Batool Hendal
Kuwait University, Department of Information Studies, Faculty Member
Research Interests:
This study aims at exploring Kuwait University students' evaluation of the online learning experience during the Covid-19 pandemic closure of schools and universities in Kuwait. An online survey was used to collect data from a... more
This study aims at exploring Kuwait University students' evaluation of the online learning experience during the Covid-19 pandemic closure of schools and universities in Kuwait. An online survey was used to collect data from a sample of 851 KU students during the summer semester 2019/2020. The results showed mild positive attitudes toward the e-learning experience with no statistically significant difference between male and female, nor between the year of study. Yet there was statistically significant difference between students’ attitudes between humanities and scientific colleges in favor of humanities. Several challenges were raised by students, mainly technical issues, course and class issues, faculty performance, physical and psychological health, and interaction issues. The majority of the students indicated their rejection to continue with e-learning after the pandemic. Several recommendations were raised by students to improve the e-learning experiences, including the need to develop the faculty preparation, to employ diverse evaluation tools without depending mainly on exams, and to conduct the practical activities and experiments in labs.
Due to the education crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Kuwait University (KU) was shut down from March to July 2020 and resumed the academic year with online course delivery in August 2020. In light of KU's first-ever... more
Due to the education crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Kuwait University (KU) was shut down from March to July 2020 and resumed the academic year with online course delivery in August 2020. In light of KU's first-ever online learning experience, this study aims to assess faculty members' 1 preferences between the e-learning tools, 2 differences in their usability of the two main platforms, Microsoft Teams and Blackboard, and 3 the impact of their rank and/or college affiliation on the usability of the two platforms. A survey was distributed among KU faculty members and was completed by 252 participants. T-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to assess the system usability scores. The results highlighted that faculty members' usability of Microsoft Teams and Blackboard were considered above average while there were no differences in the overall usability between the two platforms.
Research Interests:
This study examines news reports related to human rights in the GSs (Gulf States) on Twitter in order to explore the main strategies used in presenting such news. The STs (Source Text) in English were taken from NGOs accounts such as... more
This study examines news reports related to human rights in the GSs (Gulf States) on Twitter in order to explore the main strategies used in presenting such news. The STs (Source Text) in English were taken from NGOs accounts such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and from international agencies such as BBC while TTs (Target Text) in Arabic were from the same NGOs and the translation of NGOs news in news agencies such as Aljazeera. The results showed that although gatekeeping is the dominant strategy used to prevent translating NGOs news, transediting and reframing strategies were used often to manipulate translating and presenting those pieces of news. Faithful translation, on the other hand, was the least used strategy. The study concluded that translators’ ethical role should assert the honorable commitment they have towards the voices of the oppressed. Keywords: Faithful Translation, Gatekeeping, Human Rights, News Translation, Reframing, Transediting.
Research Interests:
Purpose This paper aims to examine the extent of benefits Kuwait University faculty received from the electronic resources offered by Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.... more
Purpose This paper aims to examine the extent of benefits Kuwait University faculty received from the electronic resources offered by Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was distributed using Google Forms via different social media platforms and official emails. The sample was Kuwait University faculty from all 16 colleges. Findings The results showed humble use of electronic resources during this critical time. The faculty mostly used the electronic resources for writing research papers, and databases and e-journals were their most preferred resources. The majority of nonusers indicated that they did not need these resources, and the rest referred to their unawareness of these resources. The results also showed that the majority of nonusers were willing to learn more about the electronic resources and how to use them. Originality/value The results and recommendations of this stud...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This study aims at exploring Kuwait University students' evaluation of the online learning experience during the Covid-19 pandemic closure of schools and universities in Kuwait. An online survey was used to collect data from a sample of... more
This study aims at exploring Kuwait University students' evaluation of the online learning experience during the Covid-19 pandemic closure of schools and universities in Kuwait. An online survey was used to collect data from a sample of 851 KU students during the summer semester 2019/2020. The results showed mild positive attitudes toward the e-learning experience with no statistically significant difference between male and female, nor between the year of study. Yet there was statistically significant difference between students’ attitudes between humanities and scientific colleges in favor of humanities. Several challenges were raised by students, mainly technical issues, course and class issues, faculty performance, physical and psychological health, and interaction issues. The majority of the students indicated their rejection to continue with e-learning after the pandemic. Several recommendations were raised by students to improve the e-learning experiences, including the need to develop the faculty preparation, to employ diverse evaluation tools without depending mainly on exams, and to conduct the practical activities and experiments in labs.
Research Interests:
This quantitative study examined the information literacy skills among graduate students in the College of Education at Kuwait University. The study’s aim was to investigate the level of information literacy among the selected students,... more
This quantitative study examined the information literacy skills among graduate students in the College of Education at Kuwait University. The study’s aim was to investigate the level of information literacy among the selected students, including their awareness, skills, and information needs, as well as the college’s role in supporting this population. The overall results showed that the students in the sample had only modest skills relative to their position as graduate students. In particular, the results also indicated a lack of skills regarding the use of most library services and facilities, which sheds light on the college’s role in disseminating an awareness of information literacy. The authors recommend that the college library be more engaged in the education process.
Research Interests:
The aim of this descriptive and quantitative study was to explore the usage of reference management systems (RMSs) among Kuwait University (KU) faculty and their perspectives towards using these systems. For this purpose, an online survey... more
The aim of this descriptive and quantitative study was to explore the usage of reference management systems (RMSs) among Kuwait University (KU) faculty and their perspectives towards using these systems. For this purpose, an online survey was distributed using Google Forms. The sample was all KU faculty from all the 16 colleges, and a link to the survey was sent by email to all the faculty. The results show a humble usage of RMSs among the faculty, EndNote is the most common software. The participants declared their need for both awareness of and training for the RMS packages; this need was declared by both users and non-users of RMSs. The results of this study will be beneficial for the KU library administration to be better engaged in the awareness campaign at the university level.
The aim of this descriptive and quantitative study was to explore the usage of reference management systems (RMSs) among Kuwait University (KU) faculty and their perspectives towards using these systems. For this purpose, an online survey... more
The aim of this descriptive and quantitative study was to explore the usage of reference management systems (RMSs) among Kuwait University (KU) faculty and their perspectives towards using these systems. For this purpose, an online survey was distributed using Google Forms. The sample was all KU faculty from all the 16 colleges, and a link to the survey was sent by email to all the faculty. The results show a humble usage of RMSs among the faculty, EndNote is the most common software. The participants declared their need for both awareness of and training for the RMS packages; this need was declared by both users and non-users of RMSs. The results of this study will be beneficial for the KU library administration to be better engaged in the awareness campaign at the university level.
Research Interests:
Due to the education crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Kuwait University (KU) was shut down from March to July 2020 and resumed the academic year with online course delivery in August 2020. In light of KU's first-ever online... more
Due to the education crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, Kuwait University (KU) was shut down from March to July 2020 and resumed the academic year with online course delivery in August 2020. In light of KU's first-ever online learning experience, this study aims to assess faculty members' 1 preferences between the e-learning tools, 2 differences in their usability of the two main platforms, Microsoft Teams and Blackboard, and 3 the impact of their rank and/or college affiliation on the usability of the two platforms. A survey was distributed among KU faculty members and was completed by 252 participants. T-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to assess the system usability scores. The results highlighted that faculty members' usability of Microsoft Teams and Blackboard were considered above average while there were no differences in the overall usability between the two platforms.
Research Interests:
In this descriptive case study, I aim to explore the translations and translation strategies of taboo words into Arabic and the strategies used in the translation process. Particularly, my focus is on the translation of the F-word and the... more
In this descriptive case study, I aim to explore the translations and translation strategies of taboo words into Arabic and the strategies used in the translation process. Particularly, my focus is on the translation of the F-word and the possible translations of this word into Arabic to present an acceptable product or translation to the target culture. For this purpose, I adapt Chesterman's (2000) comparative model and applied Baker's (1992) strategies of translation for classifying the collected data. The corpus of this study are two versions of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: the source text (ST) is in English and the target text (TT) is translated into Arabic. I examine the source text to list all the F-words mentioned and detected the word 179 times. Then I compare the listed words or phrases to the target text, to examine the translation and strategies used by the translator of the target text. This is the first study, to my knowledge, focusing on the translation of the F-word into Arabic and exploring the possibility of translating taboo words into acceptable equivalents in the TT.
Research Interests:
This study examines news reports related to human rights in the GSs (Gulf States) on Twitter in order to explore the main strategies used in presenting such news. The STs (Source Text) in English were taken from NGOs accounts such as... more
This study examines news reports related to human rights in the GSs (Gulf States) on Twitter in order to explore the main strategies used in presenting such news. The STs (Source Text) in English were taken from NGOs accounts such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and from international agencies such as BBC while TTs (Target Text) in Arabic were from the same NGOs and the translation of NGOs news in news agencies such as Aljazeera. The results showed that although gatekeeping is the dominant strategy used to prevent translating NGOs news, transediting and reframing strategies were used often to manipulate translating and presenting those pieces of news. Faithful translation, on the other hand, was the least used strategy. The study concluded that translators’ ethical role should assert the honorable commitment they have towards the voices of the oppressed.
Research Interests:
Purpose: This paper aims to examine the extent of benefits Kuwait University faculty received from the electronic resources offered by Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.... more
Purpose: This paper aims to examine the extent of benefits Kuwait University faculty received from the
electronic resources offered by Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically during the COVID-19
pandemic in 2020.
Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was distributed using Google Forms via different
social media platforms and official emails. The sample was Kuwait University faculty from all 16 colleges.
Findings – The results showed humble use of electronic resources during this critical time. The faculty
mostly used the electronic resources for writing research papers, and databases and e-journals were their
most preferred resources. The majority of nonusers indicated that they did not need these resources, and the
rest referred to their unawareness of these resources. The results also showed that the majority of nonusers
were willing to learn more about the electronic resources and how to use them.
Originality/value – The results and recommendations of this study are expected to be beneficial to
Kuwait University and Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically, in terms of knowing what
the faculty members use and prefer and the problems they face when searching electronic resources.
electronic resources offered by Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically during the COVID-19
pandemic in 2020.
Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was distributed using Google Forms via different
social media platforms and official emails. The sample was Kuwait University faculty from all 16 colleges.
Findings – The results showed humble use of electronic resources during this critical time. The faculty
mostly used the electronic resources for writing research papers, and databases and e-journals were their
most preferred resources. The majority of nonusers indicated that they did not need these resources, and the
rest referred to their unawareness of these resources. The results also showed that the majority of nonusers
were willing to learn more about the electronic resources and how to use them.
Originality/value – The results and recommendations of this study are expected to be beneficial to
Kuwait University and Kuwait University Libraries Administration, specifically, in terms of knowing what
the faculty members use and prefer and the problems they face when searching electronic resources.
Research Interests:
Globalization is an outcome of crossing national and cultural boundaries over the ages, this ongoing process of eliminating national boundaries between countries with the assistance of telecommunication has encouraged interactions among... more
Globalization is an outcome of crossing national and cultural boundaries over the ages, this ongoing process of eliminating national boundaries between countries with the assistance of telecommunication has encouraged interactions among nations and individuals without understanding each other’s language, which makes language a barrier instead of a means of communication. Hence, a need for a global language has arisen to eliminate the communication barriers between people and nations in this global era. This global language or the lingua franca requires some modifications in order to be simpler, safer, and more economic.This exploratory paper aims at understanding the concept of globalization, its correlation with English as a lingua franca, and the impact of globalization on the field of translation. In addition, to its cultural impaction the Arab world and the main linguistics impacts of that affecting the usage of Arabic language. The examples provided will be from the Arab region in general and specifically from the State of Kuwait when applicable.
Research Interests:
This mixed study aims to highlight the impact of social media in the Arab world, specifically Twitter's impact on translators' communities. For this purpose, the role of hashtags among translators will be examined by investigating one... more
This mixed study aims to highlight the impact of social media in the Arab world, specifically Twitter's impact on translators' communities. For this purpose, the role of hashtags among translators will be examined by investigating one particular Arabic hashtag, its purpose, target users, and the classification of content. The hashtag is ,#اﻟﻤﺘﺮﺟﻢ_ﻓﻲ_ﺧﺪﻣﺔ_اﻟﻤﺘﺮﺟﻢ #transla-tor_serving_translator. 1) An online survey of six closed questions was employed and posted on Twitter, and 249 responses show that users are from fourteen Arab countries, and the majority is from Saudi Arabia. Hashtag users are translators, freelancers, or TS students. Some are active users who post tweets and answer questions, others only ask questions, and the rest only read tweets. The general attitude toward employing hashtags among translators' communities was positive. 2) Employing a content analysis approach, the content is classified into two main categories of sharing information and seeking assistance with seven subcategories of each.
Research Interests:
The aim of this descriptive and quantitative study was to explore the usage of reference management systems (RMSs) among Kuwait University (KU) faculty and their perspectives towards using these systems. For this purpose, an online survey... more
The aim of this descriptive and quantitative study was to explore the usage of reference management systems (RMSs) among Kuwait University (KU) faculty and their perspectives towards using these systems. For this purpose, an online survey was distributed using Google Forms. The sample was all KU faculty from all the 16 colleges, and a link to the survey was sent by email to all the faculty. The results show a humble usage of RMSs among the faculty, EndNote is the most common software. The participants declared their need for both awareness of and training for the RMS packages; this need was declared by both users and non-users of RMSs. The results of this study will be beneficial for the KU library administration to be better engaged in the awareness campaign at the university level.
Research Interests:
This quantitative study examined the information literacy skills among graduate students in the College of Education at Kuwait University. The study’s aim was to investigate the level of information literacy among the selected students,... more
This quantitative study examined the information literacy skills among graduate students in the College
of Education at Kuwait University. The study’s aim was to investigate the level of information literacy
among the selected students, including their awareness, skills, and information needs, as well as the college’s
role in supporting this population. The overall results showed that the students in the sample had
only modest skills relative to their position as graduate students. In particular, the results also indicated a
lack of skills regarding the use of most library services and facilities, which sheds light on the college’s
role in disseminating an awareness of information literacy. The authors recommend that the college library
be more engaged in the education process.
of Education at Kuwait University. The study’s aim was to investigate the level of information literacy
among the selected students, including their awareness, skills, and information needs, as well as the college’s
role in supporting this population. The overall results showed that the students in the sample had
only modest skills relative to their position as graduate students. In particular, the results also indicated a
lack of skills regarding the use of most library services and facilities, which sheds light on the college’s
role in disseminating an awareness of information literacy. The authors recommend that the college library
be more engaged in the education process.