Dubai, UAE: The Higher Colleges of Technology , HCT , has showcased its leadership in the integration of mobile learning and technologies in education, when it inaugurated its Third Annual Mobile Learning Conference at the HCT -Dubai Men’s College this week.
This year’s conference, held under the theme of ‘Towards a Smarter City’, focused on the impact of mobile technology on learning and society, and was convened with the full support and involvement from the Dubai Smart Government and the Watani Al Emarat Foundation. The opening day was comprised of 50 highly informative sessions and workshops.
The highly interactive event saw over 1,000 educational and technology experts from the HCT gather with representatives of UAE-based schools and post-secondary institutions, agencies and allied industry professionals, trainers and managers to share and discuss ideas and developments relating to the practical implementation of mobile and technology-based learning in the region.
The conference featured the GCC’s first ever mini Massive Open Online Course, MOOC. The speakers for the conference’s opening day included, Ahmed bin Humaidan, Director-General of Dubai Smart Government, Jon Bergmann, Chief Learning Officer of Flippedclass.com, and Peter Ingle, Head of Sales for Panopto, EMEA.
Mr. bin Humaidan spoke about the programmes being developed by Dubai institutions to process transactions with the public and also introduce smart solutions in all government dealings, in line with the vision and initiative of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to provide a world-class smart government in Dubai.
In delivering the conference’s welcoming address, Dr. Abdullatif Al Shamsi, Vice Chancellor of the HCT , commended the UAE’s strong leadership in promoting a knowledge economy. “We are very grateful for the ongoing support of the Dubai Smart Government and for the leadership and encouragement of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid,” he said.
“This year’s conference highlights all the technological developments that are useful in enhancing the experiences and skills of HCT students. Students globally demand innovative practices of teaching and learning and we must follow our government’s lead and keep pace with developments in technology,” Dr. Al Shamsi added.
The HCT Vice Chancellor noted that the conference reflected HCT’s ongoing commitment to excellence in education and focus on successful student learning outcomes in technology and innovation.
In his plenary address Jon Bergmann, who is considered one of the pioneers in the Flipped Class movement and is a co-founder of The Flipped Learning Network , showcased the international contemporary vision for transformation into smart learning in the classroom and programmes designed for promoting student interaction. A highlight of Mr. Bergmann’s presence during the conference was his presentation of a bespoke workshop on flipped classrooms for HCT’s Emirati faculty members in the first afternoon session.
Peter Ingle, a distance communication expert, spoke in the second plenary session about the experience of Oxford University in the use of distance communication and the use of 500 other universities and colleges.
Dr. Saoud Al Mulla, Director of the HCT -Dubai Colleges, said, “The HCT believes that smart cities and a smart business environment emerge from smart learning. This is why the conference focuses on the factors that led to the prevalence of mobile learning worldwide. The conference will discuss the new concepts and features in the fields of academic technological advancements, in addition to the advantages of their utilisation by UAE companies and institutions. The conference also gives proposals for overcoming challenges in this rapidly growing field.”
© Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2015.
The post HCT Reinforces UAE’s Smart Technology Initiatives appeared first on edarabia.com.