Amman
(Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan): In continuation of the training workshop series
organized by the Arab Council for Quality Assurance and Accreditation of the
Association of Arab Universities to support university cadres with innovative
and modern methods to attain higher education levels in all academic areas and
keep up with the progressive international educational institutions, a
specialized training workshop was organized on 20 and 21 November 2016 on
designing academic programs and mechanisms of presentation and assessment.
The
experts, Dr. Mohammad Rafat Mahmoud, Assistant Secretary General of the
Association of Arab Universities, the Director of the Arab Council for Quality
Assurance and Accreditation and Dr. Abdul Raheem Al Huneiti, former President
of the University of Jordan and Council Advisor, offered theoretical lectures
and practical training on mechanisms of designing academic programs, in
addition to offering examples of designs used at European academic programs.
Dr.
Rafat stated that the workshop covered the methods of identifying the
specifications, objectives and educational outputs of the academic program, so
that important points of program specifications are taken into account. This is
in addition to ensuring that there is a vision, message and objectives for the
specified program, as well as specific academic terms of reference, engagement
of stakeholders in design, fulfillment of the mission and objectives of the
curriculum, identification of modern teaching methods and assessment criteria
in line with the program’s specificity, and adoption of an advertised periodic
plan for evaluating and developing the academic program to ensure effectiveness
and quality.
He
added that the Quality Assurance and Accreditation Council of the Association
organized dozens of academic workshops and activities at the headquarters of
the General Secretariat of the Association in Amman, in addition to organizing
a number of similar activities at Arab universities, in order to promote and
enhancing the concepts of quality and accreditation. Moreover, member
universities are urged to take into account quality and accreditation standards
in their academic program. Dr. Rafat stressed that the Council drafted and
printed the majority of the manuals necessary for applying quality standards at
university faculties, departments and divisions.
The
workshop was attended by presidents, deans and professors from Arab
universities in Jordan, Palestine, Morocco, Egypt, Bahrain, Sudan, Yemen and
Libya.