsreportedFacultyLearningCommunity(FLC)members’educationaldevelopmentandimpactonstudentlearning.TheassessmentwasrepeatedfortheHongKongCoPsusingthesamesurveyinstrument,andoutcomeswerecompared.DetailsandresultingHongKongCoPconferencepresentationsandpublishedpaperswillbeshared.Thisproject has implications for international educational development, student learning, andscholarshipofteachingandlearninginhighereducation.Participantswillbeinvitedtoinvolvetheirinstitutionsinthisproject.Set4-3EarlyCareerFacultyMentoring:AComparisonofOne-on-OneandLearningCommunityApproachesPresenters:MiltonCoxandLouiseVanVliet;MiamiUniversity,OH,USADate:Saturday,February11,2017Time:4:30pm–6:00pmRoom:WestHall,AuditoriumAMentoringofearly-careerfacultyinhighereducationisafrequentpractice.Inthissession,wewilldiscuss the contradictions encountered in the literature with respect to one-to-one mentoring.Participantswilltakeamentoringquizthatdrawsontheirmentoringexperience.Next,thelearningcommunity approach to mentoring will be discussed. One presenter has facilitated such early-career faculty communities for38years, and theotherpresenterparticipatedasanearly-careerfacultymemberandafterwardsservedasamentormanytimes.