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The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the United Arab Emirates University organized a workshop on smart technology recently. This series of workshops was aimed at faculty and staff in order to enhance their abilities in using smart technology. This is part of UAEU’s drive to keep abreast of international standards in teaching methodology. The workshops were held on campus in Al Ain.

Dr. Hassan Ibrahim Salim, Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, was quoted as saying that these workshops were required to train academic and administrative staff in smart technology as UAEU’s classrooms contain the latest smart technology. These workshops addressed interactive whiteboards that allow for computer functions. This technology is an important tool for faculty to deliver many different types of educational materials. The instructor explained how to use the smart-board and software to design effective presentations.

The Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning added that these workshops were aimed at faculty and staff as they are the most frequent users of such technology. The workshops should develop many different skills, including how to connect a computer to the whiteboard, manage items, insert graphics, launch smart notebook application, write texts, open applications, manage pages, customize toolbars and run applications side by side, as well as many other skills associated with classroom management and communication between teacher and student. This helps to maintain the quality of the education and educational services offered to the students who are, after all, the center of the educational process. Faculty can then adapt the best electronic and smart learning methodologies in order to improve the quality of higher education in the UAE.