Field Specialist is Working with The American University in Cairo (Egypt)

Brian Raison, field specialist focusing on organizational and community leadership development, has recently engaged with professionals at The American University in Cairo (Egypt). His mission: to help them identify specific tips for engaging students online, as well as ideas on how to connect with students, how to build trust, and how to help students feel safe. Brian shared tips for improving online facilitation skills to increase engagement and learning. Some of these tips included: how to connect before presenting content; meaningful opening exercises and engaging questions you can use; technical tips; and analog approaches that increase engagement. This project originated when three American University in Cairo faculty members attended a day-long training Brian did last summer for Academic Impressions (a global education company). In late autumn, they invited him to keynote in person at their annual conference in Cairo (since cancelled due to the pandemic); however, the collaboration has continued virtually.