Komal Farooq, the lead facilitator of the Designing Innovative Learning Applications Workshop talks about what motivated her to abandon her dreams of becoming a banker and enter the field of Innovative Technologies in Education.

Q: Where are you from and what have you studied so far?

A: I’m from Lahore and I have a BBA Finance degree from the Lahore School of Economics. I’m currently doing an MS degree in Innovative Technologies in Education (ITE) from NUST.

Q: What attracted you to the field of Innovative Education Technology?

A: After completing my BBA, I had wanted to enter the field of banking but took up a teaching job at Beaconhouse Newlands temporarily. This experience really changed everything for me; I taught there for 3 years and realized that the sense of achievement and satisfaction one gets from teaching is unparalleled. I took up the MS ITE program because I realized the need to study pedagogical techniques to devise better teaching solutions, and the idea of combining IT with education is really exciting and promises to overcome many barriers in teaching and learning.

Q: Is there any defining moment or event that has shaped your experience in this field?

When I was working as a teacher, I had a student in my class who lagged behind the others; he was a slow-learner and suffered because as his basic concepts were not clear. Additionally, he also grappled with a significant language barrier. When I tried to pay individual attention to him, the rest of the class suffered so I decided to let him be and concentrate on the rest of the class. However, when I was checking my class’s mid-term examinations, I realized that everyone had achieved straight A’s in the four subjects I taught, except for that student, who had failed them all. I was really jolted by this and it made me realize that we need to modify educational techniques to accommodate the varied needs of different students.

A facilitator at the Designing Innovative Learning Applications Workshop,Zia-ul-Islam has an interdisciplinary background and has successfully developed the learning application ChatBot. Here he tells us of his experience in this field.

Q: Where are you from and what have you studied so far?

I’m from Sialkot and I have completed two bachelor’s degrees; BSc in Information Technology from Gujrat University and in BA in Literature from Allama Iqbal Open University. I’m currently doing my MS in Innovative Technologies in Education from NUST.

Q: What attracted you to the field of Innovative Education Technology?

My father runs a school and my mother is the headmistress of a government school so I have had a deep concern for teaching methods since I was young. After studying IT and literature, I felt that I was ready to think about using technology to improve learning outcomes.

Q: Is there any defining moment or event that has shaped your experience in this field?

I have done many projects in education; the most significant of them was developing the ChatBot project to encourage e-learning. This experience showed me the effectiveness of ICT-based pedagogical content creation.

Aleena Hasan Qureshi, a facilitator at the Designing Innovative Learning Applications Workshop, discusses how her experience of studying Electrical Engineering made her question the effectiveness of traditional pedagogical methods and eventually drew her to the field of Innovative Technologies in Education.

Q: Where are you from and what have you studied so far?

I’m from Rawalpindi. I’ve completed my BSc in Electrical Engineering from NUST and now I’m pursuing an MS program in Innovative Technologies in Education (ITE) from the same institution.

Q: What attracted you to the field of Innovative Education Technology?

While I was studying engineering, I realized that the teaching methods and were extremely out-dated and uninspiring; there was more focus on theory rather than the practical, hands-on aspect. Additionally, the education system is designed in such a way as to homogenize people instead of safeguarding, nurturing and honing the creative potential of every individual. I chose to enter this field as I wished to address this problem.

Q: Is there any defining moment or event that has shaped your experience in this field?

The realization that technology can be viewed as a tool for betterment instead of a hindrance has really helped me.  Dr. Ashraf Iqbal has also been a constant source of inspiration for me since I entered this field.

A facilitator at the Designing Innovative Learning Applications Workshop, Malik Shehzad talks to us about how his experience of teaching at Namal College, Mianwali motivated him to explore the possibilities of using innovation and technology to improve learning outcomes.

Q: Where are you from and what have you studied so far?

I am from Mianwali and I completed my BSc in Computer Science from Namal College, Mianwali. I’m currently doing my MS in Innovative Technologies in Education from NUST.

Q: What attracted you to the field of Innovative Education Technology?

After graduating from Namal College, I worked there for a year as a lab instructor. This experience led me to think deeply about the effectiveness of standard pedagogical techniques. Dr. Ashraf Iqbal came to Namal to each and I TA’d for him; interaction with him further pulled me towards this field.

Q: Is there any defining moment or event that has shaped your experience in this field?

We have all been instructed to design teaching methods in such a way that the teacher does not answer questions which students ask but rather encourages them to come up with the answers themselves. I subsequently tried this technique out in real classroom situations and it works wonderfully; this really bolstered my confidence in the fact that a change in teaching methodologies can make a world of a difference for students.

Mustafa Syed, a facilitator at the Designing Innovative Learning Applications Workshop, tells us how his own dismal experience with the traditional education system imbued him with the passion to use technology and innovation to make education more effective and interesting.

Q: Where are you from and what have you studied so far?

I’m from Wah Cantt and I’ve done my BSc in Electrical Engineering from Air University. At the moment I’m enrolled in the MS Innovative Educational Technologies program.

Q: What attracted you to the field of Innovative Education Technology?

My experience of being taught was quite terrible from the beginning; I remember that we students were punished for not performing well in class. As a child, I used to be weak at mathematics   and was punished for this. Eventually, this demotivated me so much that I flunked in the subject. After doing my BSc, I realized that I needed to do something to address the difficulties I had experienced as a student at all stages of education. This is why I opted for the MS ITE program; it has really been a turning-point in my life and I am deeply passionate about this field.

Q: Is there any defining moment or event that has shaped your experience in this field?

When I joined the MS ITE program, we were taught a number of courses across many disciplines, including psychology. I developed a deep interest in cognitive psychology, which looks into how the brain works and had a detailed talk with my psychology instructor on this topic. At the end of the conversation, my instructor told me that I was actually a psychologist who had just happened to study electrical engineering! This experience further strengthened my belief that we need to design learning techniques which help people explore their interests and equip them to strengthen their best abilities.

Sheeza Farooq, a facilitator for the Designing Interactive Learning Applications Workshop, discusses how the field of Innovative Education technologies complements her desire to think outside- the -box.

Q: Where are you from and what have you studied so far?

I am from Gujranwala and I have done my BSc in Computer Sciences from the University of the Punjab. I am currently enrolled in the MS Innovative Education Technologies program at NUST.

Q: What attracted you to the field of Innovative Education Technology?

I wanted to enter a field that was new and different; and encouraged out-of-the-box ideas. I feel that this field is just perfect for me!

 Q: Is there any defining moment or event that has shaped your experience in this field?

I interned at Microsoft and developed applications there; one of which won the Best Application award from a foreign company. That really boosted my confidence and convinced me that I can do anything!

Later, when I enrolled in the MS Innovative Technologies in Education program, Dr. Ashraf Iqbal once told us that we are the ones who must struggle to change the future of Pakistan. The confidence I already had, along with Dr. Iqbal’s motivation, has strengthened my dedication to the field of education.