ADU aims to offer over 20 programs, 50 online courses for students by 2025-2026

04 / 03 / 2022

By Marwa Nassar - -

The Abu Dhabi University (ADU) has launched the ADU SMART Learning Center in order to enhance online learning programs as its seeks to offer more than 20 programs and 50 courses by the 2025-2026 academic year, while upskilling faculty with the latest e-learning practices.

The ‘ADU SMART Learning Center’ represents an ambitious effort to advance smart learning in the UAE and wider MENA region. The center is set to strengthen ADU’s e-learning practices and curriculum by leveraging technology and research.
Covering ADU campuses in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, the center will introduce and train faculty members in inclusive, student-centered and evidence-based teaching techniques.

The center has been launched with the vision of merging technologies across face-to-face and online learning to further enhance the student journey.

Developed in collaboration with the prestigious associations in eLearning such as Quality Matters, Online Learning Consortium, and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), the center aims to develop and design online learning programs and courses that will meet international standards in online learning.

Through the center, ADU aims to build an outstanding teaching environment and promote inclusive learning built on the principle of Universal Design Learning (UDL). UDL promotes the use of a variety of teaching methods to remove barriers to learning and ensure students have equal opportunities to succeed. ADU faculty will have access to multiple teaching methods, supported by e-learning and digital tools, amongst other educational technologies. ADU faculty will also have access to the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice (PgCHEP) that provides an opportunity to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to design, teach and assess learning with a specific focus on practice in higher education institutions. The program primary focus is to support the professional development of faculty and staff who teach and support learning to ensure the delivery of high-quality teaching and learning support.

Abu Dhabi University’s PgCHEP is benchmarked against many prestigious programs around the world including the UK Professional Standards Framework descriptors I (DI) and II (DII).

The launch of the ADU SMART Learning Center was announced during the ‘Annual Faculty Professional Development Day’ event at ADU’s main campus in the presence of Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor of ADU, Professor Thomas J. Hochstettler, ADU Provost and members of ADU faculty and staff.

Professor Waqar Ahmad, Chancellor of ADU, said: “Abu Dhabi University is pleased to announce the launch of the ‘ADU SMART Learning Center’ across the Al Ain Campus and Abu Dhabi main campus. The center has set out an ambitious agenda and vision to deliver cutting-edge curriculum to our students by training and upskilling our faculty on the latest teaching methods and best practices when it comes to e-learning and digital tools. The ‘ADU SMART Learning Center’ future-proofs Abu Dhabi University’s curriculum and programs by bridging the divide and merging technologies across face-to-face and online learning.”

Professor Ahmad added: “At Abu Dhabi University, we aim to be early adopters and innovators when it comes to the latest global trends in the education sector. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated that e-learning is an integral component of education at every level and for that reason the ‘ADU SMART Learning Center’ will ensure that Abu Dhabi University continues to be ahead of the curve when it comes to setting the standard of excellence in higher education.”

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, ADU has focused its efforts on providing quality education without interruption or pause. In the process, it has constructed a well-equipped hybrid education model, with substantial enhancements in technology, that combines in-classroom education with distance learning, enabled by the university’s digital platforms to ensure that the needs and expectations of students, staff members and the general public are being met. Considerable investment has also been made in training faculty and staff in the use of distance learning technology.