Mark Nicodemus takes an English language class. (AN photos)

RIYADH, 19 September 2007 — A novel educational experience, designed to stimulate critical thinking, change attitudes about learning, and prepare students for success in their university studies, is now available for a special group of students under Alfaisal University’s new UPP (University Preparatory Program), launched last week.

At a meeting with a cross-section of teachers from the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and South Africa, the newly arrived teachers had a lot to say about their expectations, their first experiences in Saudi Arabia, and their plans for teaching in this high-caliber program.

The UPP’s teachers are committed professionals and they expect their students to be equally committed so that they can develop their critical thinking, writing ability, and language fluency and reap other benefits of this new Western educational program tailored to their needs.

Arab News caught up with the academics at their facility in the Diplomatic Quarter, near the American Embassy and the United Nations, the interim site of the program. Even though the teachers have been here for a very short period of time, they appreciate the hospitality of Saudis. David Dowse, an American English language teacher, summed up their feelings when he said, “The people I have met are extremely friendly, kind and helpful. They are very hospitable as they welcome you to their homeland. We are very grateful to them for all this.”

In response to a question on their expectations from students, Steve Ahmann, an American science teacher, said he expected to find students not only fun loving but also dedicated and respectful as they go forward with the program to enhance their future prospects.

He said he has not been disappointed in the attitudes and behavior of his students.

The teachers said they were all geared up to mobilize their educational resources in the interest of the students. In this context, Ahmann observed that the “UPP helped me bring 250 kg. of teaching materials to Saudi Arabia. I have computer software, copies of Advanced Placement tests that the students will be taking later, besides textbooks and a little bit of everything. My prime joy is the folder that I collected over a period of 20 years: it contains chemistry demonstrations to get the students interested.”

Drew Clippard pointed out that the UPP is well equipped to teach scientific subjects, since its physics, chemistry and biology labs have state-of-the-art facilities. These labs will enable students to get hands-on experience in doing science experiments.

According to Ric Dawson, an American physics teacher, the UPP is designed to have an up-to-date library that the students can use to further their education outside the classroom.

Robert DesChamp, Canadian mathematics teacher, said: “Together we bring a great resource of collective teaching talent. We can rely on our lifetime experiences to motivate the Saudi students to learn.” Speaking of his subject, he said one way of whetting their interest in the field of mathematics is by demonstrating practical applications of this subject rather than by putting them through the drill of learning theory. “One way of doing this is through calculus, e.g., the calculation of velocity due to the acceleration of speed of an object in a particular direction.”

Randy Campbell, an American English teacher, noted that the thrust of his efforts will not only be to hone the English language skills of the students but also give them a greater chance for achieving academic success. He said he will strive to make writing assignments project-oriented to shift the focus on the students who will be required to do research and discover things on their own. “My job will be to guide them and help them as they work to complete their projects.”

Jonathan Freeland, an American English language teacher, said the students will be put through the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to evaluate their English language proficiency. Follow-up support will depend on their abilities. Eventually, the students will be able to achieve a high level of writing skill in the program.

“It will not just be a writing program per se but will be integrated with other academic subjects, such as science and mathematics.”

One of the unique aspects of the curriculum is that it provides seemingly odd combinations of subjects like science with medicine, engineering with physics, medicine and science with biology and chemistry, business with physics, language skills and other subjects to form a practical and unique package. However, as Jonathan explains, there is a rationale behind such combinations. By improving their writing skills, chemistry students, for example, will write better lab reports. Similarly, students from other science disciplines can better articulate their research findings with ease by improving their English.

Mario Jimenez, an American English language teacher, believes the greatest intellectual resource the team brings is the teachers themselves — drawn from a rich and varied background. Integration of different skills is the focus of this program, according to Jimenez. “It is the first time ever in this part of the world that subject matter has been integrated with skills. Thus medicine, engineering and other scientific disciplines will be integrated with English to improve the communication skills of the students. They cannot get bored. On the contrary, it makes their task easier because they study what they need in their pathways.”

According to Brad Reel, an American Study Skills teacher, an important component of the UPP is the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills to get students to solve problems in a unique and creative manner. “It is unlike anything that has been done here before.”

One teacher from South Africa, who did not wish to be identified by name, said an innovative feature of the program is that the curriculum has been designed by consultants who have track records of success in this kind of work. The teachers have been carefully selected on the basis of their successful track records. “Each division of this project’s origination and implementation has been steered by experts in the field with proven track records,” he observed.

According to him, a significant aspect of this program is that it takes on board the curricula of different schools in the region to come out with an educationally sound and culturally safe curriculum. “This is not a curriculum designed by people who have no knowledge of academic needs in the Kingdom.” He said the program is based on a broad vision of where the Saudi student is at present and where he needs to be in future, marking a paradigm shift in their educational set-up.

Dr. John Aydelott, the American Director, said the UPP prepares high school students, with high GPAs and high TOEFL scores, either for admission to Alfaisal University or universities in the US or other English speaking countries. The program marks a radical departure from the conventional teaching methods followed in the Kingdom under which students memorize notes given by the teacher. The thrust of the new program is on developing critical thinking, problem solving, and independence.

For the time being, the UPP is operating from inside the Diplomatic Quarter before it shifts to the Alfaisal University complex, still under construction, around the King Faisal Palace in Al-Ma’ather District. “We are excited about all that we have done to get ready for our opening and now that we have our teachers and students in place, it’s like a dream come true.

The students are fantastic — they are eager and willing to learn,” Dr. Aydelott pointed out. As for the fee structure, it is SR55,000 per year. This is in addition to SR1,000 toward the application fee.

According to Dr. Aydelott, the UPP collaborated with American Middle East Educational Services, Inc. (AMIDEAST) in developing the curriculum and recruiting the teachers. Together with AMIDEAST, the team has designed the program and prepared everything to get it going.

Dr. Aydelott pointed out that all of this would not have been possible without the generous support and guidance of Prince Bandar ibn Saud ibn Khaled Al Saud. “Prince Bandar and the team of professionals with the King Faisal Foundation have been wonderfully supportive. They have gone beyond our expectations to help us get started.”

Dr. Aydelott praised the cooperation with Alfaisal University: “Our friends and colleagues with Alfaisal University have encouraged us and supported us all through the development phase of our program. We expect to call on them to interact with our students, to help us guide them as they develop their skills, and to help motivate them to excel in their studies.”

At Alfaisal University there are four colleges — College of Science, College of Medicine, College of Business and College of Engineering. “We take students who have already graduated from high school and put them through our intensive program. We developed a curriculum that will prepare students for engineering, medicine, and business studies. So that students are better prepared for their university studies, we combined science with medicine, engineering with physics, medicine and science with biology and chemistry, business with physics, language skills and other subjects to form an integrated package. In developing our courses, we looked at the contents of the books our students used in school and the curriculum they will study at Alfaisal University and analyzed their learning needs,” Dr. Aydelott observed.

He continued: “We conducted an orientation program for 27 new teachers who are all native speakers of English. They all have either their Masters and/or Ph.D. degrees. They are all very qualified to work in this program. These teachers are prepared to offer courses in biological and physical sciences, English language (especially grammar, reading, writing and building vocabulary as part of an integrated course), mathematics, computer skills and academic study skills. We have a fantastic faculty and all the ingredients of a truly remarkable program,” Aydelott stated,

He explained that, in their courses, UPP students will undertake research both through the Internet and field work in areas of interest to the Kingdom. They will be required to collect material and prepare notes on their own. Another major component that distinguishes this program from that followed by other schools is that the students will have laboratory experiences. Here the students will study physics, chemistry and biology and learn how to prepare slides, analyze them, draw conclusions, and write reports.

Referring to the nonconventional approach of the program, Dr. Aydelott believes that it is different in the sense that the students are not given material in the form of guides or notes or test questions in order to prepare for their exams. “Our program is not designed that way. We may give them a few facts, but we will ask them to take new information, put it with something else, and come out with a summary of their own. This way they are not just taking in information and giving back the same information for the test. They actually use it through research and critical thinking,” he adds.

When the UPP moves to Alfaisal University campus, the facility will be state-of-the-art in all ways. In a joint interview, professor Mohammed Al-Haider, senior academic adviser, Alfaisal University, and Garrett Nugent, Buro Happold’s associate director of projects, told Arab News that one of the most advanced touch screens will be used for providing information on the university’s extracurricular activities.

Al-Haider said there will also be giant plasma screens in the class rooms, where males and females will be segregated through a glass screen. The females who will be seated on the second floor will thus not be visible to the males below. Yet, they will be able to watch the teacher through the glass screen and read any information displayed on the plasma screen. So it will be a mixed class but still segregated through a new and technologically advanced concept.

Another innovative feature of the classroom is the smart board, an electronic device through which information is not only displayed on the screen but also relayed to the students’ computers. This simultaneous display of information on the plasma screen and the desktop makes it easier for the students to follow lessons and ask questions, if necessary.

Currently the university plaans to accommodate 4,000 students. When Alfaisal University is completed next year, the Kingdom will have a university with world-class standards. It will also bring a lot of credit to the King Faisal Foundation whose King Faisal International Prize has already acquired international stature, with some of the KFIP laureates later becoming Nobel laureates. Alfaisal University could also inherit this distinguished tradition by turning out alumni who make a significant contribution in the fields of engineering, science, medicine, and business technology.