Comments for Academic Programs International http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog The Official API Blog Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:31:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Why I Chose To Study Abroad In Qatar by gina http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/api-student-bloggers-api/why-i-chose-to-study-abroad-in-qatar/#comment-1378 gina Mon, 20 Feb 2012 19:31:17 +0000 http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/?p=4853#comment-1378 I found your post very interesting. I am a doctoral student at Walden University and I live in the U.S. We are studying global trends/issues in adult education now and just finished an assignment that included viewing videos of personal perspectives from people who have experienced various levels of learning communities within their culture. One of the countries represented in the videos included Qatar. What I learned form the video was that Qatar is trying to move their curriculum forward through research. Teaching students critical thinking and problem solving skills is a sharp contrast to the past, where more emphasis was placed on memorizing the information without opportunities for “hands-on” experience. This is similar to our goals in the U.S. In nursing education, teaching critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques is paramount. We also have recognized the limitations of class lecture and utilize simulation as a learning modality to give students the opportunity to obtain “hands-on” experiences. Of course, this did not happen overnight. As in Qatar, any changes to any part of a curriculum take time. Qatar has a school report card evaluation system which monitors the performance of both the students and the school, which is publicly published. They consider this transparency to be important for the students, parents, educators, as well as society. They use the results as a barometer to assess how Qatar’s education system compares to other international countries. It also allows Qatar to use self-reflection as a means to develop strategic educational plans. I would like to transplant some of the Islamic values of education to my own culture. To them, education is more than gaining information. It is something they consider a necessity, “to be a good learner, a good person and to be able to contribute something to society; they want to give back and to make a contribution to the world they live in”. This is in contrast to the U.S., where students focus more on how much they will take (in the form of a salary) and not on how much they will give back. I hope you have a safe journey and enjoy your stay in Qatar. I found your post very interesting. I am a doctoral student at Walden University and I live in the U.S. We are studying global trends/issues in adult education now and just finished an assignment that included viewing videos of personal perspectives from people who have experienced various levels of learning communities within their culture. One of the countries represented in the videos included Qatar. What I learned form the video was that Qatar is trying to move their curriculum forward through research. Teaching students critical thinking and problem solving skills is a sharp contrast to the past, where more emphasis was placed on memorizing the information without opportunities for “hands-on” experience. This is similar to our goals in the U.S. In nursing education, teaching critical thinking skills and problem-solving techniques is paramount. We also have recognized the limitations of class lecture and utilize simulation as a learning modality to give students the opportunity to obtain “hands-on” experiences. Of course, this did not happen overnight. As in Qatar, any changes to any part of a curriculum take time.

Qatar has a school report card evaluation system which monitors the performance of both the students and the school, which is publicly published. They consider this transparency to be important for the students, parents, educators, as well as society. They use the results as a barometer to assess how Qatar’s education system compares to other international countries. It also allows Qatar to use self-reflection as a means to develop strategic educational plans. I would like to transplant some of the Islamic values of education to my own culture. To them, education is more than gaining information. It is something they consider a necessity, “to be a good learner, a good person and to be able to contribute something to society; they want to give back and to make a contribution to the world they live in”. This is in contrast to the U.S., where students focus more on how much they will take (in the form of a salary) and not on how much they will give back.

I hope you have a safe journey and enjoy your stay in Qatar.

]]> Comment on API Video Challenge Winners! by UI student’s study abroad video wins first place in contest (video) « International Accents http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/new-media-programs/api-video-challenge-winners/#comment-1374 UI student’s study abroad video wins first place in contest (video) « International Accents Fri, 17 Feb 2012 14:53:39 +0000 http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/?p=4890#comment-1374 [...] See all the winners here: http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/new-media-programs/api-video-challenge-winners. [...] [...] See all the winners here: http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/new-media-programs/api-video-challenge-winners. [...]

]]> Comment on Nursing students – want to study abroad this summer? by cna training classes http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/ireland/nursing-students-study-summer/#comment-1358 cna training classes Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:40:50 +0000 http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/?p=4841#comment-1358 This is such a great opportunity for nurses to see how nurses in other countries work This is such a great opportunity for nurses to see how nurses in other countries work

]]> Comment on Leaving the Fast Lane Behind by kimk http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/on-site/api-student-bloggers/leaving-the-fast-lane-behind/#comment-1343 kimk Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:24:58 +0000 http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/?p=4742#comment-1343 Hi Tyler - I love this post! I felt the same way about leaving my home univ. to go abroad and had the same sentiments once in Mexico. Thanks for sharing! (: Hi Tyler – I love this post! I felt the same way about leaving my home univ. to go abroad and had the same sentiments once in Mexico. Thanks for sharing! (:

]]> Comment on Leaving the Fast Lane Behind by Julie http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/on-site/api-student-bloggers/leaving-the-fast-lane-behind/#comment-1341 Julie Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:41:15 +0000 http://www.apistudyabroad.com/blog/?p=4742#comment-1341 Such a great thing to learn...the hard part is taking that with you when you come home, but you have a life-time ahead to figure out how to integrate this all! :) Such a great thing to learn…the hard part is taking that with you when you come home, but you have a life-time ahead to figure out how to integrate this all! :)

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