The Majority of Students Use Mobile Phones to Access Digital Media

A Thesis Calling for Promoting the Concept of Media Education and Its Inclusion in Curricula

A study at the College of Arts at the University of Bahrain (UOB) called for promoting the concept of media education among those in charge of it, such as teachers and learning resource specialists in the school so that they would be able to instill knowledge values ??in the students’ digital utilization.

The scientific study was presented by the student in the Master of Media program at the University, Shatha Abdullah Al-Moradi, and it discussed the role of media education in forming cognitive cultural values ??in light of digital utilization.

In its recommendations, the study referred to the importance of introducing media education in school curricula, noting the importance of seeking assistance from experts from UNESCO to provide specialized training courses in media education, and to involve parents in media education courses for its significant impact on upbringing young people.

The researcher Al-Moradi explained that the concept of media education appeared in the late sixties of the last century, in which experts focused on the possibilities of using communication tools to achieve tangible benefits as an educational method, therefore media education began to be viewed as a protection project whose goal is to protect children and youth from the dangers created by the media by detecting false messages and "inappropriate" values ??and encouraging students to reject and getting past them.

Moreover, she indicated that the UNESCO affirmed that media education is as important as the issue of spreading a culture of human rights, as the UNESCO recommends the necessity of introducing media education into the national educational curricula and within informal education systems and lifelong learning.

Also, Al-Moradi stressed the importance of regulating the use of digital media by individuals, enabling them to use digital media in a way that contributes to the formation and development of their knowledge values, and achieving the greatest benefit from the amount of information circulating through digital media, in addition to saving them from the risks they may be exposed to through digital utilization.

The researcher applied her study on a group of students from the Student Media Center of the Ministry of Education in the Kingdom of Bahrain and another group of high school students who did not register in the center, using the quasi-experimental approach comparing two control and experimental groups, to measure media awareness and media education among students in light of digital utilization.

An examination committee discussed the researcher Shatha Al-Moradi in her thesis, which consisted of Professor of Media and Public Relations in the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts at UOB Dr. Ashraf Ahmed Abdelmogeth as a supervisor, the professor of Media and Public Relations in the same department Dr. Redha bin Hammoud Muthanani as an internal examiner, and the professor of media at the University of Hail in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mohammed Al-Nazir as the second external examiner.

The findings of the study showed that students' ownership of electronic devices reached 99.5%, which indicates that the process of accessing digital utilization has become much easier than before, as there is no material difference and everyone is able to use and follow media websites.

Also, it was found that the majority of students use mobile phones to access digital media more than relying on computers and information systems laboratories, which indicates that owning mobile phones in itself is a facilitation of the digital utilization process, which is clearly reflected in the rate of use.

Furthermore, the study revealed the increased ability of the Student Media Center’s regular students to produce information materials and their superiority over the rate of production of non-regular students, which confirms that increasing the student’s knowledge on how to use digital means of communication will increase his media awareness, indicating that media training courses have a significant role in increasing awareness among students, and especially regarding digital utilization, as there is a clear positive impact of training courses on students who are regular at the Student Media Center, through their selection of information materials and forwarded media messages.

The study confirmed the entrenchment of knowledge values ??among students who are regular in training courses at the Student Media Center, such as the values of honesty and responsibility towards others, in addition to the value of honesty and national values.

Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality education

17 Partnerships for the goals

Key Words

UNESCO, Media Education, Regulating the Use of Digital Media, Detecting False Messages, The Quasi-Experimental Approach, Using Mobile Phones to Access Digital Media,

The Psychology Department at UOB Discusses 6 of Its Students’ Master's Theses

Discussing the Topics of Aggressive Behavior, Marital Compatibility, and Alienation

In accordance with the precautionary measures, the Department of Psychology at the University of Bahrain (UOB) discussed six scientific theses in the field of Psychological Counseling submitted by its graduate students via visual communication.

The head of the psychology department at the College, Dr. Sheikha Ahmed Al-Junaid, confirmed that the discussions were streamlined and were remotely attended by external examiners from different countries, expressing her pleasure with this experience that the Department is having for the first time.

Dr. Al-Junaid pointed out that the theses varied in their topics, as they discussed aggressive behavior, marital compatibility, development of effective communication, attention deficit, sense of alienation, and other topics.

The head of the Department and associate professor in psychology considered that all the topics discussed are closely related to pressing issues in the fields of Psychological Counseling, which help to develop positive social behavior and then achieve human development in society.

The thesis of the student in the Master of Psychological Counseling program in the department, Hessa Rashid Al-Kubaisi, topped the discussions that began on Sunday (14 June 2020) and the discussion of the theses continued until Sunday (June 21, 2020).

The researcher Al-Kubaisi's thesis was titled "The sense of alienation and its relationship to methods of confrontation among the elderly in the Kingdom of Bahrain."

It’s worth noting that the Department of Psychology at the College of Arts offers three postgraduate programs, namely, Master’s in Psychological Counseling, Master’s in Measurement and Evaluation, in addition to the Master of Family Counseling.

Sustainable Development Goals

3 Good health and well-being

4 Quality education

17 Partnerships for the goals

Key Words

Department of Psychology at the University of Bahrain, Psychological Counseling, Aggressive Behavior, Marital Compatibility, Development of Effective Communication, Attention Deficit, sense of Alienation, Positive Social Behavior,

Dr. Al-Ka’abi As A Member of The Cultural Survey Team of The Kingdom of Bahrain for 3 Decades

The Assistant Professor of Narratives and Literary Criticism at the Department of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies at the College of Arts, Dr. Dheya Abdullah Al-Ka’abi, participated in the research team commissioned by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities to produce an updated version of the cultural survey of the Kingdom of Bahrain over the past three decades from 1991 to 2012.

Dr. Al-Ka’abi stated that “This great cultural project constitutes an opportunity to shed light on the latest developments in the Bahraini cultural movement during the last three decades,” expressing her belief that this national project is a cultural foundation for future generations.

It is worth noting that the first cultural survey was included in the book “Culture in Bahrain in Three Decades”, which is a comprehensive cultural survey of the Kingdom of Bahrain between 1961 and 1991, prepared and edited by the late PhD, Mohammad Youssef Najm, Professor of Arab Literature at the American University of Beirut, in cooperation with a selection of greatest Bahraini intellectuals and culture figures of that era, and this first cultural survey was published in a book in 1993.

Dr. Dheya Abdullah Al-Ka’abi is a Bahraini academic and critic who has a number of critical publications in the field of cultural narratives and has participated in many Arab and international conferences.

Sustainable Development Goals:

17 Partnerships for The Goals

Key Words

Narratives and Modern Literary Criticism, Department of Arabic Language and Islamic Studies, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Cultural Survey in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Despite its Limited Publication of Cultural and Service Issues … A Study at UOB:

The Gulf’s Journalistic Investigations Contribute to Solving Social Problems and Phenomena

18/6/2020

A scientific study at the University of Bahrain (UOB) found that investigative journalism in Gulf newspapers can contribute to solving social problems and phenomena, even though service issues were the least present in journalistic investigations after cultural issues.

Student of master’s in media in the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts at the University’s College of Arts, Sakeena Ahmed Al-Tawash, submitted the study in order to fulfill the requirements for obtaining a master's degree in media.

Al-Tawash's thesis was recently subject to a scientific discussion via visual communication and it was titled “The Gulf Public’s Uses of Investigative Journalism and the Satisfactions Achieved by It: An Analytical Field Study”.

The researcher Al-Tawash stated that "The study aims to identify the nature of the issues, phenomena and problems that were dealt with within the framework of investigative journalism in the newspapers under consideration and to identify their editorial and directive characteristics."

Furthermore, she added that "The study sought to find out the public’s interest in the most important issues and problems from their point of view, and to measure the extent to which the investigations published in newspapers satisfy the needs of the readers."

In her research, the researcher Al-Tawash used content analysis and a questionnaire, as she analyzed the journalistic investigations published in the Bahraini newspaper "Gulf News”, the Emirati newspaper “Al-Etihad" and the Kuwaiti newspaper “Al-Seyassah”, through a comprehensive inventory of all the journalistic investigations published during the period from 1 August 2018 to 31 October 2018. Also, it polled a sample of readers of these newspapers.

The analytical study confirmed that there is a clear failure in the use of illustrations and drawings in investigations, as illustrations were not used frequently, with a rate of 75.9%, although the field study sample confirmed that the illustrations always attract the reader to the topic.

In her proposals and recommendations, the researcher called for Gulf newspapers to pay greater attention to journalistic investigation due to its importance in providing details and then solutions, and therefore it must be published intensely, stressing that service and cultural issues should be given more attention in the journalistic investigations of Gulf newspapers.

Moreover, she mentioned the importance of public participation and getting to know their opinions on the issues raised by the journalistic investigations and knowing their wishes, and that journalistic investigations should provide solutions in their content, as it is a necessity in the public’s opinion.

The study pointed out the need to pay attention to using a conclusion in every journalistic investigation due to its importance in forming the idea of ??journalistic investigation and its findings, and using various types of journalistic investigations instead of focusing on only one type, which is the "immediate" journalistic investigation.

Also, it called for a greater focus on providing other jobs for investigative journalism other than "media-related” jobs, on which Gulf newspapers rely, such as news interpretation, advertising, guidance and counseling, teaching and education, and others.

An examination committee discussed the researcher Sakeena Al-Tawash in her thesis through visual communication recently, and the committee consisted of the Professor of Media and Journalism in the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts Prof. Ashraf Mahmood Saleh as a supervisor, Associate Professor of Media and Journalism in the same department Dr. Abdulkarim Al-Ajami Al-Zayani as an internal examiner, and faculty member at the University of Hail in Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mohammed Al-Nathir Thani as the external examiner.

Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality education

17 Partnerships for the goals

Key Words

Journalistic investigations, journalistic investigation functions, Master of Media program, scientific discussion through visual communication, Gulf public uses for journalistic investigation

The Phenomenon has no effect on the Arabic Language, nor does it reflect a trend towards Westernization

11% Of Bahraini Youth Use Latin Script in Social Networks

16/6/2020

A scientific study by a professor at the University of Bahrain (UOB) confirmed that the phenomenon of using Latin letters in transcription on social networks has no effect, whether directly or indirectly, on the Arabic language, nor does it mean a trend towards westernization or acceptance of the characteristics of Western countries.

The study was conducted by Associate Professor of Media and Public Relations at UOB Dr. Ashraf Ahmed Abdelmogeth, and Associate Professor of Media at Sultan Qaboos University, Dr. Abdullah Al-Kindi, which concluded that the use of this language is similar to the use of professionals and closed groups that have certain characteristics of languages ??and group-specific terminology, which when collapsed or disintegrated, its language collapses with it.

The two researchers applied their study to a sample of young people in each of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

And they found that the phenomenon of the use of Latin characters, which emerged due to the emergence of the computer desk without Arabic keys, doesn’t exist among private school students that rely on foreign languages ??in the study, while their use varied in public schools, as the percentage in Bahrain did not exceed 11%, and reached 8% in the UAE.

The study sought to measure how related is the use of Latin script in communication networks by young people in the Arab Gulf to forming their images of the outside world, and it relied on publication in the International Journal of Media and Mass Communication issued by the Gulf University in Bahrain.

The two researchers used questionnaires to measure the rates of use, its motives, and its relationship to the proximity to the western character "peoples and places" on a regular random sample of 240 individuals divided equally among the three countries: Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Dr. Ashraf Abdelmogeth stated that “The study showed that youth’s use of about 10 Latin letters comes out of a desire to explain things in a comfortable and easy way, especially since languages ??always need new writing symbols in light of the expansion of the verbal and auditory collection, and the growing friction between peoples and nations.”

According to the researchers, the study adopted the theory of "cultural circles", which assumes the existence of several states of culture, namely: interconnection, isolation, containment, friction, interaction, and invasion, focusing on interaction processes which depend on symbols that result in other symbols.

Also, it attributed the vocabulary of the sample of young people in using Latin script to several reasons, foremost of which are: ease of use by 31%, prevalence and generality as used by peers by 31%, and its relevance to technology by 20.7%, while friends came at the forefront of people with whom young people use the Latin letter in transcription by 66%, followed by parents with 17%, then teachers, and finally everyone.

It is worth mentioning that Dr. Ashraf Abdelmogeth joined the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts at UOB in the year 2014, he has a PhD from Cairo University in the field of Public Relations and Advertising in the year 1998 for his thesis titled "The Mutual Relationship Between Mutual Exposure to Media and Social Relations."

Also, Dr. Abdelmogeth is one of the researchers who is open to new media issues in his research output and has so far presented about 25 scientific studies.

Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality education

17 Partnerships for the goals

Key Words

The use of Latin script, western character, the verbal and auditory collection, the interaction between peoples and nations

College of Arts: Two Options for the Practical Training Course

4/5/2020

Due to the suspension of studies for urgent circumstances, the College of Arts at the University of Bahrain (UOB) announced two options for the practical training course, as the rest of the other courses, according to which students will be evaluated in the second semester of this year, the first is to have a grade of (pass / fail) according to a special evaluation for those who are about to graduate and desire this option.

As for those who want to obtain an ordinary grade, they must fulfill the number of hours required in practical training whenever it is available, and the regulations stipulated in the practical training program in grading will be applied to them.

Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality education

Key Words

The College of Arts at the University of Bahrain, two options for the practical training course, suspension of studies

UOB Offers 41 Postgraduate Programs in 8 Colleges

The University of Bahrain (UOB) announced the opening of receiving applications for admission to postgraduate programs for the first semester of the academic year 2020/2021, indicating that the application process shall be through the University's website and shall continue until the end of next August.

It’s worth mentioning that currently postgraduate studies include 41 programs in various disciplines, including 30 master's programs, 9 doctorate programs, and two higher diploma programs in eight Colleges of the National University.

The Dean of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at UOB, Dr. Mohamed Redha Qadir stated that “The University continues to fulfill its mission to advance graduate studies, spread the culture of scientific research, and encourage research and development, in order to create the appropriate conditions and atmosphere for the optimal investment of resources, in a way that helps in achieving Bahrain’s 2030 Economic Vision .

Also, the Dean called on people wishing to enroll in a graduate studies program to enter the page of the Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research on the University's website, where they will find any information and explanation they need on the programs, and how to submit their applications, step by step.

The postgraduate programs included eight colleges at the University, as the College of Information Technology offers master’s in information technology, master’s in electronic security, master’s in software engineering, and doctorate in philosophy in computing and information sciences.

While the College of Engineering offers master’s in chemical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering management, electrical and electronic engineering, doctorate in philosophy in chemical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, engineering management, and electrical and electronic engineering.

Also, the College of Science offers a master's degree in applied physics, mathematics, nutrition and food systems, environment and sustainable development, life sciences, and big data science and analysis, while offering doctorate in environment and sustainable development, and higher diploma in weather forecasting.

Furthermore, the College of Business Administration announced the launch of a master’s degree in business administration, human resource management, finance, accounting, finance and Islamic banking.

As for the College of Arts, it offers higher diplomas and master’s in Arabic language, master’s in media, higher diplomas and master’s in applied studies in English, and higher diplomas and masters in family counseling.

Moreover, the College of Law offers master’s in philosophy in public law and private law, doctorate in philosophy in public law, and doctorate in philosophy in private law.

Also, the College of Health and Sports Sciences offers master’s in physical therapy, adult health nursing, mental health, and nursing and midwifery.

Finally, Bahrain Teachers College offers a postgraduate diploma in education.

Dr. Mohammed Redha Qadir indicated that some of the master's programs offered don’t require the applicant to have a bachelor’s degree in a particular discipline. For example, a master’s in media can accommodate media graduates as well as graduates of languages ??and linguistics, legal sciences, economic sciences, sociology, and psychology. Also graduates of bachelor’s in nutrition and life sciences, chemistry, food science and technology, health sciences, and related life sciences can enroll in master’s in nutrition and dietetics, and master’s programs in the College of Business are available to graduates of all majors.

Academic at UOB Receives an Advanced Fellowship from the British Higher Education Academy

Member of the team of the Excellence in Education and Leadership Skills Unit at the University of Bahrain (UOB) and faculty member in the Department of English Language and Literature at the College of Arts, Dr. Mervat Isa Al-Bufalasa, received an advanced fellowship certificate from the British Higher Education Academy to be the ninth academic to obtain this certificate at UOB.

Al-Bufalasa earned the certificate after meeting several conditions in the field of teaching methods development at the University, and for her numerous contributions to the academic practice development program, her relentless pursuit of applying the principles of teaching and learning methods according to modern theories in the classroom, and her assistance to her academic colleagues in applying best practices.

The graduate programs in Academic Practice and Continuing Professional Development aim to develop the educational environment at UOB by supporting faculty members and helping them to develop and apply best practices of the principles of teaching and learning methods in accordance with modern classroom theories.

It’s worth noting that Dr. Al- Bufalasa worked as a mentor in the Continuing Professional Development Program at UOB since 2016 and has been working as a mentor in the Post Graduate Certificate for Academic Practice Program at UOB since 2017 to date.

Also, Dr. Mervat Al- Bufalasa holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics in English from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom from the year 2013, as well as a master's degree in Applied Sciences of the English language at UOB from the year 2002, and a bachelor's degree in English literature and Education at UOB from the year 1995.

Futhermore, Dr. Al- Bufalasa has interests and experiences in linguistics, applied linguistics in the English language, theories of writing skills in English, and teaching English literature and its applications in English language classes. Also, she’s interested in scientific research theories and its applications to ensure the best quality standards in education. 

A Study at UOB Calls for Developing Art and Design Students Evaluation Methods

11 March 2020

A study at the University of Bahrain (UOB) discussed the importance of developing methods and tools for evaluating the performance of the art and design program graduates, who are currently working in the education sector and employ the latest technologies and digital trends in the educational field.

The study was prepared by a research team composed of Assistant Professor in the Department of Media, Tourism and Arts in the College of Arts at the University Dr. Sama Alawi Al-Hashemi, and the students of Master’s in Media in the College, Nasser Mahdi, Amina Al-Mawali, and Yasmeena Zaki, which proposed a vision for evaluating students' creativity in educational contexts involving social media and digital applications.

The study was published by the global magazine "gjae" and was titled: A Proposed Framework for Evaluating Digital Creativity in Social Media and Multimedia-Based Education in Art and Design.

The research team submitted a framework for evaluating the creativity of trainers by using applications and techniques to improve methods of measuring students' creative potential, in order to help educational institutions and universities to evaluate the creative potential of their teachers and to find and implement the most effective tools based on multimedia, especially since the current creativity evaluation frameworks lack the updated criteria for evaluating digitally enhanced creativity.

Also, the study pointed to "the lack of research knowledge on educational practices based on multimedia that enhance creativity in the classroom in the Kingdom of Bahrain."

Furthermore, the study explored the possibility of developing a framework for evaluating students’ activities and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching curricula based on multimedia in arts and in designing educational contexts. The sample survey included sixteen design teachers, whose experiences in multimedia-based teaching were addressed as a potentially effective approach to enhancing students 'creativity, as well as teachers' innovation in teaching.

Sustainable Development Goals

4 Quality education

17 Partnerships for the goals

Key words

Developing the evaluation of the Arts and Design program graduates, Evaluation of Creative Potential, University of Bahrain, Department of Media, Tourism and Arts

"Arts" Partners Forum Calls for Creating Academic Programs that Create Passion and Impact

Dr. Hamzah: The Major Cultural Challenges Require Resorting to Interregional Human Studies

The President of the University of Bahrain (UOB), Dr. Riyad Yousif Hamzah, emphasized that major global cultural challenges make it imperative for the humanities programs to engage in interregional knowledge through systematic partnership between departments in the College of Arts.

During the first meeting of the College of Arts partners on Monday (24 February 2020) Dr. Hamza called in his speech for working on new quality programs such as women's studies, announcing that the University is currently working on establishing associate diploma, higher diploma, and master's programs that address the needs of the labor market.

Also, the President of the University mentioned that the programs that are expected to be launched in the College of Arts soon include Associate Diploma in Family Arbitration, Diploma in Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers, and Diplomatic Media.

The Forum was held at the Grove Hotel in Amwaj Islands and was attended by officials from government and private institutions, in addition to faculty professors and a group of its alumni. These institutions included the Education and Training Quality Authority, the Civil Service Bureau, the Ministry of Information Affairs, the Institute of Public Administration, and the Ministry of Education.

Moreover, Dr. Hamzah stated that the College of Arts seeks to achieve an exceptional position among the Colleges of Arts in the Arab region and the world, and it will be able to achieve that by developing its programs in line with the needs of the labor market and keeping pace with the rapid changes regionally and globally.

Also, the participants in the sessions that discussed preparing specifications for the College of Arts graduates in line with the market requirements, included the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Affairs Dr. Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Bahar, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration Dr. Raed Mohammed bin Shams, and Director of Public Relations Department at the Ministry of Education Dr. Fawaz Ahmed Al-Shurouqi.

For his part, the Dean of the College of Arts Dr. Abdulaziz Mohammed Bulaila stressed the importance of looking at the rapid changes in the process of developing the curricula and programs of the College of Arts and future envision, which has become among the most important features of artificial intelligence and its various applications.

And during the opening of the Forum, Bulaila stressed the need to achieve the effectiveness of education that is capable of creating outputs that elevate the burdens of sustainable development, and that is what the United Nations indicated in its fourth goal related to achieving quality education, indicating that UOB has demonstrated its excellence and competence through the various certificates and advanced centers it has made on several indicators, including the reputation to the employers.

While the head of the Quality Assurance Office at the College and the General Rapporteur of the Forum Dr. Diana Abdulkarim Al-Jahrami pointed to the need to benefit from the experiences of employers in developing programs, in a way that helps to graduate capable competencies in all sectors, stressing that the Forum is a valuable opportunity to solicit the opinions of employers regarding graduate levels and their skills.

The Director General of the General Administration of the National Qualifications Framework at the Education and Training Quality Authority, Dr. Tariq Mohammed Al-Sindi spoke at the opening session, followed by three discussion sessions that examined the characteristics of the graduates of the College of Arts, the requirements of the labor market, and ways to strengthen community partnership to ensure the quality of educational outputs, the strategy for developing college programs, and proposing competitive programs.

And on the role of the National Qualifications Framework in promoting job opportunities, Dr. Tariq Al-Sindi indicated that the importance of the framework lies in providing the opportunity for the approval of formal or informal educational and training programs, as well as the of individuals’ experiences which they acquire at work and enhances job opportunities.

Also, he believed that enhancing job opportunities comes through introducing appropriate qualifications to the labor market, improving verification mechanisms, and creating an effective platform for employment skills, stressing at the same time that traditional educational systems will not be able to comply with the requirements of the labor market.

The first discussion session called for creating academic programs capable of creating impact, as well as developing students' passion, which would help them improve, create opportunities, and establish private enterprises.

The participants in the session saw the importance of developing various skills, whether related to languages, problem-solving or working in a team, noting that job requirements at the present time have become numerous in light of the rapid technological developments.

Furthermore, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information Affairs, Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Bahar confirmed the importance of the intersection between graduates and previous experiences in the workplace, and the use of their knowledge to bridge the gap between the theoretical and practical aspects, in a way that helps to create a smooth transfer of knowledge between generations, stressing the importance of developing programs that help to create impact among learners and graduates.