This is a presentation that I am giving to the School of Language Studies at Unitec New Zealand detailing the ICT enhanced writing proficiency study I conducted at Dubai Men's College, UAE.
Good afternoon. My name is Hazel Owen. I recently returned from working for six years in the Middle East – both Qatar and the UAE. The students in both countries came from a more traditional, teacher-centered, passive environment where strategies such as rote learning were encouraged. One of the most exciting findings was that learned had the flexibility to effectively scaffold and support students in their first year at a tertiary institution on their transitional journey toward much more self-directed learning by helping them assimilate the necessary study, research and critical thinking skills .