The High Voltage Engineering Class with seven (7) students under Mrs. Lizette Ivy C. Pascual, together with Lab Technician, Mr. Mahmood Khamis Saif Khamis Al-Nasseri, headed for Majan Electricity Company in Souq, Ibri on 16 March 2923, to conduct two Laboratory Exercises: Insulation Resistance (IR) Measurements and Tests for Underground Distribution Cables and Distribution Transformers.
While there, the group was joined by several others who are undergoing On-the-Job Training (OJT) and Apprenticeship Training with Majan Electricity Company with some coming from UTAS-Ibri.
Until the High Voltage Engineering Laboratory will be sufficiently equipped, the class will continue to ask Majan to assist UTAS-Ibri Electrical Engineering students in facilitating their practical learning experiences every semester whenever possible for them to accommodate the delegation.
Mr. Faisal Al Shamali and Mrs. Nasiyba Al Ghafri from the English Language Center conducted a training session entitled “MS Teams Features Apps” on Thursday, 21 March 2023. The presentation focused on use of MS teams features apps like: myQuiz and Poll Everywhere in enhancing English language skills. The collaborative session introduced MS teams features and their effective implementation to Level 2 lecturers in ESL classrooms. It also highlighted the varied use of features available in MS teams in online classroom activities. The session also shared the activities from previous semesters that were used through MS teams to facilitate the lecturers. The session was received well with a positive feedback from the participants.
Mr. Faisal Al Shamali and Mr. Jabez Syam from the English Language Center presented a training session entitled “MS Teams Features Apps” on Thursday, 16 March 2023 in UTAS-Ibri . The session focused on using MS teams features apps like: Insights, Reflect, Assignments, Polly, class notebook, and forms in teaching English language skills. The interactive session introduced the MS teams features apps to level 2 lecturers and how to utilize them effectively in ESL classrooms. It also showed multifarious ways of using the features available in MS teams in online classroom activities. The session showed the audiences authentic samples from previous MS teams to aid the lecturers. The session was a real success and received positive feedback from the participants.
Ms Fazilat Jahan from the English Language Center conducted a workshop titled “ChatGPT- from Foe to Friend” at the 10th ELT Symposium, UTAS-Shinas, Oman on Thursday, 16 March 2023. The workshop focused on the use of ChatGPT in enhancing English language Skills. The interactive session introduced the AI program ChatGPT and gave an overview on how to get started when using the program for the first time. It introduced the participants to novel ideas such as how to use ChatGPT for lesson planning. It also showed ways of using the program for proofreading, editing and brainstorming during class activities. The presenter shared interesting ways to write effective prompts and to use the AI model to give better search results. The workshop introduced the audiences to a tried-and-tested tool that language teachers can use to identify if a text is AI generated or written by a human.
The session was a resounding success and received positive feedback from the participants.
The University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) Ibri and its Information Technology Department organized the 7th students’ national level competitions titled “iTech Marathon” on March 15th and 16th 2023, with the attendance of 148 student participants and experts.
Student competitions play a key role in improving and achieving their academic goals. Challenge based learning contribute to innovation, creativity, and employability. The annual event “iTech Marathon” consists of series of challenges and sense of competitions among students from higher educational institutes on the first day to encourage the students to outperform in the field of scientific research and innovation challenge, project demonstration, programming competition, mobile development competition, networking competition, and mathematics competition, followed by technical exhibitions under the name “iTech Techno” on the second day. Aiming to enrich industrial and business cooperation and to enhance the knowledge of the students and graduates about the applications of the technologies in the market and industries, “iTech Techno” event gives a place for the companies and institutes that are related to information technology and innovation to exhibit their services and products to the students and alumni. Several companies demonstrated their innovative IT products on Robotics, 3D Printing, IoT, Digital Designing, Security and Programming in the second days event.
According to the organizing team, the aim of this event is, “to meet Oman’s Vision 2040, to achieve academic excellence, to identify and extract problem solving skills among students, to provide a platform and share student’s ideas and innovations, and to provide a platform for students to view the latest innovative products displayed by companies”.
Ms. Hind Salim Said Al Mahrouqi, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs presented the welcome address and the objectives of the event.
Dr. Hamdan Mohammed Ali Al Manthari, Dean of UTAS-Ibri, Dr. Nasser Salim Mohmmed Al Kalbani, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs attend to the opening ceremony and praised the student participants who joined from 10 different universities including UTAS-Muscat, UTAS-Shinas, UTAS-Sohar, UTAS-Al Musannah, UTAS-Ibra, UTAS-Nizwa, UTAS-Ibri, UTAS-Ibri(CAS), University of Buraimi, and GuTech.
Dr. Junaid Qadir presented the Keynote address on a topic “Engineering and Computing Education for the 21st Century: A Student Primer”. He is a Professor at the Qatar University in Doha, Qatar, and the Information Technology University (ITU) of Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan.
Dr. Amal Bati Said Al Abri, the head of IT department distributed the prizes, awards, and certificates for the winners in the closing ceremony and greeted the student participants, and the organizing committee members. In her talk, she mentioned that, “iTech Marathon is a great platform for national students to showcase the skills and talents. Students enjoyed meeting with different level of people to improve communication, collaboration, sharing ideas, innovation, technological awareness, and competitive skills. The winners deserve it for today and the other participants have received the experience to win in the future events”.
This event was well organized under the chairmanship of Head of the IT Department Dr. Amal Bati Said Al Abri, supported by Department Council members Ms. Fatma Said Hamed Al Shamli, Dr. Pugalarasu Rajan, coordinated by “IT Society” coordinator Ms. Sara Said Obaid Al Shukaili and collaborated by all the IT staff and students. The event was technically supported by the reputed international professional body “ACM Student Chapter” and in association with “Alanan National” and “Almasarrah Youth”.
This national level event receives high positive feedback from the student community though they benefit by showcasing leadership quality, technical, innovation and creative skills.
Teaching jobs are in huge demand Oman. In this regard, Dr. Mohsen Amiri was invited by the English Department at Sultan Qaboos University as a guest speaker to give a presentation to the final year students of English language and literature at the 11th Annual Research Conference on March 8-9, 2023. The major discussion points of the presentation were as follows:
- How do I know I am meant to be a teacher?
- What are the top personal qualities of a good teacher?
- Personality Development and Interpersonal Skills
- The GFP students’ feedback, challenges, and demands
- Top-notch techniques to win the future job interview
The presentation was selected as the best one based on the students’ feedback. Hence, students requested to have another session in the coming days for both the literature and education departments.
Dr. Mobina Rahnama was invited by the Arab English Teachers Association as a keynote speaker at the 27th webinar in order to deliver a presentation to teachers all across the world on the 19th of July, 2022. The presentation covered all the scopes related to teaching and learning which is motivation as she believes. She stated that motivation is the driving force behind both learning and teaching processes. Without it, even the most talented teachers and students will struggle to make progress. Motivation provides the energy, focus, and determination needed to tackle new challenges, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals.
In the context of learning, motivation can come from a variety of sources, including personal interest, curiosity, the desire to improve, or the need to gain new skills for a career. Similarly, in teaching, the ability to motivate students is essential to creating an engaging and effective positive learning environment. Skilled teachers know how to tap into their students’ intrinsic motivators, as well as create external motivators, to keep their students engaged and eager to learn. Ultimately, the key to successful learning and teaching is a shared passion for knowledge and a desire to continuously improve.
The presentation was received well and appreciated by the teaching fraternity and the students.
Profile
Dr. Mobina Rahnama is currently a senior lecturer teaching language skills at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Ibri, Oman. She is a teacher educator as well. She has been teaching ELT since 2002 to people of different background and ages since then. Her previous experience includes teaching General English, ESP, and Business English at university in Iran, as well as being an assistant ESL teacher at Centennial Secondary School in Canada. She currently holds CPD workshops and IELTS teacher trainings. She holds a Ph.D. degree in TEFL/TESOL and she is a researcher as well. Her writing credits include authoring a number of papers and a book on English language teaching and feedback
Dr. Mobina Rahnama was invited as a keynote speaker by the Democratic Arab Center based in Berlin, Germany in collaboration with the University of Benghazi, Libya and the University of Oran 2, Algeria on the 10th of December, 2022.
She believes that the 21st century university student faces the challenge of mastering English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to achieve success in their studies and specializations. The ability to communicate precise and accurate information in the English language is overwhelmingly vital and crucial as students enter the global job market. ESP skills allow students to effectively express their ideas and opinions in a variety of macrocosmic contexts, from academic writing to professional communication.
The feedback was highly positive and there was a very productive Q & A session which led to a fruitful ending.
Profile
Dr. Mobina Rahnama is currently a senior lecturer teaching language skills at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Ibri, Oman. She is a teacher educator as well. She has been teaching ELT since 2002 to people of different background and ages since then. Her previous experience includes teaching General English, ESP, and Business English at university in Iran, as well as being an assistant ESL teacher at Centennial Secondary School in Canada. She currently holds CPD workshops and IELTS teacher trainings. She holds a Ph.D. degree in TEFL/TESOL and she is a researcher as well. Her writing credits include authoring a number of papers and a book on English language teaching and feedback.
Students who are taught English with genre analysis not only acquire language skills, but also develop a comprehensive comprehension of how to communicate efficiently in diverse social situations and discourse communities.
Dr. Mobina Rahnama conducted a research titled “Textuality in ISI and Non-ISI Mathematics Research Article Introductions: A Genre Analysis”. She was invited to be a guest speaker at the 42nd Thailand TESOL International Conference 2023 on the 28th of January, 2023 to share her research results and recommendations from scientists, researchers, practitioners, textbook writers, and ELT professionals. The conference was attended by TESOL practitioners from a variety of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary fields to capture insightful ELT ground-breaking research, pedagogies, materials and innovations for current and future endeavors at local and global contexts.
Profile
Dr. Mobina Rahnama is currently a senior lecturer teaching language skills at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Ibri, Oman. She is a teacher educator as well. She has been teaching ELT since 2002 to people of different background and ages since then. Her previous experience includes teaching General English, ESP, and Business English at university in Iran, as well as being an assistant ESL teacher at Centennial Secondary School in Canada. She currently holds CPD workshops and IELTS teacher trainings. She holds a Ph.D. degree in TEFL/TESOL and she is a researcher as well. Her writing credits include authoring a number of papers and a book on English language teaching and feedback.
Mr. Ahmed Al Mamari conducted CIMS Awareness Session on Thursday 16th of March, 2023 at UTAS –Ibri. A detailed session on College Information Management System was well received by the audience as it made them conversant with its significant components and their functions. He gave a detailed description of General Foundation Programme and Post Foundation Programme offered by English Language centre and other courses offered by other departments like Business studies, Engineering and Information Technology.
He also gave a detailed account of the student enrollment process through CIMS. He also shared information on number of batches enrolled, part-time students, transferred students and the details of the teaching staff.Mr Ahmed also talked about the software used by UTAS and the focus was more on Moodle, AMS, MyELT, MS Teams and CIMS.
The session was well received and acknowledged by the audience.
