Technology-Enhanced Learning, Reflective Practices and Collaborative Learning for a Better Employability of Vocational Education Students in the UAE

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of my doctoral studies related to the introduction of reflective practices and collaborative learning into the emerging vocational education system of the UAE, aiming at increasing the employability of the graduates. In this emerging vocational education system, these approaches are not only new, they are also timely, building on the ubiquity of smart technologies and mobile devices. The methodology uses a mix of qualitative and quantitative approaches based on design-based experiments to study the impact of introducing reflective practices and collaborative learning. The propose range of technology-enhanced pedagogical scenarios should contribute to equip our students with the skills required by the industry, who urges ADVETI to introduce new models of vocational education that will combine purely technical skills with higher level ones such as creative, reflective, and critical thinking, allowing to improve the role in context, and guarantee a smoother transition between studies and work, so as to build on the employability of the graduates. The paper includes a primary literature review about reflective practices and collaborative learning in this context, and previous research on new pedagogical scenarios supported by smart technologies, known as computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL). This research, one of the first of this kind in the UAE, advocates the use of the powerful new tools available today with mobile technologies to introduce reflective practices and collaborative learning and apply them to hands-on training