The NCT Staff Development Unit (SDU) conducted a workshop on Team Play last 22 February at the MPH. This is part of SDU’s series of seminar-workshops on Innovative Methods of Teaching, which is envisaged to assist college staff in being acquainted with various forms of teaching methodologies that they can practice in their classes. The said workshop was attended by staff from various academic departments, including some college officials. Ms. Vardhani Dasika, lecturer from Business Studies department, facilitated the event. She was assisted by Ms. Ramani James, SDU Coordinator and also a Business Studies lecturer. Dr. Imran Hameed, Business Studies department HoD, served as overall speaker for the event.

During the workshop, two game play activities were done by the participants. First, Ms. Vardhani introduced the game “Team Chain” to the workshop participants by describing them the mechanics of the game. Then, after the participants were grouped in two, they were asked to form a circular chain and were given a task to do without breaking the chain. After one group successfully did the task given, the facilitators discussed the roles played by members of the group in solving the task at hand, and how teamwork played an important part in it.

The second game involved dividing the participants into three groups, then selecting one member of each group to be blindfolded and then asking them to draw something. The facilitators gave the groups 10 minutes to do the task, explaining to the participants that other members of the group not assigned to give instructions to the “painter” on how to draw the required object, can “distract” the painter of the other groups. After the time elapsed, the facilitators scrutinized the work of the three groups and asked them how they attain the outputs.

Dr. Imran gave a short explanation on the implications of the roles played by the members of the group in coming up with an accurate drawing. He also delved on the methods and strategies employed by the groups to do the required task accurately. Furthermore, he provided links/relationships between the game played by the participants and the teaching they do in their classes.

Dr. Imran also encouraged the participants to share their ideas on the games played during the workshop as a form of summarization and generalizations of the lessons learned during the activity. He then thanked everyone who participated in the event, especially those who facilitated it. /junlontok

Officials of Oman Trading Establishment LLC (OTE) visited the college recently to hold talks with college management on possible collaboration in different areas, particularly in giving training to students. The OTE Group was headed by Mr. Jahanbux Mistry, OTE General Manager. Other officials that came with Mr. Jahanbux are Dr. Anirudha Sen, Mr. VR Nayak, and Mr. Warma. They were met by NCT officials that included Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, College Dean, Dr. Bader Ahmed, AD Academics, Dr. Imran Hameed, HoD Business Studies, Mr. Ismail Al-Riyami, HoD OJT Department, and Mr. Mohammad Samiuddin Saheem, HoS Marketing.

During the meeting, the two groups shared information between the two organizations, focusing on student training systems and processes. Dr. Ahmed said that the college is enjoying the reputation of having high standard in its graduates, and that the college would like to further build into this by improving its training program for students. He said that because of this, the college is currently in the process of establishing a business simulation centre which will help provide exposure to its students on the real-world application of running a business organization. Dr. Ahmed also disclosed that the college is forging ties with various industries not only to improve existing partnerships but also to provide better training to students.

On behalf of the OTE Group, Mr. Jahanbux said that since human resource development and training is also a core business of his organization, and inasmuch as OTE also provides formal training programs for Omani youth with the support of the Ministry of Manpower, they would like to take the initiative of further taking this forward by collaborating with NCT. Mr. Jahanbux proposed an internship program for the students of the college, wherein OTE will accept internships for one to two months during summer vacation and give them practical training in various OTE departments such as the workshops they maintain as well as in Audit, Accounts, Credit, and IT Applications departments.

The meeting of the two groups also produced other agreements such as exchange of guest lecturers between the two organizations, offering of short courses for OTE staff to upgrade their skills, formal visits to OTE Training Centre for students of the college to gain more practical skills, and future collaboration regarding staff development between the two organizations.

In a related development, the OTE Group recently agreed to become one of the Gold Sponsors of student activities for the current academic year. In this regard, the company donated a total amount of 3,000 OMR to fund various student activities such as the Cultural Week celebrations and other similar events. /junlontok (with reports from Dr. Imran Hameed and Office of the College Dean)

Dr. Bader Ahmed, NCT Asst. Dean of Academic Affairs, conducted a presentation on ADRI for Course Delivery yesterday, 8 February, at the MPH. The presentation was attended by about a hundred staff from various centers and departments in the college.

In his presentation, Dr. Bader explained what ADRI is, and how this self-assessment tool can be used by staff in the performance of their jobs. He explained in detail each component of the ADRI Model – Approach, Deployment, Results and Improvement, and provided actual examples on each component’s use in managing and delivering a course. Dr. Bader also shared information on common ADRI practices in the college, and how the staff, particularly new ones, can benefit in using this model in assessing and improving the way they teach a course and handle students.

Dr. Bader’s presentation was followed by a short question and answer forum, in which staff posed relevant questions and raised important issues on the topic. /junlontok

Various officials of the college met with their counterparts at the Dean’s Office yesterday, 8 February, to discuss various cooperation and benchmarking activities between the two organizations. Present in the meeting were Dr. Bader Ahmed, AD Academics who headed the NCT group, Mr. Michael Reith, HoC of ELC, Dr. Rolando Lontok, HoC of ETC, Mr. NKR Nair, HoD-Engineering, Dr. Imran Hameed, HoD-Business Studies, and Mr. Syed Azzamuddin, HoS-IT. Also present were Dr. P. Marichamy, HoS-Engineering, Dr. Shafiuddin, HoS-HRM, Dr. Casimir Ignatius and Ms. Thuraya Al-Hinai, HoSs-ELC. The College of Applied Sciences (CAS) Nizwa group, meanwhile, is composed of Dr. Ahmed Shakir El-Qilabi, Head of English Language Department, Dr. Alex Mathew, HoD of IT, Dr. Mohammad Abdul Madar, HoD of International Business, Mrs. Ameena Hamed Al-Abri and Mrs. Huda Said Al-Habsi, English Language lecturers, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Ambusaidi, IT lecturer, and Mr. Said Mohammed Al-Riyami, International Business lecturer.

Before the exploratory talks on future cooperation and benchmarking activities of the two institutions, the NCT group provided the guests with a video presentation of the college. The 8-minute presentation showed the college advocacies, as well as its various services and facilities. Dr. Alex Mathew, CAS-Nizwa Head of IT Department, also provided a short presentation describing the College of Applied Sciences.

During the meeting, the two groups discussed varied topics and issues, which included comparison of organizational structures of the two colleges, sharing information on various policies and procedures such as general management, student assessment, information systems, practical training of students (OJT), advising and other relevant standards, and staff development among others.

A tour of the college, followed by a more detailed discussion of systems, procedures and processes between staff of similar departments from the two institutions, capped the day’s activities for the two groups. /junlontok

Officials of Suez-Tractebel Operation and Maintenance Oman (STOMO) headed by its General Manager, Mr. William King, met with NCT officials on Monday, 01 February, to discuss existing cooperative endeavours at the same time explore other forms of collaboration between the two organizations. Accompanying Mr. King in his visit were Mr. Ravi and Jumaal Al-Balushi, HR Officers, and Mr. Sunil Kumar, Training Officer of the company.

Aside from meeting NCT officials, STOMO’s visit included a short presentation about the company to college students and staff, a tour of the college for the aforementioned company officials, and a dialogue with prospective trainees.

In his presentation, Mr. King provided staff and students with information about STOMO, focusing on the company’s role in the power generation and water desalination sector in the Sultanate. He also introduced the company’s training program and for the benefit of students in the audience, how prospective employees can be hired by the company. After his presentation, Mr. King and the other company officials answered questions from the attendees. They also allotted some time interacting with students who are interested in spending their On-the-Job Training in the company. Aside from students from various departments, Mr. King’s presentation was also attended by college officials, including the Dean, AD Academics, and Heads of different departments.

After the company presentation and dialogue with students, Mr. King and his staff were given a tour of the college. Dr. Bader, AD of Academic Affairs, showed to the STOMO group the various laboratories and other facilities that the college provides its students, particularly in the development of practical technical skills. Afterwards, the group met with the College Dean again for a final briefing. /junlontok

Dr. Rolando Lontok, Head of the e-Learning Working Group of the college, today conducted three workshop sessions on the use of Moodle and NCT eLearn for Foundation level students. A total of 40 students, 22 males and 18 females, attended the sessions which were held at the Self-Access Centre of the ELC building. The sessions, each lasted for 40 minutes, were held from 8:00 to 10:00am. The sessions were organized by the ELC through its head, Mr. Michael Reith, and were coordinated by the ELC e-Learning Coordinator, Mr. Adeel Badar.

In the workshops, Dr. Rolando discussed the importance of e-learning portal in extending the learning process of students. He also gave a general description of the NCT e-Learning Portal, and how students should use it. More importantly, he gave the participating students the chance to experience using NCT eLearn through Moodle by giving them a walkthrough of the steps - from accessing their Moodle accounts, to changing their passwords, to accessing their courses and using the files uploaded by their tutors – and letting the students do said activities on their own. Short question and answer activities followed each workshop session. Dr. Rolando was assisted by Mr. Ramil Rabang, ETC Technician, throughout the workshops.

The Nizwa College of Technology through its Staff Development Unit (SDU) recently conducted its Staff Development Week to make worthwhile use of the one-week break (9 – 13 January) that usually happened just after the students' final examinations and before the registration week. A total of 11 paper presentations/workshops were conducted by staff from various departments, which were attended by both academic and administrative staff of the college. To kick-off the activities, an opening programme which also served as the inauguration and introduction to the SDU and led by the College Dean, Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, was held at the College Multi-purpose Hall on 9th January. It was followed immediately by a presentation on Teaching Methodologies by Dr. Ranganathan, an Engineering Department lecturer.

In the second day of the event, six presentations/workshops were given. These are: "Student Project Presentation Methodology" by Mr. Pradeep Suredernath (Engineering), "Time Management" by Mr. Muthiah Valliappan (Business Studies), "Implementing NCT eLearn and Moodle LMS: Reflections Two Years After" by Dr. Rolando Lontok and Ms. Alice Lontok (ETC/IT), "Cooperative Learning" by Mr. David Rajesh (Business Studies), "Academic Integrity" by Mr. Rajesh Kumar Babu (Engineering), and "Using the Registration Program for New Advisees" by Mr. Atif Irshad Khan (Business Studies).

On the last day of activities, Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani gave a presentation on Managing Staff in two sessions, Arabic and English. Two workshops were also conducted. Mr. Michael Reith, HoC of ELC conducted a workshop on Making Exam Papers, while Dr. Imran Hameed, HoD of Business Studies, conducted a workshop on Frustration Due to Poor Communication.

Judging from the number of attendees of the sessions conducted, the holding of the first-ever NCT Staff Development Week was successful. In the closing ceremonies, Dr. Imran Hameed Khan, the over-all chair of the activities and coordinator of the SDU, thanked everyone who supported and participated in the endeavour.

A simple closing programme to end the event was held in the evening of 11th January at the MPH. The programme was participated by Omani, Filipino and Indian communities, where each group showcased different song and dance numbers. To add variety to the occasion, a comedy skit and magic was also presented by the Filipino community, while a stand-up comedy was given by one of the Indian lecturers from the ELC. /junlontok

The college recently celebrated the Sultanate's 38th National Day in pompous rites at the college open theatre. The celebration was made grandiose by the attendance of local dignitaries and the participation of students from various sectors. Local songs and dances were showcased in the festivities, which was attended by local staff and students and some other guests.

On 6 December Gareth Dewar, an educational consultant with Pearson Longman, came to give ELC staff a workshop on our new textbook Cutting Edge. This book is being adopted in all the Colleges of Technology as a course book for Levels 1-3 in the Foundation Program and all the teachers who instruct those levels attended the workshop.

We were keen to explore two things: how to use Cutting Edge as imaginatively as possible and how to increase teacher awareness of all the learning objectives in the new syllabus that are embedded in the book. Gareth looked at both of these areas in extensive detail in an entertaining and rather inspirational way. As a source, he used the Elementary edition of Cutting Edge, which is the book we use with our Level 2 students and which many of our teachers are now familiar with.

Teachers were given a handout with selected chapters from the book and in groups asked to think about which parts of the book matched learning outcomes from the syllabus. Sometimes the demands of the tasks in the book made this fairly obvious, but teachers were also asked to consider how these learning outcomes might be met in less obvious ways. A simple information gathering activity in the book, for example, might be extended to create an activity where students write a paragraph about a classmate (hence fulfilling the Level 2 learning objective in the syllabus 'writing short paragraphs about people').

Skills, Gareth reminded us, lead to other skills. One task leads to another related task. Gareth was keen to emphasize how we should use Cutting Edge in a comprehensive way rather than dwelling on discrete skills. We should constantly be looking to leave the book behind, developing other activities out of it and using the other Cutting Edge resources that come with the book. Cutting Edge, after all, is not simply a textbook, it's a resource pack. There is a website students can visit, there is a CD-Rom that comes with the book which they should be using. The goal for us as teachers is to get away from leading the students. They should be leading themselves. That's the only way they will really learn.

The Business Department has graduated eighteen (18) Diploma Level students this first semester of 2009-2010. Eleven (11) of these students specialize in Human Resource Management while seven (7) of them specialize in E-Business. The Head of the Department, Dr. Imran Hameed praised the graduates for their dedication and perseverance while studying at Nizwa College of Technology. Likewise, the Head of Sections, OJT/EPT Coordinators, and Business Lecturers wished the best for the graduates.

Meanwhile, on November 18, 2009, a thanksgiving celebration was held at the College Multi-purpose Hall. The celebration was sponsored by the creative talents of the Enhancement Practical Training (EPT) students, who have just hurdled their last academic requirements to earn a Diploma Level Certificate. On that occasion, Mohamed Abdulah Al Abri, a Human Resource Management student and Intessar Nasser Al Hinai, an E-Business student led the graduates in giving honor to their teachers.

Khalil Saif Al Ruqaishi and Noora Ali Al Hinai , from the Higher Diploma level hosted a short game. Among the enthusiastic participants were students, teachers, and administration staff. Later, the NCT Dean, Dr. Ahmed Al Ghassani delivered a congratulatory message to the students and thanked the lecturers and staff for their dedication to their profession too. The Business Department staff were in full attendance to give support to the students. /hernanimanalo

The Enhancement Practical Training (EPT) students of Business Studies Department attended the Communication Skills Seminar last October 21, 2009 at NCT Multi-Purpose Hall. The resource person was Ms. Sharon, a Lecturer and Coordinator of Public Speaking in English Language Center of NCT.

Ms. Sharon started the seminar with a question, "Why is effective communication necessary?" She explained certain categories of communication and their uses. She also emphasized to the students the importance of key areas in communication like the message, audience, channel, interference, feedback, and more.

Later, a workshop-activity, in which every student participated actively, was conducted. Some situations were given to the groups to understand and act according to certain events or conditions. She, then, gave innovative ideas on the topic in which the students were very attentive. With their interesting workshop experience, EPT students were all praises to the resource person.

The seminar was held in compliance with EPT outcome of enhancing the communication skills of the students. Dr. Urvashi and Mrs. Vardhani, EPT Assessors organized the seminar for EPT students. /hernanimanalo

The Business Department sponsored a Seminar-Workshop on "Experiential Learning" to College Staff and Higher Diploma & EPT Students last November 4, 2009. The seminar was held at the Multi-Purpose Hall of NCT. The resource person was the Head of Business Department, Dr. Imran Hameed.

Dr. Imran's expertise in the field of human behavior kept the audience interactive all throughout the session. His experienced-based delivery got the participants connected with the topic. His creative approach ensured active involvement among the participants. The physical set up in semi-circle and in a theater-type arrangement added a welcoming atmosphere. The "drawing" exercise was popular among the staff and students. The use of thread to demonstrate the intricacies of communication added spice to the activity. The less formal tone made everyone comfortable, and most of all, his orientation as a Physician made his presentation more credible. The Lecturers, mostly from English Language Center participated actively specially in areas related to communication.

Dr. Ahmed Al Ghassani, NCT Dean and D. Bader Ahmed, Assistant Dean for Academics witnessed the seminar-workshop. They were noticeably enjoying the program. Both the students and staff found the activity very relevant, and they requested the organizer to sponsor similar activities in the future.

The seminar-workshop was made possible through the efforts of EPT Assessors, Dr. Urvashi and Mrs. Vardhani. Mr. Saud and Mr. Hernani were the driving force behind the program of the Department's EPT. /hernanimanalo

The Ministry of Manpower has provided new equipment and machines to the NCT's Engineering Department, Mechanical & Industrial Section. These hefty endowments include Bench Shear-8 mm Profile machine, Profile Bending equipment, Horizontal Surface Grinder, Variable Speed Vertical Metal Band Saw, and Vertical Slotting Machine. These machines are presently being installed in the Workshop area of the Mechanical Section and will be ready for use of NCT students come Second Semester (AY 2009-2010).

Other advanced equipment and contraptions given by the Ministry of Manpower to the NCT's Engineering Department last year include Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) and Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding machines and Resistance welding machines. Since the First Semester ( AY 2009-2010), these welding machines have been used for the benefit of students from the Mechanical Section, especially those students specializing in Oil & Gas. /antoniomateojr

Nizwa College of Technology (NCT) formally welcomes 430 new students today in its Foundation Programme. The new students who came from various secondary schools in the Sultanate were welcomed by college officials and ELC staff through a simple induction programme at the College Female Lounge. In the programme, the College Dean, Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, gave the students a presentation about the college. He described to the students the nature of teaching-learning activities in the college, as well as the services and facilities that are available to them to make their stay in NCT successful. Mr. Michael Reith, Head of the English Language Centre, meanwhile, gave the new students information on the various services the ELC provides for students in the Foundation levels. Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma'ni, the college Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, welcomed the students to their new 'second home'.

In a related interview with the AD of Student Affairs, he stated that the orientation activities for the new students will continue for the most part of this week. Mr. Mohammed said that the students' Placement Test is scheduled to be conducted tomorrow, while a presentation on "How to Adapt to College Life" will be conducted on 11th January, Monday. Mr. Mohammed further said that the formal classes of these students will commence on Tuesday, 12th January. /junlontok

Personnel of the Student Affairs unit of the college, headed by Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma'ni, AD Student Affairs,
recently held a dialogue with students, exploring the possibility of establishing a Student Council for NCT. The event took place at the MPH.

During the meeting, the AD Student Affairs discussed the importance of having a student council and explained
how students can help in the formation and management of one. The Student Affairs group also presented posters and other advertisements encouraging students to participate in this worthwhile endeavor. A lively discussion of the issues involved ensued between the students and staff throughout the meeting. The dialogue was attended by around fifty students. /junlontok

The College Survey Team, created for the purpose of leading the collection of data and other related information required in the preparation of the Quality Audit Portfolio, recently presented to the college administration and college QAFU members the draft checklist and questionnaires that the team will use in data gathering activities. The said presentation serves to get the suggestions and comments of various sectors in coming up with the final instruments that will be used for data collection.

Dr. Imran, HoD of Business Department and lead man in the development of said questionnaires, presented the draft checklist and questionnaires to the audience. He discussed the rationale for coming up with the said
tools, and explained the different sections of the instrument. He also gave clarifications on the issues raised by the audience in some of the entries in the instruments.

After the presentation, Dr. Imran led the group in incorporating the suggestions given by the audience. The
activity ended with the finalization of the checklist and the revised draft of the questionnaires. /junlontok

The Information Technology department adds a new computer lab to its facilities recently, acquiring a new batch of twenty five desktop computers for its students. The new computers were utilized to build a new computer
lab for the use of IT students. Said computers were installed and configured in one of the existing labs at the first floor of the IT building. The existing computers that were replaced were distributed to other computer labs to increase the computer machines in the labs. This is to accommodate IT classes which has more than 25 registered students in their laboratory sessions.

The creation of a new computer laboratory in IT is part of the continuing thrust of the college administration to provide continuous improvement of college facilities for the purpose of improving college service to students. /junlontok

The Quality Sub-group of the Engineering Department organized a seminar on modern teaching methodologies last 03 November at the MPH. The seminar, which was conducted by Dr. Ranganathan, Engineering lecturer, was attended by the college staff including members of college administration such as Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, College Dean, Dr. Bader Ahmed, AD Academics and Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma'ni, AD Student Affairs.

Dr. Ranganathan discussed about various pedagogies of teaching in his presentation. He also explained some important components of these pedagogies and the technologies required to implement them. Later in his presentation, he outlined ways on how best the college can adopt these pedagogies to improve the existing teaching-learning process.

An animated discussion of the issues tackled in the presentation ensued after Dr. Ranganathan's talk. The speaker welcomed all questions and shed more light on the advocacies he presented. /junlontok

Dr. Bonnie Glover Stalls, USC Professor and member of worldwidelearning.org, gave a short talk on endangered languages to the NCT community last October 28 at the Multi-purpose Hall. The event was organized by the English Language Centre through the cooperation of Mid-east Studies Association and was attended by NCT students and staff.

Dr. Stalls gave a presentation entitled "The Race to Preserve: Documenting Disappearing Languages in the Middle East". In her presentation, she provided information on the importance of preserving ethnic languages, as well as the importance of these languages in the further development of different peoples. Dr. Stalls also provided the audience with a glimpse of endangered languages in the world, giving emphasis to what is currently happening in the region in this aspect. After her lecture, Dr. Stalls engaged in a short question and answer forum, where she answered and gave light to some of the queries posed by the attendees. The speaker was assisted in her presentation by Mr. David Fenner, Director of Worldwide Learning – Oman Center.

Dr. Bonnie Stalls received her BA in Beloit College and her masters and Ph.D. in Linguistics at the University of California in Los Angeles. /junlontok

A group of American college students visited NCT recently as part of their annual exchange/visit program. The students, who are mostly taking International Studies, Economics and Political Science, came from various US colleges and universities such as Colorado State, University of Oregon and Trinity University. Eleven male and ten female students comprise the group.

The activities during the students' visit started with a brief welcome and a presentation of the college video in the MPH. The students then were taken on a tour of the college, including visits to laboratories and workshops, classrooms, and select offices such as the ETC. The remaining time of the American students was spent interacting with local Omani students and attending a few classes. /junlontok

The Quality Assurance Department (QAD) of the Ministry of Manpower had recently visited the college as part of the QAD's series of formal audit visits to colleges of technology to monitor quality assurance activities in these colleges. (see related report) The formal visit to NCT was held from 25th to 26th of October, and the QAD Team was headed by Ms. Fatma Al-Barwani, Head of QAD.

As the college is busy preparing for the forthcoming accreditation of the OAC, the visit was focused on the presentations of various groups, led by QAFU, on the different activities that are currently being done in this regard. (check the QAD Visit schedule of activities here) Presentations during the two-day activity included "Overview of the QA Process" by Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, College Dean; "The NCT Self-Assessment Plan" by Dr. Rolando Lontok, Head of QAFU; "The NCT Experience: Checklists and Questionnaires" by Dr. Imran Hameed Khan, member of the NCT Survey Team; and "Self-Assessment Work Progress" by Dr. Bader Ahmed Al-Khalaf, AD Academics. The QAD team assessed the college’s preparations through these detailed presentations of various activities, and then provided invaluable suggestions and guidance on how to proceed further. Animated discussions on NCT's KPIs, as well as development of the Quality Audit Portfolio were also conducted as part of the visit. These discussions were attended by heads of various academic and non-academic departments, members of self-assessment groups, and members of QAFU. Other NCT staff , such as lecturers in various departments, attended the different activities in the two-day event.

Academic and administrative staff of the college attended the A(H1N1) Awareness seminar last September 1 at the College Female Canteen. The seminar was made possible through the cooperation of the Ministry of Health. Dr. Saleh Al-Hinai, Director for Health Services in MoH – Nizwa, served as the resource person and guest speaker for the event.

The seminar was conducted in two sessions. The first session was held from 9:00 to 10:30 am and was conducted in Arabic. This was attended by administrative staff and Arabic-speaking academic staff. The second session, which was conducted in English, was held from 11:00 to 12:30 and was attended by all other staff. Following both sessions are lively and animated question and answer forums in which staff asked questions pertinent to the H1N1 virus and Dr. Saleh answered them in detail.

In his presentation, Dr. Saleh talked about the history of H1N1, the signs and symptoms of the virus, its method of spread and infection, and the current progress in vaccine development for H1N1. Moreover, he reported that as of current records, Oman has 1,050 cases of H1N1 with approximately 1% mortality rate. He also mentioned that the Sultanate expects to get the virus vaccine in October.

Dr. Saleh also talked about the actions being done by the Ministry of Health to combat the virus, such as the awareness activities they provide local communities to prevent the virus from spreading further. He also discussed the guidelines provided by the Ministry in case one suspects of having already contracted the flu.

Dr. Saleh also informed the attendees of the MoH guide for schools related to H1N1 as: separate the sick, implement proper and good hand hygiene, adequate education and communication about the virus to students, discourage visitors with flu-like symptoms, re-examine the flu response plan, and encourage the sick to stay home. He mentioned that the most common indicators for flu are coughing, sore throat, fever, and chills.

This project was the first of a series of activities planned by the NCT administration to educate students in H1N1 and minimize the spread of the virus in the local community. /junlontok

The Business Studies Department organized an industrial visit to Bank Muscat, Head Office at Al Dakhliyah Region last Tuesday, 16th June 2009. The purpose of this visit is to enable the students to enhance their theoretical knowledge and skills through relating with the practical situations in the company.

At 9.30 a.m., Mr. Abdullah Al-Mahrooqi, the Regional Manager, welcomed the college staff and students at Bank Muscat. Then, he took the group in the training centre hall where Mr. Qais Al-Hinai, the Human Resource Manager, delivered a presentation about human resources of the company. Mr. Qais Al-Hinai covered many issues such as definition of HR, employees competencies, branches of Bank Muscat, internal communications, monetary and non-monetary motivations, current trends, discipline and challenges in HR. At the end of the presentation, the students raised many questions regarding Human Resources Management.

Finally, Mr. Abdullah guided the group to the Bank's Sections, and explained the roles and responsibilities of each personnel from operation, customer service, and cashier. The visit ended at 1.30 p.m. All students were satisfied and happy. They found it beneficial and wanted more future industrial visits. /saud al-fahdi

The Business Studies Department of the college held an exhibition of the department’s four specializations last June 21 at the Multi-purpose Hall. The specializations exhibited are the e-Business, Marketing and Retailing, Human Resources, and Certified Accounting Technician disciplines. The exhibition was conceptualized and initiated by Ms. Thurkiya Al-Busaidi, lecturer in Business Studies, and was made possible with the support and cooperation of higher level students of the department’s different specializations.

Displayed in the exhibit hall are posters and other notices of various Business Studies specializations, books related to different Business Studies disciplines, presentations of different specializations in LCD projectors, and other things related to business and management. A scale model of the Business Simulation Centre that is currently awaiting completion is also prominently placed at the entrance of the exhibit hall.

The exhibition was well-attended by both students and staff. Business Studies staff say that this is one way of introducing their specializations and making prospective business students interested in the specializations that they offer./junlontok

The Business Studies Department organized an industrial visit to Bank Muscat, Head Office at Al Dakhliyah Region last Tuesday, 16th June 2009. The purpose of this visit is to enable the students to enhance their theoretical knowledge and skills through relating with the practical situations in the company.

At 9.30 a.m., Mr. Abdullah Al-Mahrooqi, the Regional Manager, welcomed the college staff and students at Bank Muscat. Then, he took the group in the training centre hall where Mr. Qais Al-Hinai, the Human Resource Manager, delivered a presentation about human resources of the company. Mr. Qais Al-Hinai covered many issues such as definition of HR, employees competencies, branches of Bank Muscat, internal communications, monetary and non-monetary motivations, current trends, discipline and challenges in HR. At the end of the presentation, the students raised many questions regarding Human Resources Management.

Finally, Mr. Abdullah guided the group to the Bank's Sections, and explained the roles and responsibilities of each personnel from operation, customer service, and cashier. The visit ended at 1.30 p.m. All students were satisfied and happy. They found it beneficial and wanted more future industrial visits. /saud al-fahdi

Vale Co. representatives Mr. Masoud Al-Maskari and Mr. Waleed Al-Shukaili recently visited NCT for an orientation session with engineering students. The two Vale officials provided a short presentation about the company, particularly its operations related to engineering and other technological areas. In their presentation, they provided a detailed description of Vale, as well as its various departments and operations. They also intimated that they are recruiting local graduates to fill in various positions in the company. After their presentation, the company representatives distributed forms for job applicants and answered questions from the audience.

The Vale Orientation seminar was attended by close to 200 engineering students of the college, including some staff. Some of the college officials also graced the event, including Dr. Bader Ahmed, AD Academics, who also gave the opening remarks, Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma’ni, AD of Student Affairs, Mr. Ismail Al-Riyami, HoD of OJT Department, Mr. NKR Nair, HoD of Engineering, and Mr. Mohammed Saheem, HoD of Marketing in the Business Studies department.

The Business Studies Department conducted a workshop in Communication Skills for all Enhancement Practical Training (EPT) students last June 3, 2009. Present in the event were the Asst. Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Bader Ahmed, and the Asst. Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma’ni.

The said workshop was conducted by Dr. Imran Hameed Khan, Head of Business Studies Department. Dr. Imran started the workshop by giving a short presentation about the meaning of communication and the difference between hearing and listening. He said that all of us can hear but not all of us can listen because in listening we need to use our mind and not only our ears.

After his presentation, Dr. Imran started the practical side of the workshop to let the students practice what they had understood. He conducted three exercises. In the first one, Dr. Imran described a picture and asked the participants to draw what they understood. This was followed by discussion on why the drawings were different and associated with listening. In the second exercise, he distributed a long sentence and asked one participant to read and tell it to the next participant, and so on, to check how much of information the other participants received at the end. In the third exercise the audience were made to sit in trios, where two participants would communicate with each other and the third participant would be the observer, to see how the others communicated.

At the end of the activity, an open discussion was held to see how the exercises could be applied in real life situations. Feedback was also collected to see the effectiveness of the activity. /thurkiya al-busaidi

Ms. Badriya Nasser Khamis Al-Hadrami, an Advanced Level CAT student from the Business Studies department, won the annual College-wide Public Speaking competition held last June 1, 2009 at the College Multi-purpose Hall. Ms. Badriya bested 11 other finalists with her topic “Wasta” – A Social and Moral Issue. The public speaking competition was held amid a jampacked crowd of about 200 staff and students of the college.

Ms. Bushra Humood Said Al-Sinani, a Diploma Level IT student, copped second place in the competition. Ms. Bushra was equally witty and powerful in her presentation of the topic “Wrong belief of students” but was edged out by Ms. Badriya in the judges scorecards in the final tallying.

The two winners both received certificates of recognition as well as gifts from the College Administration for their efforts.

Twelve students from the three academic departments, Engineering, IT and Business Studies, as well as the ELC, participated in this year’s Public Speaking competition. Ms. Stefanie Brown, an ELC lecturer, served as the overall Chair and coordinator of the event. /junlontok

Mr. Sultan Al-Hanai, Manager of Oman Development Bank Nizwa Branch, gave a talk to students of Business Studies department about the roles of banks in financing small entrepreneurs last 26th May 2009, at the College Multi-purpose Hall. Included in the audience are the assessors of EPT and OJT, as well as EPT students from Business, IT and Engineering, and the Asst. Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Mohammed Al-Ma’ni.

In his speech, Mr. Sultan explained that the Sultanate’s banks are not established primarily for profit, but to develop the country and to help small investors. He mentioned about the many services that the banks provide to different sectors of the economy, particularly health, education, agricultural and industrial sectors. In addition, Mr. Sultan talked about conditions on providing loans to investors, as well as the added service that the banks provide related to investment such as giving advice on how to make sure that the business will grow.

In the end, Mr. Sultan encouraged all students to think of starting their own businesses by giving examples of people who successfully started their own business by taking advantage of bank loans. He also made mention of big corporations started through small capital and then slowly making it bigger and bigger. After his talk, Mr. Sultan entertained a few questions about banking activities from the audience. /junlontok

Dr. Bader Ahmed, NCT Asst. Dean of Academic Affairs, made a presentation on ADRI, the quality improvement model adopted by the college in its quality assurance activities, last 26th May 2009 at the NCT Multi-purpose Hall. Dr. Bader’s presentation of ADRI was focused on teaching and learning, and was attended by approximately 110 NCT lecturers, including heads of academic departments and the English Language Centre.

In his presentation, Dr. Bader emphasized the importance of using the model in identifying plans for teaching every academic year, strictly following the said plan, analyzing the results afterwards, and then providing suggestions for improvement to be carried out in the succeeding academic year. He expound on the use of the ADRI model in teaching by giving examples and activities a lecturer can provide/do in each stage of the ADRI model, from approach to improvement. He said that it is very important for the college to have a uniform implementation of the ADRI model, particularly in teaching and learning, so that an institutional standard can be followed in regards the quality assurance work in this area.

Dr. Bader’s presentation lasted for about an hour. He also answered several questions from the audience during the course of his presentation.

In a related development, Mr. Sivakumar, a lecturer from the IT department, won the “Best ADRI” competition that was initiated by the AD Academics. Mr. Sivakumar bested the other finalists by coming up with the most detailed ADRI for his course IT Project. For his efforts, Mr. Sivakumar won an external USB hard disk drive, courtesy of the Asst. Dean of Administration and Finance, Mr. Mohsin Ambusaidi. Mr. Mohsin presented the award to Mr. Sivakumar prior to the ADRI presentation of Dr. Bader. /junlontok

The different QA Working Groups (Self-Study Groups), through the coordination of the Quality Assurance Follow-up Unit (QAFU), held a workshop on key performance indicators (KPIs) for the college last 11th May at the College Multi-purpose Hall. The workshop started at 10:00 am and finished at 2:00pm. The activity was attended by the working groups / self-study groups in the areas of governance and administration, teaching and learning, program development, industry and community engagement, graduate outcomes, student services, staff services and general support and facilities.

During the workshop, the working groups reviewed the KPIs developed by QAFU, and subsequently made their suggestions and recommendations towards improving these KPIs. After the workshop sessions, the different groups submitted their recommendations to QAFU for finalization and compilation, and for the inclusion of the completed KPIs in the final strategic plan of the college.

UNESCO and 32 partner institutions will launch the World Digital Library, a Web site that features unique cultural materials from libraries and archives from around the world, at UNESCO Headquarters on 21 April. The site will include manuscripts, maps, rare books, films, sound recordings, and prints and photographs. It will provide unrestricted public access, free of charge, to this material.

The launch will take place at a reception co-hosted by UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura and U.S. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. Directors of the partner institutions will also be on hand to present the project to ambassadors, ministers, delegates, and special guests attending the semi-annual meeting of UNESCO’s Executive Board.

Media are invited to attend a pre-launch press conference, which will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 21 April at 11 a.m.

Mr Billington first proposed the creation of a World Digital Library (WDL) to UNESCO in 2005, remarking that such a project could “have the salutary effect of bringing people together by celebrating the depth and uniqueness of different cultures in a single global undertaking.” In addition to promoting international understanding, the project aims to expand the volume and variety of cultural content on the Internet, provide resources for educators, scholars, and general audiences, and narrow the digital divide within and between countries by building capacity in partner countries.

The WDL will function in seven languages - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish – and include content in a great many other. Browse and search features will facilitate cross-cultural and cross-temporal exploration on the site. Descriptions of each item, and videos with expert curators speaking about selected items, will provide context for users, and are intended to spark curiosity and encourage both students and the general public to learn more about the cultural heritage of all countries.

The WDL was developed by a team at the Library of Congress. Technical assistance was provided by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina of Alexandria, Egypt. Institutions contributing content and expertise to the WDL include national libraries and cultural and educational institutions in Brazil, Egypt, China, France, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Examples of treasures that will be featured on the WDL include oracle bones and steles contributed by the National Library of China; Arabic scientific manuscripts from the National Library and Archives of Egypt; early photographs of Latin America from the National Library of Brazil; the Hyakumanto darani, a publication from the year 764 from the National Diet Library of Japan; the famous 13th century “Devil’s Bible” from the National Library of Sweden; and works of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish calligraphy from the collections of the Library of Congress.

One of UNESCO’s main mandates is to promote the free flow of all forms of knowledge in education, science, culture, and communication. The Organization therefore supports initiatives to improve and increase content on the Internet. To this end, it collaborates with a range of partners on the creation of digital and other repositories.

Source: www.unesco.org

Part of the development plan of the engineering department is the establishment of new laboratories to commensurate with the needs of the engineering curriculum. This semester, engineering students can benefit from the two (2) new laboratories built, namely the Welding Shop and the Computer Networks Laboratory. The Engineering Materials Laboratory is also recently upgraded.

A new Welding shop is now being utilized by engineering students for projects and enhancement practical training. This welding shop has its own sprinkler system, fire hydrant and fume hoods. It has a very spacious and enclosed store to keep the materials and tools in a secured manner. Also, the spacious and open air environment makes it conducive for welding works.

Mr. Salah Salim, a mechanical engineering student, said that the new welding shop makes him feel safe to work during practical classes. According to him it is neat, spacious and very comfortable.

Mr. Saravanan, Head of Section of Mechanical Engineering, said that many new items of equipment will be arriving soon.

The Computer Networks Laboratory is provided with different computer networking equipment from Lab Tech. In this laboratory, simulations of computer networks can be undertaken. Students can study and practice different computer network configurations. The laboratory is also used for imparting Enhancement Practical Training for Computer Engineering students.

Now, the Engineering Materials Laboratory has new equipment installed and some are still on-going installation for the total upgrade of this laboratory for this semester. Currently, this laboratory is located in the same area as the Instrumentation Laboratory but according to Mr. N. K. R. Nair, Head of Engineering, a separate Engineering Materials Laboratory is planned in the near future. /mildredlibot

Two (2) Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) students of the Business Department have secured First Place in the examinations held in Muscat by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), United Kingdom.

Ms. Zainab Ali Said Al Rawahi of CAT Batch 3 secured First Place in the Introductory Level Final Examinations with aggregate marks of 85% last December 4, 2008 while Ms. Badriya Nasser Khamis Al Hadhrami of CAT Batch 2 secured First Place in the first attempt of Advanced Level Final Examination for paper T7 last December 2, 2008.

The College, headed by the Dean, Dr. Ahmeed Al Ghasani congratulated the 2 students for their excellent performance in the examinations.

Two (2) Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) students of the Business Department have secured First Place in the examinations held in Muscat by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), United Kingdom.

Ms. Zainab Ali Said Al Rawahi of CAT Batch 3 secured First Place in the Introductory Level Final Examinations with aggregate marks of 85% last December 4, 2008 while Ms. Badriya Nasser Khamis Al Hadhrami of CAT Batch 2 secured First Place in the first attempt of Advanced Level Final Examination for paper T7 last December 2, 2008.

The College, headed by the Dean, Dr. Ahmeed Al Ghasani congratulated the 2 students for their excellent performance in the examinations.

A one-day photo exhibit depicting the plight of the people of Gaza was held simultaneously at the Multi-purpose Hall and the Female Canteen last February 15th for the benefit of the college staff and students. The activity was conducted to raise awareness on what is actually happening in the lives of Palestinians at the Gaza Strip. The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, NCT College Dean.

The exhibit showcased medium and large-sized photos of the Palestinian people and their war-torn country in different levels of chaos and anguish. The photographs displayed showed actual emotions and ravages that resulted from Gaza's long struggle as a country and a people.

Donation boxes were also provided in the exhibit halls for those who wanted to give financial contributions to assist the victims.

An ETC workshop on Advanced PowerPoint was held at IT Lab302 last February 15th from 4:00 to 6:00pm. The resource person of the said activity was Mr. MP Jegadeesan, Multimedia and Graphics Designer of ESS. The workshop was attended by about 15 NCT staff from various academic departments.

In his presentation, Mr. Jag discussed about the various advanced aspects of creating attractive presentation using MS PowerPoint. He showed the participants how to embed external objects such as MS Word, MS Excel and others in their presentations, as well as how to create better animations in various slides through the use of more advanced PowerPoint features.

During the workshop, the participants were given actual tasks to do to have actual practical experience in the use of aforementioned PowerPoint capabilities.

Mr. Ismail Al-Riyami, Head of the OJT Department, and Mr. Issa Al-Toubi, lecturer in Engineering, visited one of the oil rigs of Abraj LLC in Fahud, Wadi Musallam last February 8th. The visit is done to get updates on the progress of the on-the-job training of NCT students who are currently doing their OJT in the said company.

During the visit, the college team had a dialogue with Mr. Yasir Al-Khaldi, the Abraj company staff who serves as the OJT supervisor for the students. Some of the issues that were discussed were the level of college students, the type of training being provided by the company, and the possible future cooperation activities between the company and the college. The college team also had a dialogue with the OJT students. The students intimated their satisfaction with the training that they receive as well as their appreciation of the training site.

During the whole day visit of the two staff from the college, they were acquainted with the training duration of the students as well as the type of training designed for the students at each site in the oil rig. Before the end of the visit, ways on how to improve this kind of training for future batches of students were discussed as well as exchange visits between the personnel of the two organizations.

Mr. Adeel Badar, ELC e-Learning Coordinator and lecturer, conducted a tutorial on creating and implementing an online quiz to select ELC staff last January 25 at the ELC Computer Lab 203. The activity was attended by 22 ELC lecturers and lasted for about an hour. Mr. Adeel was assisted by the ETC technicians assigned in ELC, Mr. Ramil Rabang and Mr. Erick Oandasan.

During the workshop, Mr. Adeel discussed the creation of an online quiz that combines audio and textual questions using the college e-learning portal through the Moodle platform. He explained to the participants the steps on how to develop the online test mentioned so that they can prepare examinations that are similar to the ones the students will encounter when they take the TOEFL. Mr. Adeel said that since these types of tests can be developed, and are supported by Moodle, it is best for the teachers to develop and administer these kinds of tests so that students will be prepared and not get confused once they take the actual TOEFL tests.

The participants showed interest to the scheme and asked many relevant questions during the workshop which were actively answered by the resource person.

The Information Systems Group of the Educational Technologies Centre (ETC) presented the OJT System to college officials and OJT supervisors and assessors last January 7 at the College Multi-purpose Hall. The event was attended by about 40 staff from the different departments who are involved in OJT activities. The event, which was organized by the ETC - ISG, was divided into two parts – the presentation and workshop parts – and lasted for about two hours.

Mr. Froilan Buelo Jr., one of the programmers of the ETC-ISG, provided a walkthrough of the project in the presentation part. He described the different features of the project to the participants, explaining in detail how each menu works, and how each of the personnel involved in OJT activities can use the software. He described in detail the functions of the software that pertains to the Head of OJT, the OJT Supervisor, as well as the OJT Assessor. In the presentation, Mr. Froilan used the actual software - currently available via the college network – in explaining and describing its various features.

The second part of the activity witnessed the participants trying the OJT software themselves. Once the software presentation is finished, the activity moved to IT Lab203 for the workshop. Mr. Froilan was supported by Ms. Mylyn Nostarez, the other ISG programmer, in this undertaking. In this endeavor, the participants tried to explore and navigate the program themselves, trying its different features and getting a feel of how they will actually use it. After spending some time exploring and trying the software, the participants were given a short time to ask questions to the presenters.

The event was attended by college officials including the College Dean, Dr. Ahmed Al-Ghassani, and the Asst. Dean of Academic Affairs, Dr. Bader Ahmed Al-Khalaf.

The ETC Systems Development Group started the implementation of the computerized OJT System by conducting a seminar-workshop wherein members of the ETC-SDG presented the system to college officials, OJT coordinators, and OJT assessors last January 7 at the NCT Multi-purpose Hall. The event, which was graced by the College Dean, was attended by approximately 40 staff from various academic departments involved in OJT activities.

During the system presentation, Mr, Froilan Buelo Jr., SDG programmer, presented a walkthrough of the system to the participants to orient them on the different features of the system, and for them to have a 'feel' of the system before they actually use it. After the presentation, the group transferred to IT Lab 203 for the system workshop. In the workshop, the participants get to try using the system for the first time, navigating in its various interfaces and trying the different modules. Lively interaction between the participants and the workshop facilitators ensued throughout the activity. Ms. Mylyn Nostarez, the other SDG programmer, helped Mr. Buelo in explaining and describing the system to the OJT assessors during the process.

The whole event lasted for more than two hours. Based on feedbacks from those who participated in the activity, the OJT system, though can still be further improved by adding a few more reports, is a step in the right direction and an equally big leap to make the OJT activities - placement, monitoring and assessment - more efficient and a better experience for both the staff and the students.

The development of the OJT system was made possible through the guidance and support of the Head of IT department, Mr. Sami Mustafa, and the cooperation of the OJT Office headed by Mr. Ismail Al-Riyami. /jun

The IT department recently formed the IT Club for its students. The IT Club is envisioned to strengthen camaraderie among IT students by providing activities that will help them improve their skills in technical areas relevant to the IT field. Aside from the usual peer teaching wherein higher level students teach their lower level brothers difficult topics in various IT courses, the IT Club also plans and conducts seminars and workshops on new technologies which could help them become more aware about the developments in information and communication technologies.

As the first major project of IT Club this academic year, the club organized and held the Information Technology Week last December 6 to 10. (see related article) The IT Club is currently led by Said Al-Riyami, a diploma level student specializing in IT. The NCT IT Club's website is www.nct-itclub.com.

IT Club led by Said Suleiman Al Riyami, spearheaded the first Internet Week in the College. The week-long event started on the 29th of November until 3rd of December with the theme "My Internet, Part of My Life".

As a string of individual events, there was something for everyone. IT students were treated to symposium, open forum, debate and hands-on activities that range from internet techniques and skills to using the internet to earn profit. The different activities were organized by senior IT Club members.

The Internet Week started with the symposium on "Web 2.0 Technologies" led by Mr. Mani, Mr. Sivakumar and Mr. Sathya, all from IT department.

Another remarkable event that took place during the Internet Week was a hands-on workshop where participants were given tasks to try and experience how to use the internet for effective searching, downloading of books and videos, online banking and much more.

The closing ceremony was attended by no less than the College Dean, Asst. Dean for Academic Affairs and the HOS for IT. The Dean praised the students for organizing a successful event.

The Business Studies department recently transferred to its new home in the former girls' hostel in front of the ELC building. The building which is comprised of four floors will house staff offices, meeting rooms, and laboratories for Business Studies staff and students. A departmental library is also planned to be established in the new location.

In the existing transfer plan, the ground floor of the building will provide space for two free-access computer laboratories, one meeting room for staff, offices for the department head and section heads, as well as a few staff offices. The first floor will be mostly used for offices of staff, although two rooms have been allocated to be used as EPT workshop and e-Business laboratory. Meanwhile, rooms in the second and third floors will be used for staff offices.

In an interview with some business staff, the classrooms for Business Studies students as well as their computer laboratories will still be located in the administration building.