HEC seeks to raise standards of teaching in higher educational institutions

Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has considered about the need for developing a framework for raising standards of teaching with an aim to enhance quality standards in all universities.

In this regard, a meeting was held on Friday between Dr Ian Willis, Educational Development (EdD) on Internationalisation Research, University of Liverpool, and Prof Arif Khawaja, Programme Director, International Centre of Innovation and Learning and Teaching, Global Institute of Human Development (GIHD), with Dr Arshad Ali, Executive Director HEC, a press release said.

Senior HEC management also attended the meeting. It also deliberated on how to advance national plans regarding improvement in standard through educational technologies and frameworks.

Future plans, including development of international certification in university education, training educational technologists and integration of project plans, were also discussed in the meeting.

The meeting observed that educational technologists must bridge the space between the ICT specialists and teaching staff. They must be familiar with basic educational or learning theory and practical technological tools to help learning.

They must have good knowledge of higher education sector. The meeting participants also underlined the need for building digital capability among faculty members so that technology enhanced learning may become a core teaching skill.

The meeting participants emphasised encouraging institutional change by formulating policies and strategies for standards in learning and teaching, evolving specific action on Technology Enhanced Learning, taking action on standardised evaluation systems, and conducting research in learning and teaching practices.