Given the growing demands for collaborative teamwork, it has been suggested that facilitation is a vital skill in both the workplace and classroom in the 21st century. Research has found that strong facilitation skills would be critical for group decision-making and problem-solving. Yet many researchers and practitioners may consider group discussions as ineffective and time-consuming; few of us have tried to take any professional training before facilitating a project meeting.

This research project is set to investigate how information and communication technologies  (ICT) with particular emphasis on telecollaboration can be used as a tool for promoting the intercultural competency of EFL teachers. A study was conducted in a form of an online course for EFL teachers at Taif University’s ELC in Saudi Arabia as a professional development, with the main focus on their reflective journaling of intercultural experiences as well as ICT.

As neuroscience continues to flourish there is a lot to be hopeful for in how this area of research might benefit education and learning. However, there has also been a history of skepticism: can neuroscience actually help, or does it simply offer pretty pictures of brains?