In recent years, the educational industry has gone through great lengths to adapt to the rapid change of requirements of students due to technology-driven, dynamic economies, and not forgetting students who are now more technologically aware and connected to the internet more than ever before. Due to this, the first-ever Blackboard Center of Excellence in the Middle East was created.
The Blackboard Center of Excellence – incepted by the partnership of Blackboard and the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in the UAE, is here to help teachers improve their knowledge of edtech solutions as well as develop a community of skilled professionals who will be future pioneers in the digital education industry.
The center will offer and leverage the Blackboard eTeacher program – a reputable certification aiming to train teachers on the basics of digital teaching and learning, and how to create and implement digital platforms and online courses. Robert Speed, Regional Vice President of Blackboard, expresses “A critical figure of this digital revolution is a competent, well-trained, and digitally fluent educator. Institutions recognize that it is no longer acceptable to have only a handful of technologically capable instructors if they want to attract students and help them become more employable and successful. The Center of Excellence will empower educators with the right competencies to successfully use technology in their pedagogical approach.”