Sir Ken Robinson, Creativity, Learning & the Curriculum

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MA Translation Studies by distance learning

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Do Online Students Cheat More Often? Infographic | e-Learning Infographics

Do Online Students Cheat More Often? Infographic | e-Learning Infographics

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Noam Chomsky (2013) "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" (MUST WATCH!!)

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History of Learning Infographic | e-Learning Infographics

History of Learning Infographic | e-Learning Infographics

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The Adult Learning Theory – Andragogy – Infographic | e-Learning Infographics

The Adult Learning Theory – Andragogy – Infographic | e-Learning Infographics

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Trained Interpreters

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Working with Interpreters

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Ministry of Education plans to launch teacher training centre

Please read the link

http://www.edarabia.com/95099/ministry-of-education-plans-to-launch-teacher-training-centre/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Edarabia-Education-News+%28Middle+East+Education+News%29

Further retroaction :

Recent trends in Higher Education emphasize the need to extend such initiate to the university context as well. This has started in many western universities; nevertheless, at  Arab based context, this needs to be initiated. Research revealed that significant learning/performance outcomes could be achieved if the 'human factor' (teachers / trainers and students alike) was taken seriously. This endeavor should not only be backed up with research insights from translation studies, but also from curriculum studies and mainstream pedagogy (such as the professionalization of the teaching profession - especially in professionally oriented translation programs).

السعودية تبرم اتفاقية لترجمة أحكام محكمة العدل الدولية إلى اللغة العربية

Great move from Saudi Arabia to translation the contents / bylaws of the International Court of Justice into Arabic. That benefits the practice, the profession as well as society.



Please read the link (InArabic)


http://www1.youm7.com/News.asp?NewsID=998691&SecID=88

Not reforming our translation curriculum and pedagogies but rethinking , 'renewing' and 'remedying' them !

In the case of the Arab-based university translation programs, and as a result of our recent review of the literature on teaching and curricula design practises in translation programs  in the region (especially gulf countries), as well as my own experience as a practitioner (educator) in the field, led us to conclude that there is a disturbing and amateurish practise of planning courses and programs of translation within faculties where the program is installed. Furthermore, we realised that the classroom teaching practices (interventions in the classroom) needs to be reviewed and re-approached in a way that could match the way other professionally oriented programs were delivered/facilitated ( engineering, law, medicine) in higher education contexts.

We think that there is an issue with the above. Traditional curricula evaluation have always addressed 'content' issues and less has been placed on process(translator agency/competencies) or human capital issues (students, trainers, faculty) (Kelly, 2005, 2008). Besides, most of these evaluated programs were carried out by organisations or external evaluators that have little to do with MAIN FRAME discipline of TRANSLATION STUDIES and its various approaches and dimensions, the new sub-field of Translator Education and Training that is taking pace, and last the mainstream pedagogy and curriculum studies . In our opinion, these are the knowledge frameworks we would preferably seek into the entity which will give us feedback on our programs. 

The worst thing is that these programs are, according to our experience as trainers and faculty in the field, designed by internal faculty operating in different knowledge frameworks (linguistics, literature) and know little about 21st century translation industry, translator work patterns, employers' requirements, type of competencies that would lead students to employment ..etc. Consequently, the program suffers from disturbances either at the design/development or implementation/intervention levels ( including modes of assessments). Also, social and institutional criteria are rarely included in the design process (local issues, institutional criteria).

That is the point we addressed in our title as an issue . Hence, reforming could not be the answer, but perhaps 'renewing' (Kearns, 2006) and 'remedying' (Atari, 2012) could be the answer. Instead of relying only on our experience and what the literature said about the topic, we are going to undertake a ground research with the stakeholders (immediate and on-immediate) to determine their needs and perceptions about translation practise and how we - as training providers- could develop a framework for university trainers/faculty to undertake sound approaches based on informed decisions and data.

The concept of 'hidden curriculum'.....and its relevance to translator training and education?

This week I was reviewing Kearn's (2006)  PhD thesis on curriculum issues in Translator Training in Europe in general and mostly in his teaching setting (Poland). I compared his insights to the situation in the Arab World. I found many similarities in  terms of course contents, teaching methods and institutional (university and departmental) as well as faculty's ideologies in a translation programme.

One of the striking issues I paid attention to is the concept  of ' the hidden curriculum'. He means by this any curriculum  in translation or interpreting that is not based on curriculum studies/theories in higher education, disciplinary issues specific to Translation ( focus on translation studies as a framework of reference: theoretical and applied), the professional aspect of translation and -last- the pedagogical approach for subject specific domains ( professionally oriented disciplines) the likes of translation. Kearns(ibid) had deplored the ongoing use of unplanned , impressionistic and reductionist curriculum design and development strategies in translation programmes. Any faculty in the department, regardless of his or her being competent in all the previous knowledge domains and corresponding practices- could come forward and pretend to design/develop curricula for the corresponding department. 

We feel that this violates  the Quality Assurance criteria prescribed in both Higher Education Standards (Required knowledge frameworks/competencies  for teaching scholarship) as well as in the Professional Standards of the Translation profession ( Check The recent European Standard EN15038) which has been used by many curricular designers to develop quality-based and professionally-oriented translation/interpreting programmes within an academic context.

We really do need to redesign, develop and keep monitoring our pedagogies and curricula in translation programs. The type of epistemologies and ideologies as well as teaching approaching need to based on consciously planned criteria from either mainstream pedagogy/curriculum studies, translation studies and professional guidelines (market requirements). Only this could ensure  desired outcomes for todays translation market . In saying that, we stay very watchful to not get carried away by the unstable requirement of the industry, but we stick to our principles as academics with a fair stretch and flexibility to what the employers are looking for.