Prof. Dr. Ameen Abdulqader Omar
Associate Professor
University of Duhok *
Assistant Professor at University of Duhok, College of Languages. PhD from University of Exeter-UK. Awarded the certificate of 30 ECTS from HAMK University, Finland in for having participating in the Professional Pedagogical Training. Teacher trainer at the University of Duhok.
Seminar Title: Towards Implementing Student-Centered Learning in Kurdistan to Provide the Required Skills for the Digital Era
بەر ب پەیرەوکرنا پەروەردەیا ب سەنتەرکرنا قوتابی ل کوردستانێ ژبۆ دابینکرنا چاپۆکیێن پێدڤی
Abstract:
Student-centered learning is a pedagogical approach that puts the students at the center of the learning process. It gives students the opportunity to share knowledge, collaborate, and gives them choices, and their own voice. The present paper will demonstrate that implementing student-centered learning in K-12 in Kurdistan would help to provide some of the skills necessary for the digital age, such as media and technological literacy, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills. Changing the dominant “teaching paradigm” in schools, of the teacher as a fount of wisdom, whose role it is to impart a body of knowledge to students, to a sophisticated learning style which develops students’ skills, is not without difficulty. Some educational leaders in the region think that this transition would be problematic because of the large number of students in classrooms and the lack of infrastructure. However, I believe that it is an achievable goal for the KRG Ministry of Education to support a type of educational approach which integrates the acquisition of knowledge with the development of students’ skills.