November 27 & 28, 2020
2-DAY INTERNATIONAL VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
THEME: Effective Blended and Online Teaching: Using the Best Practices
About the Conference
The objective of this conference is to present the know-how obtained from the learning and practice of online and blended teaching. Selected participants will present their reflections, share their knowledge, research, case studies and practice which will help in enhancing the knowledge and skills of the participants. This conference is not a research conference, but a practice conference where the focus is on providing insights on the use of the best practices.
Conference Partners
Conference Sponsors
Conference Testimonials
A well organised conference with an excellent line up of key note speakers, session chairs and presenters! Very contemporary topic and themes! Excellent time management! I am truly honoured to be part of this conference and look forward to participating in future academic endeavours of Blue Crest University.
All the best! Cheers
Dr Praveen Balakrishnan Nair
- Associate ProfessorEdinburgh Business School - Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
I would like to thank BlueCrest University, the British University in Egypt and all the Organizing Committee for the generous opportunity of attending this outstanding 2-day International Virtual Practice Conference on “Effective Blended and Online Teaching Using the Best Practices” (Nov 27-28, 2020). I want to extend my heartiest congratulations for producing such an enriching, and informative conference. The outstanding quality, and excellence went beyond all my expectations and I am truly honoured to have been invited to join you on this compelling subject.
The conference was excellent, well organised and its themes were very well-structured. The quality of the Keynote speakers was A class and the participants were quite diversified in terms of countries/universities represented. The four-theme concept worked well and the Chair persons managed these themes very well. There were so many stimulating fruitful PowerPoints in each theme that was presented by such distinguished guests. Furthermore, the conference was very inspiring and had high-quality content, high levels of interaction, hands on examples to learn from and constructive questions/answers. I learned a great deal and I plan to implement the knowledge that I acquired in this exceptional conference. It is actually wonderful how many people with different backgrounds and academic knowledge meet and exchange rich ideas and best practices. I hopefully look forward to being a part of your future international conferences.
Dr. Nagwa Soliman
- Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Arts and HumanitiesEnglish Language and Literature Department - The British University in Egypt
Thank you to BlueCrest and Dr Agrawal for this enlightening conference. It provided us with a platform to share our teaching experiences as we transitioned to the online space during the COVID-19 pandemic. The high quality presentations enriched us and encouraged us to experiment with new online tools to encourage student engagement in the online environment. My sincere gratitude for the Best Presentation award. I wish BlueCrest and Dr Agrawal all the best in their future endeavours
Dr Upasana Gitanjali Singh
- University of Kwa-Zulu NatalDurban, South Africa
At the outset I would like to congratulate the organising committee for successfully conducting the two days virtual international conference on the theme “Effective Blended and Online Teaching: Using the Best Practices” It was a great privilege and honour for me to attain the Best Reviewer Award. I want to show my genuine gratitude to the Organising Team of the conference for acknowledging my work. The process of review actually provided me an opportunity to get to know the research work academicians are pursuing across different regions specifically related to the online teaching environment. The conference was well organized and presented key insights to the best practices in the effective blended and online teaching learning process. All in all it was a great learning experience and once again many congratulations for the conduction of such a wonderful conference.
Dr. Shubhangi Jore
- Associate ProfessorQT & OM - Off. Super Corridor, Bada Bangarda - Indore
ABOUT BlueCrest
Established in the year 2000, BlueCrest College has been leading Western Africa through market-relevant education, training, and research programs as a pioneer. Our four pillars with the acronym LITE, the three foundation blocks at the bottom, and the top two summit blocks make our symbol of quality and passion.
The symbol not only makes us unique but also provides the direction for institutional building.
The four pillars: Leadership (L), Innovation (I), Technology (T), and Entrepreneurship (E) are reflected in all our endeavors and activities. At BlueCrest we value Empowerment & Passion, Success of Students, and Partnerships & Collaborations to provide Life-long Learning aimed to create a Holistic Impact on all of our stakeholders. BlueCrest College is and will remain one of the best colleges in the region with a focus on high-quality affordable programs, training, research & consultancy activities, and impactful community development initiatives.
Registration Policy
- The registration fee must be paid in full when registering for the virtual conference.
- Authors with multiple papers must register for at least one paper to participate in the virtual conference.
- All accepted papers will be included in the BBC journal/conference proceeding.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Prof Ahmed Hamad
President - The British University in Egypt (BUE)
Prof. Shadia Fahim
Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities
The British University in Egypt (BUE)
Dr. Rania M Rafik Khalil
Research and Postgraduate Studies Coordinator /Internationalisation Coordinator, Faculty of Arts and Humanities
The British University in Egypt (BUE).
Dr. Patrick Kudjo
Committee member Teaching & Learning Centre and Lecturer, School of Technology
BlueCrest College (BCC)
Ms. Elsie Rebecca Osei
Committee member Teaching & Learning Centre and Lecturer, School of Fashion Design
BlueCrest College (BCC)
Ms. Anita Bans-Akutey
Head, Teaching & Learning Centre and Lecturer, School of Business and Communication
BlueCrest College (BCC)
Dr. Sameer Pingle
Associate Dean
SBM, NMIMS Indore Campus, India
Professor Leslie Croxford
Vice President for Teaching and Learning
The British University in Egypt (BUE)
Professor Malcolm Mciver
Provost and CAO
Lancaster University Ghana
Mr. Dev Varyani
Founder and Chairman
Vista Group & Subsidiaries
Ms Nodumo Dhlamini
Director - ICT Services, Comms & KM
Association of African Universities
Session:
Online and blended Teaching 1: Design, pedagogy, and practices
Dr Kamilla Swart
Associate Professor
Hamad Bin Khalifa University
Session:
Online and blended Teaching 2: Resources, assessments, and evaluations
Dr Prachi Gharpure
Director
Indore Campus SVKM's NMIMS
Session:
Student's perspective on online and blended learning
Professor Omar H. Karam
Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Computer Science
The British University in Egypt (BUE)
Session:
Using the existing or emerging technology for online and blended teaching
CALL FOR PAPERS & SUBMISSIONS
Inviting presentations and papers
Please note that this is not only a research conference but more a practitioner’s conference with the aim to learn from the best practices and experiences being shared at the conference. Therefore, you can submit the following for presentations:
- Case studies
- Professional articles and whitepapers
- Best practices presentations
- Research papers
Format of submission, review, and selection
All papers must conform to the format and submission guidelines set by the steering committee. Thus, all submissions must be in English and in PDf format. Note that submission that do not comply with the above instructions will be rejected without review.
Presentation Session Details
- The time allotted for presentations is 10 minutes for each, followed by 5 minutes of questions and answers.
- There will be two invited chairs (co-chairs) for each panel session.
- Each theme session is of 2 hours
Paper
All accepted papers much be presented at the virtual conference in order to be included the BCC journal/proceedings. It is important to reiterate that this requirement cannot be met by a guest presented who is not a co-author of the accepted paper.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM DETAILS
| Session | Theme & Topics | Time (GMT) | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Inauguration and Keynotes | |||
| 1 | Introductions by Honorary Chair, Organizing committee | 9:45 AM | Professor Anand Agrawal, President - BlueCrest College, Ghana |
| 2 | Welcome Address by Honorary Co-Chair, Organizing committee | 10:00 AM | Professor Ahmed Hamad, President - The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| 3 | Keynote speech 1: EUREKA AFRICA and VISTA impact on Africa, and future plans in the education sector | 10:15 AM | Mr. Dev Varyani, Founder and Chairman - Vista Group & Subsidiaries |
| 4 | Keynote speech 2: Virtual Exchange Programmes – International Exchange in a Time of Lockdown | 10:30 AM | Professor Malcolm Mciver, Provost and CAO - Lancaster University Ghana |
| 5 | Key note speech 3: Pedagogy of Hybrid Learning | 10:45 AM | Professor Leslie Croxford, Vice President for Teaching and Learning - The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| 6 | Session Closing note by the Organizing Committee member: Rethinking Higher Education | 11:00 AM | Professor Shadia Fahim, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities - The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| B. Theme 1 Presentations: Online and blended Teaching 1: Design, pedagogy, and practices: Session Chair: Ms Nodumo Dhlamini | |||
| 1 | Session Opening, Introductions, and housekeeping by session chair | 11:15 AM | Ms Nodumo Dhlamini, Director, ICT Services, Comms & KM - Association of African Universities |
| 2 | Presentation 1: Blended Teaching Pedagogies and Facilitating Online Interaction | 11:20 AM | Nagwa A. Soliman PhD, Senior Lecturer of English Language and Literature, Advanced Writing Module Leader, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, The British University in Egypt. |
| 3 | Presentation 2: Micro-learning: Strengthening Blended Learning Courses | 11:45 AM | Nesma Hesham Mansour, Assistant Lecturer, Teaching and Learning Coordinator, English Division, Faculty of BAEPS, The British University in Egypt. |
| 4 | Presentation 3: Shakespeare in Blended LearningMode:Examining its Effectiveness at the British University in Egypt(BUE) during COVID-19 Pandemic | 12:10 PM | Dr. Mervat Shukry, Associate Professor, Department of English Language and Literature Faculty of Arts and Humanities, British University in Egypt (BUE) Ms. Salma Alsaady, Assistant Lecturer, Department of English Language and Literature (DELL), Faculty of Arts and Humanities, The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| 5 | Closing note by session chair | 12:30 PM | Ms Nodumo Dhlamini, Director - ICT Services, Comms & KM, Association of African Universities |
| C. Theme 2 Presentations: Online and blended Teaching 2: Resources, assessments, and evaluations: Session Chair: Dr Kamilla Swart | |||
| 1 | Session Opening, Introductions, and housekeeping by session chair | 1:00 PM | Dr Kamilla Swart, Associate Professor, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar |
| 2 | Presentation 1: Interactive Online Assessment Tools | 1:10 PM | Mostafa Youssef Mahmoud, English Language Instructor & Module Leader, Faculty of Nursing, The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| 3 | Presentation 2: A Blended Learning Approach Responsive to Pandemic Related Uncertainties and Change | 1:35 PM | Dr. Praveen Balakrishnan Nair, Associate Professor, Edinburgh Business School, School of Social Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia |
| 4 | Presentation 3: Blended and Online Constructive Feedback | 2:00 PM | Samir Omara, English Language Teacher, Teacher Trainer & NileTESOL President-Elect |
| 5 | Closing note by session chair | 2:25 PM | Dr Kamilla Swart, Associate Professor, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar |
| D. Sponsors Demos and Panels: Coursera and RAKLET | |||
| 1 | Sponsor Session: Panel by Coursera a. The State of Skills in Africa b. Fireside Chat on Digital Transformation and Skills Development with Coursera for Campus |
3:00 PM | a. Adam Lewis - Head of Skills Transformation , EMEA, Coursera b. Kerry Houchen - Partnerships Director, EMEA Coursera, With Professor Anand Agrawal, President, BlueCrest College, Accra, Ghana |
| 2 | Sponsor Session: Demo by Raklet | 3:30 PM | Mr Gerçek Karakuş,President, Raklet |
| Session | Theme & Detail | Time (GMT) | Speaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Insights from Day 1 | |||
| 1 | Day 1 insights from the organizing committee member Dr Rania M Rafik Khalil | 9:45 AM | Dr. Rania M Rafik Khalil, Research and Postgraduate Studies Coordinator /Internationalisation Coordinator, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, The British University in Egypt (BUE). |
| B. Theme 3 Presentations: Students’ Perspectives on Online and Blended Learning: Session Chair: Dr Prachi Gharpure | |||
| 1 | Session Opening, Introductions, and housekeeping by session chair | 10:00 AM | Dr Prachi Gharpure, Director, Indore Campus SVKM's NMIMS, India |
| 2 | Presentation 1: International Learning Collaboration: Exploring Students' Perspectives in Learning Psychology | 10:15 AM | Mona Mohamed Fouad El-Sawaf, Psychology Assistant Professor, The British University in Egypt Ain Shams University Coauthor: Dr Helena Girgis, PhD, Assistant Professor, Director of Children's Learning Lab Childhood Studies Minor Research Chair Psychology Program - Stockton University |
| 3 | Presentation 2: Student reactions to e-assessments, for controlled tests in a face-to-face environment, in a Human Resource Management module | 10:45 AM | Khalida Akbar, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| 4 | Presentation 3: Online Teaching at Algerian Universities During Covid-19: A Blessing in Disguise | 11:15 AM | Fatima Zohra Hebbali, Doctoral researcher, Tlemcen University–Algeria, Faculty of Letters and Foreign Languages, Department of English |
| 5 | Closing note by session chair | 11:45 AM | Dr Prachi Gharpure, Director, Indore Campus SVKM's NMIMS, India |
| C. Theme 4 Presentations: Using the existing or emerging technology for online and blended teaching: Session Chair: Professor Omar H. Karam | |||
| 1 | Session Opening, Introductions, and housekeeping by session chair | 12 noon | Professor Omar H. Karam, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Computer Science, The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| 2 | Presentation 1: ‘Online education that connects’ Adopting Technology to support Feminist Pedagogy – A Reflective Case Study | 12:15 PM | Dr. Upasana Gitanjali Singh, Senior Lecturer, College of Law & Management Studies, School of Management, Information Technology & Governance, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban |
| 3 | Presentation 2: Exit Tickets: Engaging Students in Online Classes | 12:45 PM | May Serag El Dine Soliman, Lecturer and Staff development coordinator, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Department of English Language and Literature, The British University in Egypt |
| 4 | Presentation 3: Pushed out of the Sanctum: Retaining the Teacher and the Students’ Voices through Online Teaching | 1:15 PM | Prof. Heba Makram Sharobeem, Professor of Modern British and American Literature, Former head of the English Department in the Faculty of Education, Alexandria University, Egypt. |
| 5 | Closing note by session chair | 1:45 PM | Professor Omar H. Karam, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Computer Science, The British University in Egypt (BUE) |
| D. Sponsor Demo and BlueCrest Note | |||
| 1 | Sponsor Session: Demo by McGrawHill | 2:00 PM | Ralph Azar, Business Development Manager, MEA McGraw Hill | International |
| 2 | BlueCrest Note | 2:30 PM | Professor Anand Agrawal, President, BlueCrest College, Accra, Ghana |
| Day 2 Concluding session, awards and Closing: 3 pm to 4 pm |
SPONSORSHIP
Sponsors will get a 30-minutes time slot for presentations/demo. Three sponsors will be given the slots. Each sponsor has to fund USD 100 that will be used for the best presenter and best reviewer awards. The sponsor's brand and logos will be prominent on the webpage, throughout the conference and also for another three months after the conference on our webpage. If requested by sponsors, we can redirect our webpage visitors to the desired landing pages by the sponsors when they click their brand logo.
AWARDS
USD 100
(1 reviewer)
USD 100
(2 presenters)
- Certificates for all presenters, chairs, reviewers and speakers
- Selected presentations will be published online by BlueCrest College Teaching and Learning Centre, and research papers may be published in the BlueCrest College journal after another set of reviews.