Dear all,

please find the latest news and updates below.

 

1.15th Year at ÖzU

It is with great pleasure and gratitude that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to our dear colleagues, Nergis Enmutlu, Azra Yılmaz, Mahir Sarıgül and Nazan Özçınar, on reaching the remarkable milestone of 15 years at Özyeğin University School of Languages. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey. We look forward to many more years of shared success and accomplishments.

 

2.ÖzU Summer Highschool Program

Every summer, SCOLA takes part in the Özyeğin University Summer School for High School Students. This summer between 7 July- 4 August, we supported the Summer School by opening modern language classes and an Advanced English Program. With one-hour daily modern language classes we aimed to give students a taste of learning a new language in a university setting. We welcomed our students in our German, Italian, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Basic English and Advanced English classes. We also had an Advanced English Program for the students, who wanted to improve their academic language skills by joining an all-day program. Thanks to valuable contributions of our instructors and the amazing energy of nearly 400 high school students, today we completed the Summer School with great memories and experiences.

3.ScOLa Faculty Reading Club Summer Meetings

ScOLa Faculty Reading Club held two summer meetings, one in week 5 and one in week 7. We conducted the meetings in a hybrid format in which participants had the option of participating in person or online. 

Week 5 Meeting – Social Cognition: The first meeting of the ScOLa Faculty Reading Club focused on social cognition. The participants engaged in both in-person and online discussions.  A number of important topics were discussed, starting with the importance of setting clear expectations via clear instructions (see the photo on the left) and understanding the institutional culture to enhance student ownership. Instructors shared insights on the importance of actively leading the class rather than merely following the flow, and they emphasized the need to closely monitor slower learners to avoid ‘self-fulfilling prophecies’. During the meeting, the instructors also discussed the ‘primacy effect’ and its potential to impact the order of presenting information in the classroom. Adapting teaching methods, such as reducing teacher talk time (TTT) and employing student-centered activities, was highlighted as a way to create an environment that allows for self-expression, thus mitigating ‘hindsight bias’ in high-achieving students.

Week 7 Meeting – Self-Justification: The second meeting of the ScOLa Faculty Reading Club delved into the topic of ‘self-justification’. The group explored the concept of “cognitive dissonance” and how it can be used to help students recognize the gap between what they know and what they think they know. A central point of discussion was the ‘psychology of inadequate justification’, wherein instructors contemplated the idea of setting external justifications for instructional practices and guiding students towards developing internal justifications. The topic of student motivation was also discussed, specifically the impact of ‘inadequate rewards‘ and ‘insufficient punishment‘ on the development of internal justifications. The group discussed that creating less severe threats could result in fewer external justifications, ultimately causing students to construct their own internal justifications, fostering the development of a lasting set of values.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank members of the reading club for their active participation throughout the academic year. 

4. OzU English Language Support Center

In the Summer Semester, our Study Center continued providing support for our students via face-to-face and online slots. In total Study Center was visited  90  times by our students. Out of these 90 visits to Study Center, 53 visits focused on writing and 23 visits were to get speaking support. Prep students also sought guidance on reading, listening, vocabulary and study skills in general.