AUBE 5003 Teaching and Learning with Technology

HASEEB ALI - Teaching Philosophy Statement

I am currently the facilitator of a series of four (4) Executive Development Courses in Project
Management. Each course is three (3) days in duration with classes held on three (3) consecutive
days. All material including assessment exercises are provided under license by a US-based
institution. Participants are awarded certificates at the end of each course if they achieve 72% in
the final multiple-choice examination.

I see myself as a facilitator where opportunities for learning are co-created by and for my
students and myself. As a facilitator I believe that I have an opportunity to make a difference in
the lives of my students and in the people that they interact with, both in the work and social
environment. I therefore see myself as a driver of change for myself, my students and the society.

I see myself as a learner learning from my students and committed to lifelong self-learning. I
continually seek opportunities to learn and grow in my life activities inclusive of my profession
and in my teaching.

I see myself as a driver for creating/maintaining a community of practice in the profession, by

encouraging communication/networking amongst course participants and professional and
other related organisations, even after the course has been completed.

My current teaching practices have been shaped primarily by my experiences in three (3) areas:
1. My experience as a student at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
2. My work/industry experience - as a practicing project manager doing projects, and later
a project director, managing managers who do projects I have seen us repeating the
same mistakes and failing to apply the fundamental practices of the profession.
3. My experience as father and husband, and recently as a grandfather the latter has
sharpened my appreciation for the effectiveness of authentic learning methods.

I believe that the students role in the classroom is to learn and contribute to the learning of other
students (and of the teacher). As an example, students must be able to organize their groups and
define roles/responsibilities for group assignments and projects.

In order to achieve the course objectives the student must be able to practice reflection,
develop/practice strong critical thinking skills, be able to work collaboratively with others,

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develop/practice strong communication skills, solve problems and make decisions, be confident
and practice self-directed learning.

I subscribe to the constructivism learning theory where student and teacher construct their own
understanding and knowledge of the world, through experiencing things and reflecting on those
experiences. I see my role as a facilitator, to aid the student when it comes to their own
understanding:
Instead of telling, I will begin asking.
Instead of answering questions that only align with the curriculum, I will make it so that
the student comes to the conclusions on their own instead of being told.
I will continually in conversation with the students, creating the learning experience that
is open to new directions depending upon the needs of the student as the learning
progresses

I believe that authentic learning concepts promote learning that is effective in solving problems
and addressing opportunities in the real world.

My concept of authentic learning is to learn in contexts that promote real-life applications of

knowledge. I believe that one must create an environment in which students feel welcome and
are encouraged to collaborate, ask questions and fully participate in discussions. The
environment should encourage students to present their ideas and opinions while respecting
others points of view; where there is no fear of having honest and frank discussion.

The learning methods (that relate to authentic learning) I currently utilize include:
Simulation exercises where groups are required to manage and carry out the
construction of a model of a bridge
Exercises where open questioning is utilized
Case Studies

Going forward, I feel that the Problem Based Learning (PBL) Methodology and the continual
utilization of reflection exercises throughout the course can be valuable tools to promote
authentic learning. I need to assess the changes and resource requirements to introduce this new
methodology and seek the approval of the institution.

I will seek to integrate technology in my courses in order to provide the most effective and
successful learning environment for students. I will ensure that the sequence of activities will
remain as follows:
1. Identifying and selecting learning outcomes

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 2. Articulating and organising course content
3. Selecting and developing teaching strategies
4. Determining methods of assessing student learning
5. Determining opportunities to integrate technology in steps 2, 3 and 4 above.

I will seek to integrate the following technology applications as appropriate in my courses:

Use of Search Engines to research topics and/or obtain information. I will encourage
students to do the same.
To effectively provide information/exercises to students, using software such as
Microsoft Office Suite (Powerpoint, Excel, Word, Publisher, etc.), Microsoft Visio, Prezi,
Concept Mapping software such as Coggle. Additionally, require students to do same for
assignments, reflections, etc.
Effectively provide information to students using podcasts created using software such as
Camtasia.
Share relevant information/comments on course topics and invite responses/comments
from others, by starting a blog using Google Blogger
Share information and communicate with students and peers using internet email (such
as Gmail) and mobile phone apps such as Whatsapp.
Share information, communicate and facilitate simultaneous online collaboration using
tools such as Google G Suite (Docs, Sheets and Slides) and Microsoft Office 365 (Word,
Excel and Powerpoint).
Share information, communicate, collaborate with site builder software Google Sites

I will strive to ensure that the course does not become overloaded with technology (just for the
sake of using technology) in a manner that it detracts from the learning process. I will seek to
ensure that there is a healthy balance between technology and course content.

I will seek to continually assess the effectiveness and efficiency of my teaching/facilitation

through the following:
Peer reviews of course outline from fellow teachers
Periodic surveys from students as the course progresses
Final survey from students at the end of the course
Performance of students at each class assessment exercise and at the end of the course
Peer review of course/student performance at end of course and creation of
opportunities for improvement.