On Cooperative Engagement Strategies in the Arab Gulf States: Current Practices, Challenges, and Recommendations

Waddah Akili

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Conference: 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Publication Date: June 26, 2016
Start Date: June 26, 2016
End Date: June 29, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-692-68565-5
ISSN: 2153-5965
Conference Session: International Division Technical Session 3
Tagged Division: International
Tagged Topic: Diversity
Page Count: 17
DOI: 10.18260/p.25823
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/25823
Download Count: 487

Paper Authors

biography

Waddah Akili Iowa State University

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Waddah Akili has been in the academic arena for over 40years. He has held academic positions at Drexel University, Philadelphia, Penna (66-69), at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia (69-87), and at the University of Qatar, Doha, Qatar (87-00). Professor Akili’s major field is geotechnical engineering and materials. His research work & experience include: characterization of arid and semi arid soils, piled foundations, pavement design & materials, and concrete durability. His interests also include: contemporary issues of engineering education in general, and those of the Middle East and the Arab Gulf States in particular.

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Abstract

On Cooperative Engagement Strategies in the Arab Gulf States: Current Practices, Challenges, and Recommendations

Abstract: Engineering education in the Arab Gulf States (the Region) faces significant challenges as it seeks to meet the demands on the engineering profession in the twenty first century. The paper renews the call for deployment of effective instructional strategies in the classrooms of the Arab Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the Sultanate of Oman). It is a follow up to previous work by the author, on viable strategies to improve the classroom environment of engineering colleges in the Region.

At the start, the paper provides an overview of engineering education in the Region. Then, relates author’s findings on teaching/learning practices in Region’s colleges, and sheds light on active learning protocols, focusing on cooperative engagement strategies. Next, it identifies barriers to reformation in general, and to the use of modern pedagogical skills in particular. The paper also argues that any change in Region’s classroom practices (dominated by traditional lecture-based methods) should be supported by the university administration. What is necessary to create a change, is for the department or college, to have a feasible set of plans: articulated expectations, opportunities for faculty to learn about new pedagogies, and an equitable reward system stressing on cooperative learning practices as a viable alternative to the traditional (low-interaction lecture-based) environment that has gripped engineering education of the Region for decades. The positive interpersonal relationships promoted through cooperative learning are regarded by most educators as crucial to today’s learning communities. They reduce uncertainties and increase integration into college life.

The proposed paper reports on author’s own vision and experience with setting up, structuring, and implementing formal and informal cooperative strategies including: ways to break lecture-dominant pattern, how to keep students active while learning, ways to get students to know their classmates and build a sense of community with them, how to cooperate instead of competing, and ways to build trust with each other. Finally, the paper closes with the emphasis on the need to provide students with training and the practice in the social skills required to work cooperatively with others, skillfully balance personal relationships, and become contributing members of their communities

A number of questions do arise, including: What needs to be done to move the process forward? What are the key components of successful deployment of cooperative learning? How to expand the community of faculty who decide to use cooperative learning? Achieving the change needed requires collective effort by all involved, namely: the institution, the faculty, and the students.

Citation
Format

Akili, W. (2016, June), On Cooperative Engagement Strategies in the Arab Gulf States: Current Practices, Challenges, and Recommendations Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.25823

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - On Cooperative Engagement Strategies in the Arab Gulf States: 
 Current Practices, Challenges, and Recommendations

Abstract: Engineering education in the Arab Gulf States (the Region) faces significant challenges as it seeks to meet the demands on the engineering profession in the twenty first century. The paper renews the call for deployment of effective instructional strategies in the classrooms of the Arab Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and the Sultanate of Oman). It is a follow up to previous work by the author, on viable strategies to improve the classroom environment of engineering colleges in the Region. 

At the start, the paper provides an overview of engineering education in the Region. Then, relates author’s findings on teaching/learning practices in Region’s colleges, and sheds light on active learning protocols, focusing on cooperative engagement strategies. Next, it identifies barriers to reformation in general, and to the use of modern pedagogical skills in particular. The paper also argues that any change in Region’s classroom practices (dominated by traditional lecture-based methods) should be supported by the university administration. What is necessary to create a change, is for the department or college, to have a feasible set of plans: articulated expectations, opportunities for faculty to learn about new pedagogies, and an equitable reward system stressing on cooperative learning practices as a viable alternative to the traditional (low-interaction lecture-based) environment that has gripped engineering education of the Region for decades. The positive interpersonal relationships promoted through cooperative learning are regarded by most educators as crucial to today’s learning communities. They reduce uncertainties and increase integration into college life. 

The proposed paper reports on author’s own vision and experience with setting up, structuring, and implementing formal and informal cooperative strategies including: ways to break lecture-dominant pattern, how to keep students active while learning, ways to get students to know their classmates and build a sense of community with them, how to cooperate instead of competing, and ways to build trust with each other. Finally, the paper closes with the emphasis on the need to provide students with training and the practice in the social skills required to work cooperatively with others, skillfully balance personal relationships, and become contributing members of their communities

A number of questions do arise, including: What needs to be done to move the process forward? What are the key components of successful deployment of cooperative learning? How to expand the community of faculty who decide to use cooperative learning? Achieving the change needed requires collective effort by all involved, namely: the institution, the faculty, and the students.




AU  - Waddah Akili
CY  - New Orleans, Louisiana
DA  - 2016/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - On Cooperative Engagement Strategies in the Arab Gulf States: Current Practices, Challenges, and Recommendations 
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/25823
DO  - 10.18260/p.25823
ER  -