Unit Resources Including Technology
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Last modified: October 02, 2011 11:06:12.

 

Summary: The unit has the technological, library, and physical resources to support high-quality and exemplary programs and projects to ensure that candidates meet standards. The development and implementation of the unit’s assessment system is well funded and the unit has the means and the commitment to serve faculty, candidates, and the broader education community.




The unit has the facilities to support high-quality and exemplary programs that ensure that candidates meet standards. All facilities and equipment are available upon request by faculty in all programs on a checkout basis. Rooms are coordinated by the facilities manager and video and photography equipment through the video and photography lab managers, If the equipment is essential for the course learning outcomes (for example, in the subject-

Qatar University provides all students with access to campus e-mail, the Internet, and to its networked resources, University Portal, e-registration banner software.
Also available to student and faculty, both on-off-campus is access to the (WebCT) Bb V.9 course management system. In addition all faculty in Education and student higher education (Master & Diploma) use TaskStream™ to develop their E-Folios.

The unit is also supporting the development of online and hybrid course options through its own Educational Technology & Development faculty, who will work with colleagues throughout the unit on the design and delivery of online and hybrid course.


The university has provided continual updates to technology in the form of wireless Internet access. A multi-gigabit backbone and ultra high-speed Internet access, QUnet provides thousands of laptops, desktops and computer labs across campus with interconnectivity and network services.
The QUnet infrastructure is currently made up of the following components:

  • 10Gbps x 4 = 40Gbps Accumulated Backbone
  • 1Gbps Uplink to Access Switches
  • 10/100 Mbps to User Desktop
  • 14 Backbone Switches
  • 170 Access/Edge Switches
  • 907 km of Copper cable
  • 27.7 km of Optic Fiber cable


 

Classroom & Lab Computing

There are four computer classrooms labs in the College of Education. Each lab is equipped with computers at every seat and some are suitable for instructor-led sessions. Most classroom labs feature podiums with built-in computers, audio equipment, microphones, DVD/VCR players, LCD projectors and visualize Digital Cam.
 
Lab 224: (E-learning  lab ) 
This room is used with a computer classroom 25 PCs, distance learning & videoconference room, Interactive learning software.

Lab 207:  (The Active Classroom lab) 
This lab used with Interactive board (Promethean 300 range, Smart Interactive board, 10 PCs, 16 laptops, Multi media unit – 10 LCD projector for training - 4 visualize Digital Cam – HD Camera T.V.

Room 201: (Video Capture) Is the production of digital video A/V in the Smart classroom and download the lecture material via server to the Blackboard.


Lab 114: Graphic design lab
Lab 109: Photography lab
Library + E-Library resources

Evidence of Use

All courses have an online component through the Blackboard™ system. Most require at the very least retrieval of announcements and handouts. Many are extensively web-based.  All candidates in all programs are required to have an E-Folios, and all faculty are required to post an online course portfolio at least once per academic year. All programs but the Masters in Education, Special Education (M.Ed. SPED), have a required course in the program that specifically addresses the instructional use of technology. The M.Ed. SPED requires the use of technology throughout its courses, including the knowledge related to assistive technologies.

Each program has an administrative assistant to supervise the collection of data for that program. The unit has a full-time data management employee, and final oversight of all data collection and analysis is through the associate dean of academic affairs. The university supplies data software programs (Excel™ and SPSS™). Additional data reports are available through TaskStream™, providing specific data related to unit learning outcomes by candidate and by program. Specific policies are in place for data management, as described in Standard 2.  

Libraries

At present the university has two libraries, one located on the women’s campus and the other located on the men’s campus.
The women’s library facility consists of a four-story building with a total area of 1,200 square meters, and houses circulation, reference, and technical services.  The men’s facility consists of a two-story building with an area of 3,000 square meters, offering circulation and reference services.  The circulation services are automated. This was achieved with the help of MINISIS Integrated Library System, developed by IDRC of Canada, and arabicized by the Arab League's Department of Information. At present, a state-of-the-art, four-story new university library is under construction (Youtube movie on the university library system).
 

These facilities contain extensive collections in English and in Arabic and access to collections of electronic databases for general information or discipline-specific. The education electronic databases include:

  • eBrary
  • ERIC Education Resources Information Center
  • ISI Web of Knowledge
  • Lexis Nexus
  • End Note Web of Knowledge


The unit also has a Resource Room and Media Center specifically for our candidates. At present, it has a total of 1,134 books, 126 videos, 14 CDs, and 100 DVDs in its collection, all available for candidate use and focused specifically on education. The Resource Room and Media Center also provides resources and instruction for preparing materials for the classroom, including copying and binding, lamination, scanning, computers, printers, Internet access, video copiers, and a die cut machine with an extensive set of dies for classroom materials preparation. The resource librarian and assistant librarian provide workshops for candidates and for inservice teachers on the use of materials and supplies. It also has manipulatives for science and mathematics that may be checked out for classroom use by candidates. It also provides a “textbook loan” service to ensure that every candidate can obtain the necessary books for courses.

The Resource Room and Media Center has a budget for new materials each year.  Faculty may request specific resources, and each spring the librarians actively engage the faculty in selecting the most current and most highly regarded resources. The 2010 Annual Resource Room Report provides additional information.


Student Access

The university provides each student with a university email account, Blackboard access to each class for which he/she is registered, and full Internet access to all electronic resources. The Resource lab has extended hours so that students in all programs have access to its resources during the hours they are on campus. The resources librarian coordinator conducted a Statistical search about the services provided to identify teachers and students' needs to take in consideration the future order for instruments, materials, books and DVD. This statistical research helps the staff in the Resource Library to have a clear vision for the next year.