Celebrating “edX E-Learning Course Development”

On May 30, 2015 I published my first book, “edX E-Learning Course Development,” a 300-page manual for university teachers and corporate trainers designing, developing, and deploying a MOOC course for the edX platform.  The book walks a reader through eight steps to create an edX course while teaching them about the tools and techniques they need to know as an edX instructor. The eight steps are presented in eight chapters, as follows: Getting Started: an overview of MOOCs and the history of edX. Planning the Curriculum: curriculum development. Producing Videos: video production best practices. Designing Exercises: options for exercises and assessments. Integrating…

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Learning Design Thinking at Stanford University

Innovation is the engine of opportunity. At its core, innovation is a commitment to experiential learning. It encourages critical thinking and creative problem-solving while also engaging soft skills. This mindset is fundamental to the future of the United Arab Emirates. So much so that, it is part of the ‘United in Knowledge’ pillar of Vision 2021 which focuses on innovative Emiratis building a competitive economy. Emphasizing it’s importance, H.H Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum explained, “Innovation is not an option, but a necessity. It is not a culture, but work style, and governments and companies that do not innovate…

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Celebrating Ten Years of Teaching

“To be a teacher in the right sense is to be a learner. I am not a teacher, only a fellow student.” — Søren Kierkegaard Inspired by the quote above (which is the anchor of my teaching philosophy), I have been learning while teaching for a decade. Ten years ago today — on Monday, June 18, 2007 — I began my career in academia when I started teaching COM 120, Effective Persuasive Writing online at what was then called Axia College (University of Phoenix‘s online junior college). It’s hard to believe that much time has passed; it feels like just yesterday when I began…

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Presenting “Professor, Brand Yourself!”

On March 16,2017 from 2:30 to 3:00 pm at the at GESS Dubai I delivered my “Professor, Brand Yourself!” workshop. GESS (Global Educational Supplies & Solutions) Dubai is the largest education event not just in the UAE but across the entire Middle East. It’s the only event that brings together all levels of educationalists together, in one place. “Professor, Brand Yourself!” is a personal branding workshop for individuals working in higher education, vocational, and leadership/management positions. However, it also appeals to anyone wanting to develop their personal brand and learn how to leverage social media to promote themselves professionally. The…

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Presenting “Strengthen Your Social Media Marketing with Live Streaming Video”

On Saturday, February 11, 2017 at the Flora Grand Hotel in Dubai I joined two colleagues from American University in the Emirates (AUE) — Dr. Konrad Gunesch and Dr. Paul Mears — at the 6th International Conference on New Challenges in Management and Business. The Conference addressed a range of critically important issues and themes relating to the management and business. At the conference, in addition to enjoying learning about the research of fellow academics and researchers from all around the world, I presented my proposed paper, “Strengthen Your Social Media Marketing with Live Streaming Video.” The abstract from my paper follows:…

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