Directorate of Curriculum Development at SU
The global economy as well as the flourishing economy of Kurdistan has undergone a radical change; therefore, competencies of teachers and students need to be changed and developed. This applies to universities in Kurdistan as well, since they are concerned with the provision of competencies for different sectors in Kurdistan. The information provided to students in the higher education institutions can be prepared in a way that helps to produce skillful and well-equipped cadres that can engage in competition in the local and international labor market.
Today our universities need to undergo a radical change in terms of their curricula and teaching methods. This would help to eliminate the inconveniences in the process of teaching and to provide an academic system that competes the systems adopted in the developed universities.
In 2008, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in collaboration with Appalachian State University, Tennessee Technical University and Mississippi University in the USA started a curriculum development project funded by the US R.R.T. organization in collaboration with the MHE in KRG. Salahaddin University had a leading role in this project.
The Directorate of curriculum development at SUE was established in the academic year 2010-2011.
Curriculum development is the process whereby academic departments propose to establish new academic programs and/or academic units, as well as, when needed to enhance existing program offerings including creating new courses and/or revising existing courses. This development is a critical component of an academic department’s long-term strategic planning mission.
The task of the curriculum development unit in each college is to describe the syllabus and course book for each subject/course in the different Departments, ensure the interaction between lecturers and learners, between learners and curriculum content, specify the subjects/courses that are suitable for applying Problem Based Learning (PBL), follow-up the application of Academic Debate, English Language courses and other core courses at SU.
DCD offers a range of activities that support internationalizing the Curriculum.
Internationalization of higher education is the process of integrating an international/ intercultural dimension into teaching, research and service of the institution. This means embedding an international perspective in teaching and learning, research and development.
DCD hopes to use Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL), where learning and teaching takes place through inquiry or research. IBL is particularly useful in research-led teaching because the emphasis is on students doing research rather than simply being the recipients of research.