Soliya Reflection – Shady’s Lens

                I would like to reflect on my experience as a Soliya participant from both sides: one side as a student studying Mechanical Engineering at The American University in Cairo taking Class of Digital Literacy, and Intercultural Learning for which Soliya is part of this course Syllabus. From another perspective, I would like to reflect as a participant in the connects itself, and how did I perceive these five online zoom sessions, the interactions, and the depth of talks itself.

                The positives lie within the diversity of the assignments and the types of tasks we deliver on the course itself. With that level of difference, the student can go to the extra mile and think out of the box in different creative ways in the different assignments. Another thing I liked is that Soliya is probably one of the most rare platforms that actually integrate topic of AI with its different readings resembling the digital literacy being merged with the ability to interact with different interactions with diverse cultures.

                On the other hand, the challenges that faced me was mainly two: lack of pre-screening to the applicants before the start of the sessions, in addition to lack of sessions’ topics discussed planning. I was amazed that Soliya actually did not require any CV – or any sort of essay presentation – to them before joining them. That action would give enough visibility to the facilitators the distributing process of applications in which groups. Another thing I did not like is that the sessions lasted for two hours once weekly. I would prefer that would be one hour session and twice weekly, because with that level of timing participants would not feel actually bored from continuing the discussion in the topics presented. Another feedback significant point is that facilitators were mainly relying during the participants on the choice of topics discusses or presented. That would not have been issue only if they were mature enough – from my subjective perspective – to discuss, interact, engage, and propose topics. There was almost only me, and one another who were actually continuously participating and breaking any awkward silences. Another consequent problem is that when I wanted to take a break from leading the discussions, the facilitators started to urge me to participate – because they have been expecting always input from me – which I did not like at all. Topics should only be planned, and proposed by the facilitators or at least they do give the main pathway / direction for the topics being discussed, not just asking: “What topics would you like to discuss today?” That was the level of ambiguity that I had to deal with during session.