Why learning never stops for ASU’s academics

The Applied Science Private University is committed to continuously analysing and improving its teaching methods to deliver students the best possible learning experience

International opportunities for staff and partnerships with other universities will help ensure the Applied Science Private University (ASU) remains top of the class for teaching.

Professor Iman Basheti, vice-president and dean of the faculty of pharmacy at ASU, says that education research, including investigating the most effective teaching methodologies, has always been part of the university’s philosophy.

“We are one of the leading universities in Jordan when it comes to research in education,” she says. “We conduct randomised research studies where we include students in different groups and test all our educational methodologies. Based on the outcomes, we decide what methodology we will use for a certain subject to produce the intended learning outcomes.”

There is also a focus on “reflective learning and reflective assessment”, giving students a say in what they are assessed on and how.

When the Covid-19 pandemic arrived, ASU was able to quickly adapt. Some academic staff had already received training on remote teaching and online facilities were already in place. This early preparation helped make the transition as smooth as possible, leading ASU to become the first university in Jordan to receive five stars for online learning and teaching from QS.

“After Covid-19 started and we knew we were going to have to go 100 per cent online for a while, all the academics were invited to extensive daily workshops,” says Professor Basheti. “They learnt how to use Microsoft Teams, how to deliver exams and how to receive continuous reflective feedback from the students.”

Research was conducted to discover how students were coping with the move online and to discern their levels of anxiety. “Based on the results, we again adjusted how, when and what we were delivering – including the timing of the lectures, the extensiveness of the material and our exams,” says Professor Basheti.

With blended learning the new reality for universities, Hadeel Alsaed, dean of arts and sciences at ASU, said that the university had embraced this evolution in learning and teaching. “We have decided that the percentage of courses with blended learning will be more than 20 per cent,” Dr Alsaed says. “The Ministry of Education has made it obligatory to turn all courses to blended learning or full online courses in the next three years.”

ASU is committed to giving its staff and students the opportunity to learn best practice from international colleagues.

The university has secured 13 projects under the Erasmus+ programme. The aim is “to help our students and academics get a better a view of what is going on around the world”, says Samar Thiab, assistant professor in pharmaceutical analysis.

“We are in the process of sending academics to universities in Spain and Poland, hopefully in the next academic year, to gain experience,” Dr Thiab says. “We have a plan to work more with universities abroad to get more knowledge about different teaching methods to improve our teaching and training experience.”

Collaborations with domestic and international universities and companies also help ASU regularly review and refine its teaching methods. The university has more than 20 memorandums of understanding with institutions including University College London, the University of Sydney and the University of Texas.

Individual faculties run joint programmes to give staff and students the chance to experience diverse teaching methodologies. For example, ASU’s faculty of pharmacy has a joint programme with the University of Huddersfield’s faculty of pharmacy.

Professor Basheti says ASU will continue to seek partnerships to enhance the training of students and staff. “Our plan is to produce lifelong, independent learners,” she says.

“We need to keep on activating our agreements with different international universities. Academics and students need to keep on moving between universities in different countries, so they can come back with important knowledge.”

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