CAA organizes seminar on innovative e-learning at AUS

 The UAE Ministry of Education’s Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) organized a seminar on “e-learning” at American University of Sharjah (AUS) on June 9.

With more than 150 participants representing national and international higher education institutions, the seminar provided a platform for the exchange of expertise in e-learning.

The seminar highlighted innovative developments of e-learning systems in higher education institutions, provided an opportunity for the exchange of experiences and best practices in this field, updated participants about the recent policies and procedures in e-learning, and discussed institutional readiness and innovative governance in the field. 

Dr. Abdul Salam Ghaith, Commissioner of CAA, emphasized the importance of e-learning and its benefits to educational institutions. He also outlined the need for coordination and exchange of experiences, highlighting the role of e-learning in creating an educational environment that combines the educational curriculum, methods of assessment and teaching, teacher and learner effectiveness, and the training of faculty on the use of innovative educational technologies.

He added that the Ministry of Education applies best practices in e-learning and knowledge development in an ever-changing education environment and a growing knowledge-based community, in addition to developing the skills required in the digital age and labor market in line with the ministry’s strategy.   

Dr. Ghaith said that these seminars enhance education excellence through e-learning, clarify the steps required to achieve results of high quality, and establish a strong basis for curriculum design and teacher support through training, development of educational technology, and an institutional strategy that that looks into the future in a digital world. 

Dr. Juan Sanchez, Provost and Chief Academic Officer at AUS, said that e-learning as well as blended education have become an integral part of the learning process in today’s world.

“One thing we learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of having a flexible educational system and a solid infrastructure to support student learning. What we need to do now is build on the experience we gained from the past two years to produce educational models that enhance the university experience of students. The Ministry of Education and higher education institutions can learn from each other, as well as from international educational experiences, and this seminar is a great place to start. To be able to come together, share our expertise and develop our pedagogy is not just a lessons-learned exercise, but rather this is our responsibility as part of our commitment to building future generations,” he said.