Papers by Dr. Nicole Shammas
Academia Letters, 2021
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Asian Journal of University Education
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Academia Letters, 2021
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Pedagogy, Culture & Society
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Conference Presentations by Dr. Nicole Shammas
This presentation demonstrates how teacher care and ensuring students feel that they matter is fu... more This presentation demonstrates how teacher care and ensuring students feel that they matter is fundamental to student engagement and motivation, leading to increased academic achievement and developed self-efficacy. To support this argument, the research draws on the theoretical philosophies of Noddings’ Care Ethics and Maiers’ TED talk, You Matter; both demonstrate a positive correlation between teacher care and student motivation. This study, based in a UAE tertiary institution, explores the motivational factors which influence Emirati women and examines the underlying discord between the expectations of these women and western educated expatriate faculty. Findings indicate the philosophy of care is imperative in developing intrinsic motivation for Gulf female students, thus making them feel significant and valued becomes one of the biggest challenges facing expatriate teachers. This paper offers practical suggestions on how to leverage the student-teacher relationship to bolster students’ success at all levels: academically, professionally and personally.
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Emirati women’s attitudes towards Arabic medium education in the United Arab Emirates
Candy McLeo... more Emirati women’s attitudes towards Arabic medium education in the United Arab Emirates
Candy McLeod, Nicole Shammas, Yasemin Altas
This study explores the perceived sociolinguistic impact of the prevalence of English as a medium of instruction in the higher educational sector of the United Arab Emirates. The small-scale, exploratory, study investigates Emirati women’s attitudes towards the use of Arabic as the medium of instruction in higher education in the UAE.
As a rapidly developing nation, reliant on a multi-cultural work-force, English has become the unofficial lingua franca and the medium of instruction for most tertiary-level institutions. This has resulted not only in a linguistic but a cultural shift, which challenges traditional norms relating to identity and cultural preservation. Recently, several reports and articles have appeared in local media highlighting the problem of Arabic language competency among the Emirati population. It has been argued that the current educational system is not adequately preparing Emiratis to use Arabic professionally in the workplace. This contention has been discussed at the highest levels of government and continues to divide opinion and stir debate among Emiratis.
With the discussion now at the forefront of classroom debate, the researchers conducted a mixed methods study by administering a questionnaire followed by focus groups to female Emirati students at a federal tertiary institution. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the views of Emirati women towards the following: the relative importance of the Arabic language in education in the 21st century; themes relating to language and identity; and issues pertaining to Arabic language teaching.
In this paper, the researchers will discuss the results, illuminating this increasingly important global discussion.
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Increasing numbers of TESOL professionals are now considering enrolling, or are enrolled in docto... more Increasing numbers of TESOL professionals are now considering enrolling, or are enrolled in doctoral degrees. In this presentation we address many questions prospective doctoral students have. We offer insights based on our own current experience as doctoral students and gathered from an action research project involving current doctoral students at the Higher Colleges of Technology - Dubai. This will be a hands-on interactive presentation where participants will contribute to the findings.
Given that questions concerning ‘academic expectations’ are high on the agenda of prospective doctoral students, we explicitly address this by providing sample Ed.D assignments for participants to deconstruct. We provide marking criteria and authentic feedback to illustrate factors that can contribute to achieving academic success.
In addition to exploring academic expectations we also discuss such issues as the PhD versus EdD question; the contrasting structures of a variety of Ed.D programmes; the time and financial commitment; the need to have a strong research interest; how to capitalize professionally through presenting and publishing; issues related to further study in the Gulf region, as well as practical suggestions for staying sane in the process!
Participants will leave with a realistic impression of what doing a doctorate entails and have an understanding of the required knowledge and skills for achieving success at the doctoral level.
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Nicole Shammas and Aleya James showcase a series of successful virtual international exchanges (V... more Nicole Shammas and Aleya James showcase a series of successful virtual international exchanges (VIEs) between HCT - Dubai Women’s Campus students and Japanese university students. The presenters demonstrate the effectiveness of VIEs for developing both language and intercultural competency.
The presenters discuss the importance of inter-cultural intelligence in preparing students for a multicultural work-place. Despite Emirati students living in an extremely multi-cultural society they rarely interact as social equals with cultural ‘others’. VIEs afford students this unique opportunity.
Using video footage and student feedback the presenters show how VIEs provide rich teaching and learning opportunities; by using culture as a springboard, relationships develop and language improves motivating students to perform at their best.
Finally, the steps for running a successful VIE are outlined for participants.
The presentation demonstrates that the authenticity of VIEs and inter-cultural experiences have a high impact which benefits both teachers and students alike.
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The presenters will introduce participants to the central themes of world views and cultural dime... more The presenters will introduce participants to the central themes of world views and cultural dimensions as a platform to describe and interpret Intercultural Intelligence (ICI). Participants will undertake a number of short activities to help them define their own world views and identify their individual preferences concerning cultural dimensions. We will explore these as a means of explaining our own and others’ behavior.
The presenters will also describe the course which is being taught at Dubai Women’s College that fosters a college culture rich in ICI and how this has had a positive impact on the teaching and learning environment.
We believe the importance of intercultural intelligence for both faculty and students cannot be understated. As faculty, a developed intercultural intelligence quotient enables us to connect with our students and to suspend judgment (be it conscious or unconscious) more readily. Faculty “must operate on a number of different premises at any one time. These premises arise from their culture of origin, the culture in which they are working and the culture of the organisation which employs them.” (Tronpenaars, Hampton-Turner, 2011, p. 3).
For students, it enables them to develop self smarts and people smarts which provide the necessary skill set for working in an international environment. ICI is key to producing graduates who can not only ‘get the job done’ but who can approach situations and relationships in a more mature way and who can analyze and interpret conflicts within a much larger framework.
This presentation is for everyone.
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This session describes how Bachelor Year One students at Dubai Women’s College successfully use W... more This session describes how Bachelor Year One students at Dubai Women’s College successfully use Wikis to develop both their English Language and IT skills. The presenters will briefly outline the process involved in setting up a Wiki followed by examples of learner centered tasks that best exploit the Wiki technology. At the end of the workshop participants will walk away with practical ideas on how to give meaningful, motivating in class practice with a focus on writing and vocabulary. In addition the presenters will showcase the use of Vokis within Wikis to bring a more engaging human element to technology based activities. Participants will also learn about the secondary benefits of using Wikis such as the value of collaborative learning and authentic problem solving experience. Finally, participants will be shown student feedback that illustrates both our successes and pitfalls.
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This paper was inspired by Maier’s 2011 TED Talk in which she demonstrates the success of her eve... more This paper was inspired by Maier’s 2011 TED Talk in which she demonstrates the success of her everyday classroom practice entitled “You Matter”. Thus motivated, we begin with a brief overview of research that demonstrates a positive correlation between teacher investment/support and student motivation, engagement and achievement. We draw on the theoretical philosophies of Noddings’ care in education (2012), Biesta’s work concerning subjectivity (2006) and research identifying motivation and engagement as crucial to academic success. We explore teacher support through the ethical concepts espoused by Noddings who, in a departure from traditional views of teacher support, posits caring as a fundamental aspect of education, with the notion of teacher/student as carer and cared-for at the core.
We assert that once students experience teacher care and feel that they matter a positive cycle is triggered leading to both academic and personal success. We report a case-study from a UAE tertiary institution which explores the implications of teacher care and ‘mattering’. Students express a strong resonance with Maier’s TED Talk, describing how the talks’ themes play out in their own lives. Our findings indicate the philosophy of care is imperative for this group of students: making them feel they matter is one of our biggest challenges as teachers.
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Papers by Dr. Nicole Shammas
Conference Presentations by Dr. Nicole Shammas
Candy McLeod, Nicole Shammas, Yasemin Altas
This study explores the perceived sociolinguistic impact of the prevalence of English as a medium of instruction in the higher educational sector of the United Arab Emirates. The small-scale, exploratory, study investigates Emirati women’s attitudes towards the use of Arabic as the medium of instruction in higher education in the UAE.
As a rapidly developing nation, reliant on a multi-cultural work-force, English has become the unofficial lingua franca and the medium of instruction for most tertiary-level institutions. This has resulted not only in a linguistic but a cultural shift, which challenges traditional norms relating to identity and cultural preservation. Recently, several reports and articles have appeared in local media highlighting the problem of Arabic language competency among the Emirati population. It has been argued that the current educational system is not adequately preparing Emiratis to use Arabic professionally in the workplace. This contention has been discussed at the highest levels of government and continues to divide opinion and stir debate among Emiratis.
With the discussion now at the forefront of classroom debate, the researchers conducted a mixed methods study by administering a questionnaire followed by focus groups to female Emirati students at a federal tertiary institution. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the views of Emirati women towards the following: the relative importance of the Arabic language in education in the 21st century; themes relating to language and identity; and issues pertaining to Arabic language teaching.
In this paper, the researchers will discuss the results, illuminating this increasingly important global discussion.
Given that questions concerning ‘academic expectations’ are high on the agenda of prospective doctoral students, we explicitly address this by providing sample Ed.D assignments for participants to deconstruct. We provide marking criteria and authentic feedback to illustrate factors that can contribute to achieving academic success.
In addition to exploring academic expectations we also discuss such issues as the PhD versus EdD question; the contrasting structures of a variety of Ed.D programmes; the time and financial commitment; the need to have a strong research interest; how to capitalize professionally through presenting and publishing; issues related to further study in the Gulf region, as well as practical suggestions for staying sane in the process!
Participants will leave with a realistic impression of what doing a doctorate entails and have an understanding of the required knowledge and skills for achieving success at the doctoral level.
The presenters discuss the importance of inter-cultural intelligence in preparing students for a multicultural work-place. Despite Emirati students living in an extremely multi-cultural society they rarely interact as social equals with cultural ‘others’. VIEs afford students this unique opportunity.
Using video footage and student feedback the presenters show how VIEs provide rich teaching and learning opportunities; by using culture as a springboard, relationships develop and language improves motivating students to perform at their best.
Finally, the steps for running a successful VIE are outlined for participants.
The presentation demonstrates that the authenticity of VIEs and inter-cultural experiences have a high impact which benefits both teachers and students alike.
The presenters will also describe the course which is being taught at Dubai Women’s College that fosters a college culture rich in ICI and how this has had a positive impact on the teaching and learning environment.
We believe the importance of intercultural intelligence for both faculty and students cannot be understated. As faculty, a developed intercultural intelligence quotient enables us to connect with our students and to suspend judgment (be it conscious or unconscious) more readily. Faculty “must operate on a number of different premises at any one time. These premises arise from their culture of origin, the culture in which they are working and the culture of the organisation which employs them.” (Tronpenaars, Hampton-Turner, 2011, p. 3).
For students, it enables them to develop self smarts and people smarts which provide the necessary skill set for working in an international environment. ICI is key to producing graduates who can not only ‘get the job done’ but who can approach situations and relationships in a more mature way and who can analyze and interpret conflicts within a much larger framework.
This presentation is for everyone.
We assert that once students experience teacher care and feel that they matter a positive cycle is triggered leading to both academic and personal success. We report a case-study from a UAE tertiary institution which explores the implications of teacher care and ‘mattering’. Students express a strong resonance with Maier’s TED Talk, describing how the talks’ themes play out in their own lives. Our findings indicate the philosophy of care is imperative for this group of students: making them feel they matter is one of our biggest challenges as teachers.
Candy McLeod, Nicole Shammas, Yasemin Altas
This study explores the perceived sociolinguistic impact of the prevalence of English as a medium of instruction in the higher educational sector of the United Arab Emirates. The small-scale, exploratory, study investigates Emirati women’s attitudes towards the use of Arabic as the medium of instruction in higher education in the UAE.
As a rapidly developing nation, reliant on a multi-cultural work-force, English has become the unofficial lingua franca and the medium of instruction for most tertiary-level institutions. This has resulted not only in a linguistic but a cultural shift, which challenges traditional norms relating to identity and cultural preservation. Recently, several reports and articles have appeared in local media highlighting the problem of Arabic language competency among the Emirati population. It has been argued that the current educational system is not adequately preparing Emiratis to use Arabic professionally in the workplace. This contention has been discussed at the highest levels of government and continues to divide opinion and stir debate among Emiratis.
With the discussion now at the forefront of classroom debate, the researchers conducted a mixed methods study by administering a questionnaire followed by focus groups to female Emirati students at a federal tertiary institution. The questionnaire was designed to elicit the views of Emirati women towards the following: the relative importance of the Arabic language in education in the 21st century; themes relating to language and identity; and issues pertaining to Arabic language teaching.
In this paper, the researchers will discuss the results, illuminating this increasingly important global discussion.
Given that questions concerning ‘academic expectations’ are high on the agenda of prospective doctoral students, we explicitly address this by providing sample Ed.D assignments for participants to deconstruct. We provide marking criteria and authentic feedback to illustrate factors that can contribute to achieving academic success.
In addition to exploring academic expectations we also discuss such issues as the PhD versus EdD question; the contrasting structures of a variety of Ed.D programmes; the time and financial commitment; the need to have a strong research interest; how to capitalize professionally through presenting and publishing; issues related to further study in the Gulf region, as well as practical suggestions for staying sane in the process!
Participants will leave with a realistic impression of what doing a doctorate entails and have an understanding of the required knowledge and skills for achieving success at the doctoral level.
The presenters discuss the importance of inter-cultural intelligence in preparing students for a multicultural work-place. Despite Emirati students living in an extremely multi-cultural society they rarely interact as social equals with cultural ‘others’. VIEs afford students this unique opportunity.
Using video footage and student feedback the presenters show how VIEs provide rich teaching and learning opportunities; by using culture as a springboard, relationships develop and language improves motivating students to perform at their best.
Finally, the steps for running a successful VIE are outlined for participants.
The presentation demonstrates that the authenticity of VIEs and inter-cultural experiences have a high impact which benefits both teachers and students alike.
The presenters will also describe the course which is being taught at Dubai Women’s College that fosters a college culture rich in ICI and how this has had a positive impact on the teaching and learning environment.
We believe the importance of intercultural intelligence for both faculty and students cannot be understated. As faculty, a developed intercultural intelligence quotient enables us to connect with our students and to suspend judgment (be it conscious or unconscious) more readily. Faculty “must operate on a number of different premises at any one time. These premises arise from their culture of origin, the culture in which they are working and the culture of the organisation which employs them.” (Tronpenaars, Hampton-Turner, 2011, p. 3).
For students, it enables them to develop self smarts and people smarts which provide the necessary skill set for working in an international environment. ICI is key to producing graduates who can not only ‘get the job done’ but who can approach situations and relationships in a more mature way and who can analyze and interpret conflicts within a much larger framework.
This presentation is for everyone.
We assert that once students experience teacher care and feel that they matter a positive cycle is triggered leading to both academic and personal success. We report a case-study from a UAE tertiary institution which explores the implications of teacher care and ‘mattering’. Students express a strong resonance with Maier’s TED Talk, describing how the talks’ themes play out in their own lives. Our findings indicate the philosophy of care is imperative for this group of students: making them feel they matter is one of our biggest challenges as teachers.