Innovation in Language Learning

The last two decades or so have seen a noticeable shift in education from traditional teaching methodologies such as lectures and tests towards a more active, hands-on and inquiry-based paradigm which promote critical and creative thinking and collaboration. In many cases, higher education has been slow to respond to such changes but developments in technology, and a generation of students who expects its use, has had an enormous impact on the way courses are delivered, and more importantly, the way learners learn.

This paper describes initiatives taken recently at an EMI engineering institute in Abu Dhabi to promote best practice and encourage student engagement by embedding the use of IT in a range of first and second year Humanities and STEM courses. The paper also considers student and faculty support and feedback, and highlights the impact of ICT on a range of twenty-first century competences required of a modern, knowledge-based society, including language development, critical thinking, research skills and collaboration.

We conclude the paper with a brief discussion of why pockets of resistance to a more widespread implementation still remain, in spite of strong evidence of approval and documented gains against a range of learning outcomes.