je talks to Each month elearning @ someone carving out a the industry. This month, Archana Venkatraman talks to acade Mourad Diouri 131 years of age Mourad Dioun ateasy ols he unique tie of ard winning e-learning lecturer in Srabc studles” at Edinb University ant has been approached by Publishers to write four books on e-eaming, am not just a lature teaening: Lam a lecturer in e-language fearing,” Dio says. He integrates information and communication technologies in teaching Arabic as a eign language at the Univesity of Edinburgh's Carte forthe Advanced Study ofthe Arab Word (CASA, ‘Born in Tangier in Moroco, Os egroe i in scence. “Conducting experiments was alright, but was always fascinated by teennoagy and teaching,” e say. Today, ne has blended the ‘wo into a unique and successful profession. A result integrating IT to language teaching Dou won an award for exelence i 2005 from the University of East Ana forimovaive course design and teaching statis. The Nonwich based university was where Dioun began his teaching carer, though he started 0 English. He then moved on to teach IT an Arabic ‘What dives him & a passion to invent tots that can ease laring as well as bur boundaries. Hs tools are wed by At and students across the wos, e-learning age a Mourad Diow Heals authored the websites Arabic com and Arabic com. The fst provides a growing directory of elanguage earning to's designed to encourage ‘and gue Arabic leamars and teachers to adopt IT enhanced tol. The secon, Arabic com, is searchable database of dgitsedvival language realia" (authentic rea ieme which elects the target language and culture) fo Arabic learns and teachors woréwide He also taunted the m-Arabic inate to promote the use of mobile earning oat using ‘heme-based podcasts and mobile applications. Studying ina cassroom snot a natal way 0 lea a lenquan,”Diou says. "With Web 2.0 ‘evoltonising our consump of information, | was ‘terested in using YouTube, RSS feds, 30 media and sci networking sts and smartboard to accustom learners to Arabic cule, me varies acconts and to Arab, He defines his role as one tat binds od and ew ways flaring: a mix of chal and tak” an ‘su and connect He encourages stems to post Titer Arabic “it's a great way of leaming and students doing an advanced degree gain a et by using such technology. understanding the sert andthe tstory ‘background, and virtually Ing an Arabi fe” Dou nas also create resources such a digtal flashcards, potcasts and econ activ for ‘Stunts on the move. Vit his trademark modesty, te says: “One does’ ave tobe a programme to ‘create wabstes and technological tol. has al been made very simple and just follow the instructions.” He hopes to empower eames and promote and facitate autonomous leaching among learners outside the cass‘cem His story is classic example of Yalure becoming the stepping stone to sucoess.Diou applied fora radon Arabc-eaching post at Edinburgh Unversity: he ves unsuccessful, but the nversty recognised hs expertso and appointed hi to launch a pioneering e-teaming agenda tb radically medemise the teaching af Arabic in the UK The unversty even creates tha poston of e-laming lecturer to aczemmadat Diu Diu now plans to launch a collaborative authoring poet where teachers can share thar tps and vison and newer wth each ater ul the going hasn't been easy. A huge change isthe absence of any mad “W's ike starting with 2 blank canvas; n't have anything to lear fa 10 ‘a an “et “ieaing” wen | started at CASAW in 2007, had was a job description of integrating technology into learning, He is concemed ty the falure of some edueaton profesional o see the potent of e-learning tools for saving me and resaurces, and om powering students very hat 0 get feck rom other teachers and profesional," e says, Dour says be can gat overwnelmed wth ideas and needs slow dow because resouees and funding are scarce. “Lam wo known as a person who has mor dees than he can implement igh on his agenda is his ist book internet Arabic, catering to the student community. A second book wl ea guide for professionals and teachers were he wl sare his top 10 teaching tos. Aid Such ventures, he wil also Se ut to ful i other ambition of connecting eteamers with teachers. He snappy his expertise is recognised and reveals: nae just been approach for constancy work on e-learning, Now| wat to inxease my online ‘ofl and introduce technologies to hep students, {ulors and everyone around me Seabee eRe eee EEE ESET SS eee