JEDDAH, 16 February 2004 — As part of its overall technology strategy, Effat College is currently implementing the Blackboard e-learning platform. This enables college faculty to supplement traditional classroom instruction with interactive online teaching methods and course materials.

“With the Blackboard learning platform, students will be able to view all of their course materials online — syllabus, assignments and related documents,” said Kerry Laufer, assistant to the dean for institutional development and quality control.

“Blackboard is also interactive and enables students to participate in synchronous and asynchronous discussions with fellow students and their professors on topics related to their courses. Quizzes and tests can be given online as well and professors can set parameters for how that works, such as specifying time limits and randomly assigning the order of questions,” Laufer told Arab News.

Twelve faculty members and system administrators have undergone intensive training in preparation for the spring 2004 pilot implementation that will enable all users to explore the system’s capabilities and allow faculty and students to assess best-practice pedagogy in an e-learning environment.

The goal of the training is for each instructor to create a complete course online by the end of the training. These 12 “trainees” are entrusted with conducting training and awareness sessions from spring 2004 through spring 2005 for all members of the Effat College Community.

Effat College stresses that the single most important reason for adopting an online course management platform is to enhance teaching and learning. There are many ways that a web-enabled e-learning environment can improve the quality and convenience of instruction at the college.

“By including an online component in all the courses, professors will be challenged to keep up with international standards and constantly improve upon and update their skills,” said Laufer. “We take our mission very seriously. If we fail to prepare students for what they will face in workplaces of the future, then we simply aren’t doing our jobs. Students will necessarily become better independent learners and critical thinkers. English reading and writing skills will also improve rapidly, and students will become increasingly familiar with how to navigate in an online environment. They will learn to find and evaluate information from various sources.”

Other cornerstones of the Effat College technology strategy include integrated student administrative services through the Banner Student Information System and enhanced campus communications through the creation and use of the College Intranet that effectively links all members of the campus community.

As part of its commitment to providing professional development opportunities for the community, Effat College is also planning its Second Annual Learning and Technology Symposium to be held on March 2-4 at the Jeddah Hilton. The theme of this year’s symposium is “Technology: The Way to Global Learning,” and is especially designed for teachers, educational policymakers, e-learning specialists and educational administrators at all levels.

Suad Al Juffali will be the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony on March 3. The symposium is held under the patronage of Princess Lolowah Al-Faisal, vice-chairman of the Board of Trustees and general supervisor of Effat College.

There will be two full days of interactive presentations, workshops and panel discussions by international and local experts in the field of educational technology.