The Lebanese University – Faculty of Pedagogy and the Lebanese University - Center for Pedagogical Studies and Research organized a scientific day on "The role of SoTL research methodology in the development of the teaching and learning process at the university", in the Lebanese University - Educational Excellence Center for Capacity Development, which was inaugurated two months ago at the Faculty.
The scientific day was attended by the Faculty Dean, Professor Therese Al-Hashem, the Attaché for educational cooperation affairs at the French Institute, Ms. Rachida Dumas, the USJ Rector’s Delegate for quality Assurance and Pedagogy, Professor Nada Moghaizel Nasr, the Director of the Centre de Soutien à l’Enseignement at the University of Lausanne, Professor Emmanuel Sylvestre, the Director of the AUB Center of Teaching and Learning, Professor Saouma Bou Jaoude, the Director of the Faculty Center for Educational Studies and Research, Dr. Iman Khalil, the Lebanese University - Faculty of Medical Sciences Teaching Staff Representative on the University Council, Dr. Nada Ghanem, in addition to the Faculty Council members, heads of academic departments and coordinators, a large number of professors from the Lebanese University, private universities and other educational institutions, and a group of students.
First of all, the scientific day coordinator, Dr. Maguy Al-Khoury Chataoui, spoke about the major challenges facing higher education and professors’ professional development, and presented the SoTL research methodology as a form of professional development that aims at improving educational practices through regular questioning of learning outcomes, and a process that grants professors the status of research practitioners.
For her part, the Director of the Center for Educational Studies and Research, Dr. Iman Khalil, stressed that universities or centers of academic excellence generally adopt several methodologies to improve pedagogical practices. Those methodologies can be summarized in two categories: training programs in university teaching and applied or experimental research in university teaching.
Dr. Khalil added: "This methodology is not far from what we apply at the Faculty, as we constantly examine our problems in teaching research methodology, or in supervising master's and doctoral theses, to the point of working on research based on our educational practices and reflections that could lead us to develop our performance. Our goal is to improve teaching in our faculty and university by providing skills and resources that will inevitably and positively reflect on student learning".
As for the Attaché for educational cooperation affairs at the French Institute, Ms. Rachida Dumas, she said that the Center for Educational Studies and Research aims to improve the quality of teaching and training through research, stressing that the objective is to develop professors’ skills who train future teachers, various educational frameworks, and the public and private sectors.
Ms. Dumas also confirmed the French Institute support, which has close ties with the Lebanese University and the Faculty, for this ambitious project to provide it with a research center serving this quality objective.
In her speech, the Faculty Dean, Professor Therese Al-Hashem, affirmed that the establishment of the Lebanese University - Educational Excellence Center for Capacity Development is an important step because it adds a new role to the Faculty, which is the development of professional education at the university level, after being limited to pre-university education.
Finally, she considered that professors are the cornerstone of building quality and excellence in higher education, pointing to the importance of close cooperation between various universities and institutions in this field.
