Innovation
& Excellence
in Teaching

A Center dedicated to excellence in higher education teaching

Frederick University's Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching (CIET) aims to improve students' success in higher education by adopting innovative methods and providing state-of-the-art educational material

Mission

The Center’s mission is to pursue and sustain excellence in higher education teaching through capacity building and the development of competent practices. Central to this is the adoption innovation and technology in teaching as well as the advancement of research via a multidisciplinary approach. CIET’s vision is to contribute towards improving the success of students in higher education.

Key Functions

The key functions are outlined below:

1. Policy and Operational Framework Design: Design policies and proposals on practices for the introduction of innovative teaching approaches to the university
2. Educational Content Design and Development: Support the design and development of state-of-the-art educational material
3. Research and Experimentation: Perform funded or otherwise research relevant to the mission of the Center and perform experiments to identify effective mechanisms to improve student learning in HE
4. User Support and Training: Support staff and students on educational technology use and perform, under P²DF’s directions, relevant trainings
5. Monitoring and Report Development: oversight the implementation of policies and the operating framework, under the guidelines of competent QA authorities and generate relevant reports
6. Consulting and external services provision: offer services and participate in tenders and other externally funded activities relevant to the center’s mission.

Personnel

The CIET team has three members (one academic, one instructional designer and an educational technology support officer) and it’s in the process of to expand its staff and operations given the great priority and emphasis given by the University to further develop the quality of education provided to its students.

Research

The CIET team has published in several peer-reviewed academic international journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings, as well as presented in various national and interactional academic and educational conferences. CIET has participated/ is participating in several national and international research projects mainly funded by ERASMUS+, and the Ministry of Education. The projects mainly focus on the following themes: development and digitalization of educational material, adults educators training improving - technology tools use, virtual educator, development of educators digital skills, development of trainings for improving students and educators digital competences, etc. It has been offering in collaboration with other national and international educational organizations and institutions (public and private) numerous professional development trainings and seminars. CIET team was responsible to design, develop and deliver the trainings.

Activities

The Center has been pedagogically and technologically supporting faculty, administrative staff and students through various operations such as:

- Employment of quality control mechanism and standards,

- Development of educational interactive digitalized multimedia material (online quizzes, interactive presentations and videos, narrated presentations, educational videos, digitalized learning scenarios),

- Design, development and set up of the online and blended learning courses at the learning management system platform following the Pedagogical Framework developed by the University’s Distance Learning Committee.

- In-house professional development trainings for faculty members, administrative staff and students (i.e tutorials development, designing and delivery MOOCs for professional development trainings,) as well as personal and group guidance and support.