IIUI INAUGURATES WORKSHOP TITLED "QUALITY FIRST: ENHANCING ONLINE TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION."

The Faculty of Education at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), the Iqbal International Institute for Research and Dialogue (IRD), and the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Development (QAD), successfully inaugurated the two-day workshop titled "Quality First: Enhancing Online Teaching in Higher Education.

 

The event aims to strengthen the quality of online education across higher education institutions in Pakistan, focusing on best practices for course design, student engagement, and assessment in digital platforms. The workshop is part of NRPU Project Quality Assurance for Online Teaching in Higher Education in Pakistan by Dr Fouzia Ajmal (PI) and Prof. Dr. N. B. Jumani (Co-PI).

 

The opening ceremony was graced by the Acting President IIUI, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Sarwar, who lauded the participants for the urge to adopt the modern means of teaching and learning. He said that factor of relevance is mostly missing that must be the prime focus of the teachers.

 

He discussed distance education, its utilization, future scope, its global needs and transformations on teaching and learning and ever changing job market. He said without compromising the quality is the way forward for success. He commended the Faculty of Education and its collaborators for organizing such a significant initiative, stating, “In today’s rapidly changing educational landscape, maintaining quality in online learning is pivotal. This workshop is a testament to our commitment to uplifting the standards of higher education through innovative and modern teaching methodologies.” Dr. Sarwar said. He also highlighted the importance of training faculty to adapt to new technologies and teaching strategies.

 

Mr. Ubaidullah Anwar, Deputy Director HEC explained the role of HEC and its efforts for the open and distance learning policy as well as he clarified certain misperceptions about this mode of learning.

 

This workshop draws on international standards, incorporating the Quality Learning and Teaching (QLT), Quality Matters (QM) framework, and HEC's Online Education Toolkit. Through this collaborative effort, the event seeks to equip participants with the skills necessary to enhance the quality of online teaching and learning.

 

The workshop’s resource persons include experts from renowned institutions including Prof. Dr. Muhammad Idrees (Pakistan Institute of Education), Prof. Dr. Tamim Ahmed Khan (Bahria University), Dr. Azhar Mahmood (IIUI), Mr. Shahid Minhas (SDPI), Dr. Zarina Akhtar (IIUI), Dr. Rukhsana Durrani (Allama Iqbal Open University), Dr. Fatima Maqsood (IIUI), Dr. Mubeshera Tufail (AIOU) Dr. Munawwar Ahmed (Virtual University) and Dr. Fouzia Ajmal (IIUI). Participants from universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad are attending the event.

 

The opening ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Rehmat Ellahi, Director QAD. He expressed gratitude to the organizers, resource persons, and participants, recognizing the joint efforts of the Faculty of Education, IRD, and QAD in making this workshop a reality.