The 10 Best Promising Institutions in Canada-2020

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work. In flipped classrooms, the content is learned
outside the class, while classroom time is allocated for
students working together on assignments.
Technological pedagogy in the classroom aids in student
autonomy. Students independently progress in mastering
concepts. Customized curriculum accommodates
students’ learning styles and needs. Interactive books
and testing platforms adapt to students’ level and offer
personalized activities and assessments.
While education should continue to prepare students for
future careers, this generation grew up using tablets and
smart phones. Employing technology in the classroom
fosters digital literacy and digital citizenship skills such
as responsibility, time management, confidence and
kindness.
Academic institutions should facilitate the integration of
technology in the classroom to empower faculty and
teaching staff. It is important to offer pedagogical
workshops and training in technological pedagogical
knowledge. This knowledge focuses on ways to enhance
teaching and learning through technology. It includes
pedagogical feasibility of technological tools related to
specific discipline. Another approach is to introduce
learning management systems that allow faculty to
integrate e-learning into the curriculum.
Traditional teaching and learning methodology are
inevitably evolving with the influx of technology in our
classroom nowadays. Educators continue to develop
products that enhance students learning. Data generated
from apps and programs provide insight into student
progress and offer specific personalized
recommendations to enhance student performance. The
teacher becomes a guide and coach steering students
through the learning process while providing support at
the appropriate time.
Education today extends beyond bricks and mortar.
Technology offers exciting opportunity for life-long
learning, a keystone of a progressive society. It
empowers individuals to acquire new skills thus building
capacity and transforming knowledge into outcomes.
Educational institutions are regarding technology an
integral component of teaching and learning. Faculty are
encouraged to view this as a tool to customize
knowledge transfer and address various student needs.
This empowers students and facilitates their success.
Nadia Awaida
Associate Professor
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nadia Awaida is the Associate
Professor of education and
coordinator of the teaching diploma
programme. She earned her PhD in
Curriculum and Instruction from the
University of South Florida. Her
research focuses on intercultural
competence, diversity, and
classroom implications. She is
st
passionate about promoting 21
century skills in education and
considers intercultural awareness to
be a governing force in our global
time. She has over 12 years of
teaching experience in the United
States and the MENA region.
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