Tafila Technical University hosts int’l conference on educational technology

AMMAN — Under the title “Technology for Quality Education”, the College of Educational Sciences at Tafila Technical University (TTU) hosted the 12th International Conference on Education and Educational Technology from June 8-9.

The international academic virtual conference was jointly organised by TTU, Bridgewater State University (BSU), US, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Morocco, and ARID (Arab Research Id). The conference was also supported by the US Department of Education through an Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Grant, according to a statement made available to The Jordan Times.

Representing 19 countries, including Jordan and most of the Arab countries, Ireland, India, Japan, South Korea and the US, 142 international scholars, experts, researchers and university faculty were able to attend and share 73 scholarly presentations at the conference over two days.

The participation of women at the conference reached 55 per cent, the statement said. 

The conference addressed 10 critical thematic sections including technology and student learning, artificial intelligence (AI), brain-based learning, distance learning in science, arts and social science, educational research and undergraduate projects and research, new trends in special education, educational management and quality teaching, curriculum and teaching, online learning and sustainable education, according to the statement. 

The themes of the conference represented a return to the main ideas proposed by the 2016 UNESCO international conference about the use of information and communication technology in education, and innovation for quality, openness and inclusion.

TTU President Mohamed Khair Al Hourani praised the international conference and described it as “a conscious and deliberate academic effort to overcome all obstacles imposed by COVID-19”.

Hourani added that despite “the curveball of the pandemic, TTU and its faculty, staff and students exerted extraordinary efforts to maintain high standards”.

In his video recoded message, Karim Ismaili, vice president for Academic Affairs and Provost of Bridgewater State University, said: “This conference is a manifestation and a celebration of genuinety and tenacity. It demonstrates once again our collective commitment to pushing the boundaries of knowledge and being innovative in various educational and intellectual circumstances is what connects and unites all the faculty, staff, and students of our perspective institutions.”

It has been announced that the 13thInternational Conference will be held in Fez, Morocco, in 2022. 

In a message shared with the attendees, President Radouane Mrabet of Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, said: “I am delighted to host the next edition of the conference in Fez, Morocco, at the Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University.” 

Many questions were raised concerning the future of educational technology in Jordan and the Arab world post-COVID-19, the financial resources to keep up with ever-changing instructional technology, and whether offering courses or even online degrees would be recognised by the ministries of higher education in the MENA region. 

Investments in the industry reached $18.66 billion in 2019 and is projected to hit $350 billion in 2025, the statement said.

Michael Zimmerman from BSU, in his presentation titled “Moving Mountains” highlighted how instructors in a variety of fields have encountered difficulties.

 “We could no longer take our students into the environments necessary for practical instruction, however, through virtual and augmented reality environments, we as instructors have the opportunity to bring those places to them, ” Zimmerman said.