On 20 September 2022, UNESCO-ICHEI and the Mongolia University of Science and Technology (MUST) co-organized three pre-training sessions ahead of the official launch of the joint IIOE pilot project Blended Learning Capacity Building for STEM Teachers in Mongolia. The purpose of these pre-training sessions is to provide an orientation for the Mongolian participating teachers on the project, and provide assistance in developing a localized action plan for the project. Chaired by Prof. Ganbat Danaa, Director of Open Education Center (OEC) at MUST, the pre-training focused on blended learning and innovative pedagogies in STEM education. The three training sessions were conducted by Prof. Charles R. Graham, a leading expert in blended learning from Brigham Young University, the U.S., Dr. Ariunbolor Davaa, a local master trainer of instructional design and Head of Teaching and Learning Lab, OEC at MUST, and Dr. Chika Nweke, Lecturer in Biochemical Engineering at University College London, UK. Close to 50 master teachers and administrators from state-owned universities in Mongolia, including Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Mongolian State University of Education, Mongolian State University of Education, Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences, Mongolian University of Life Sciences, and Mongolian State University of Culture and Arts, participated in this event.
Pre-training site
Prof. Charles R. Graham opened the pre-training session with a presentation titled Introduction to Blended Course Design and Facilitation Skills. Not only did he analyze the essentials and typical models of blended learning through several cases, but also helped the participating teachers to understand in depth how universities should choose teaching models and how teachers should make decisions on appropriate pedagogies to effectively achieve quality blended learning in an interactive approach.
The first pre-training session -
Introduction to Blended Course Design and Facilitation Skills
The second pre-training session, which still focused on blended teaching, was conducted by Ms. Ariunbolor Davaa in Mongolian language. With the theme of the Current status of Blended Learning in Mongolian HEIs and future challenges, the training was designated to address three questions: "What are the preparations needed to implement blended learning locally in Mongolia", "What has been achieved so far in Mongolia", and "How to further enhance blended learning". This session guided the teacher participants to better understand the relevant policies, quality assurance system, relevant project experience, and local digital education resources.
The second pre-training session -
Current status of blended learning in Mongolian HEIs and future challenges
The third pre-training session was conducted by Dr. Chika Nweke on STEM innovative pedagogies. Through a case study of UCL’s Integrated Engineering Programme, she demonstrated the experience of providing a virtual simulation environment for STEM students during online teaching, as well as other innovative pedagogies in STEM, such as project-based learning, peer assessment, role play, and case studies.
The third pre-training session -
STEM innovative pedagogies
On September 21st, this pilot project will move on to the next step - Action Plan Workshop, to be organized by the project management team at MUST. The workshop will facilitate participating master teachers to finalize a more concrete action plan for the project pertinent to local needs. The developed action plan will be presented at the launch meeting of the pilot project on 22 September, 2022.