As part of its ongoing digital transformation efforts, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, led by its president, Professor Dr. Hassan Latif Al-Zubaidi, has launched the fifth edition of its Teaching Methods Course, which covers a wide range of disciplines including medical, engineering, applied, educational, humanities, administrative, and agricultural fields. The course, organized by the university’s Continuing Education Center, is part of the newly updated system for managing developmental training programs for the academic year 2023-2024, in alignment with the updated curriculum under the Ministry of Higher Education’s program.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Al-Zubaidi extended a warm welcome to the participants and underscored the importance of such training sessions in equipping them with the skills to prepare lectures using advanced technologies, in line with global technological trends. He emphasized that the launch of such specialized training programs represents a significant step forward in enhancing the work of the Continuing Education Department, fulfilling the university’s mission to serve diverse segments of society.
This particular course has attracted 175 trainees, with 25 participants per session, hailing from various public and private universities, as well as educational directorates from the provinces of Babil, Karbala, Samawah, Qadisiyyah, and Najaf. The Continuing Education Center has completed approximately 20 courses across various fields, with around 400 trainees graduating from these sessions, representing both public and private Iraqi universities, in addition to participants from the Ministry of Education. Furthermore, there are currently six ongoing courses, involving an additional 175 trainees.
The course’s introductory lecture, titled “Teaching Methods Towards Blended Learning According to the Revised Curriculum in Continuing Education Centers,” was delivered by a certified trainer from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, who is also a member of the Evaluation and Monitoring Committee for the Teacher Training Curriculum Development Project.
This modern teaching methods course is essential for academic teaching roles in both public and private universities. It will run for three months, with trainees receiving a series of training modules. The first four modules will cover “blended learning, instructional design, assessment and feedback, and digital content development.” Each trainee will prepare a ten-minute presentation, which will be assessed by the trainer panel. Modules five through eight will address “facilitation strategies, professional ethics, quality of education, and research methodology.”
Dr. Mahdi Hatif Kazem, Director of the Continuing Education Center, explained that the course lectures would be delivered by highly qualified trainers from the university and its affiliated institutions, under the supervision of the Ministry’s team. The course will combine in-person, electronic, and self-directed learning approaches. The final week will include the second assessment, where trainees will present a 60-minute recorded lecture, followed by the third assessment, which involves preparing an educational package in their specialization. Both assessments will be evaluated by the trainer panel.
Registration for the course was carried out through the university’s training program management system, where participants entered their data and selected their payment options. The exams will also be conducted through the system, and participants will receive their final results along with verification of authenticity. Registration for future courses will open once approval is obtained from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for new courses in teaching methods across all disciplines. The inauguration was attended by department heads and staff from the Continuing Education Center.
