ISS Professor Dr. Fayyaz Hussain gives keynote address at First Annual Conference on Philosophy of Social Sciences

January 17, 2023 - Emily Jodway

On December 20, 2022, MSU Integrative Studies in Social Science professor Dr. Fayyaz Hussain had the opportunity to present and speak at the First Annual Conference on Philosophy of Social Sciences, held at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University (PMAS-Arid) in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 

The conference brought together faculty and researchers from around the world in an effort to discuss ways to improve the use of philosophy and social sciences in the classroom. Hussain was invited by the dean of the PMAS-Arid College of Social Sciences to present his research titled “Use of Stories as a Pedagogical Tool to Enhance Student Learning in the Classroom.”

“I spent almost a year in Pakistan during the pandemic working with [Dean] Dr. Abdul Saboor,” Hussain explained. “He helped me to collect data for my other research, ‘Critical Analysis of Violence against Women in Pakistan.’ That led to a professional relationship with this university and their college of social science.”

As the 2021-22 President of the North Central Sociological Association, Hussain presented this work during his presidential address at their annual meeting in Indianapolis. Based on his relevant research, Saboor approached him about giving a keynote address at their first-ever conference.  

‘Use of Stories as a Pedagogical Tool to Enhance Student Learning in the Classroom’ stresses the importance of storytelling in the educational process. Throughout history, stories have been used to transmit values, cultures, traditions and religions across generations. It is the way that men, women and children both old and young can begin to make sense of the world around them. Hussain suggests that utilizing storytelling in a classroom scenario, especially in areas like beginning sociology lectures, can enhance students’ understanding and create a link between sociology’s concepts and real life. 

As the world changes more each day with technological advances, educational methods also try to keep up, especially in the wake of COVID-19 shutdowns when both student and instructor had to quickly learn how to utilize methods of teaching like Zoom lectures and online classes. Hussain also brings up in his research the value of digital storytelling as a teaching and learning tool. So far, little attention has been paid to a theoretical framework that could be used to increase the effectiveness of technology in the classroom, and Hussain hopes to continue his research and spread the idea of digital storytelling as an educational and digital movement. 

Hussain is slated to present ‘Critical Analysis of Violence against Women in Pakistan’ at the second PMAS-Arid international conference in 2023. Read more about Hussain and his research here.