The overarching purpose of this WP is the restructuring and modernization of degree courses according to an approach based on students’ learning outcomes. This shift from a content based approach to a learning outcomes based one will not only affect course design, it will also impact significantly on teaching/assessment methods and on all the matters related to students’ learning. It is a cultural renovation that demands effort and time and we do not expect that MM partners accomplish the whole process during the project lifetime. Yet, by testing this approach on a few pilot curricula, MM partners can realize its potentialities: course curricula that are designed and defined according to knowledge, competences and skills acquired can be more easily compared to degree programs of other HE systems. Moreover, taking into account areas of professional development, competences and skills acquired, MM partner universities will be able to assess whether their degree programs respond to the needs of their society and economy.
This WP aims at enhancing MM partners’ capacity in designing innovative degrees programs by introducing them to 3 EU HE models of curricula structuring that stem from the same source – Bologna Process principles.
3.1 Faculty members from EU and MM divided in Task Forces
MM partners have first elected three pilot study fields to work on: humanities and cultural heritage; economic of tourism; agricultural sciences. Their choice is easily explained by the relevance of such fields in the economic development of the Country. This evidences how the modernization of MM HE is viewed as strictly connected to the economic upgrading of the Country.
The WP foresees the creation of a task force for each study field.
These task forces comprise faculty members from MM universities and EU counterparts and are set up according to the partner universities course offering.
See the task forces created in the box on the right.
3.2 Education Platform for humanities and cultural heritage
Mobility at Uppsala University – History
From September 27th until October 4th, Uppsala University hosted a mobility period involving the teaching staff from MM History and Law Task Force (1 teaching staff from YU, 3 from DU and 1 from MU). During the mobility period, the Myanmar delegation had the opportunity to become familiar with Uppsala University’s teaching methodologies and internationalization approaches with a specific focus on the degree courses in History and Law. After the welcoming sessions of the first day, the mobility programme included Master’s level class attendances, during which the Myanmar delegation had the opportunity to have some insights into Uppsala University’s courses aims, learning outcomes, content, assessments and grading criteria. During the last day of mobility, MM Professors took part in a series of meeting with Uppsala University’s teaching staff, during which they discussed about the seminars of the previous days and Uppsala University’s assessment system. The Myanmar delegation also had the opportunity to meet Uppsala University’s students, one student from every program and year discussing also issues of students’ governance.
See the related materials in the box on the right.
Mobility Uppsala University – Archaeology
From October 4th till October 15th 2019 Uppsala University hosted the delegation of Myanmar professors part of the Archaeology Task Force ( 1 from YU, 2 from DU and 1 from MU). During the mobility period, the delegation had the opportunity to attend seminars about the Archaeology teaching unit design at Uppsala University followed by meeting with the teaching staff and some students attending Archaeology courses. On the last two days MM teachers took part in panel discussions about the role of academics, teaching methodologies and fruitful group discussions with Masters students.
See the related materials in the box on the right.
3.3 Education Platform for economics of tourism
Mobility at University of Granada – Economics of Tourism
Myanmar faculty members of the Task Force in Economics of Tourism (3 teaching staff from YU and 5 from YUECo) took part in a teaching mobility period at the University of Granada, Spain form 7th until 18th of October 2019. During the two weeks of mobility, MM partners worked together with the University of Granada on curricula design, teaching methodologies, career opportunities and how to shape postgraduate study plans. The focus was specifically on the field of Economics of Tourism. Myanmar partners discussed with the internationalization team at the Faculty of economics curricula and syllabus, coming up with ideas for the establishment of the new course on Economics of Tourism in their Universities. On the last day MM partners visited the area dedicated to the Quality monitoring where they had a meeting with the director of Teachers Development Office having the opportunity to discuss about research innovation programme.
See the related materials in the box on the right.
3.4 Education Platform for agricultural sciences
Mobility at University of Bologna –Agricultural Sciences
Myanmar faculty members of the task force in Agricultural Science participated in a mobility period at the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences of the University of Bologna, from October 17th till October 27th. After a welcoming session at the international Relations division on international degree programmes and structure of the Italian Higher education system, MM partners visited the Agricultural and Food Science department. In the following days, they met some of the Professors of the department in order to prepare the discussion for the PhD seminar held on October 22nd “The State of Agriculture and Rural Development in Myanmar”. During the mobility period MM delegation also met the Coordinator for PhD Courses and attended classes of the Agricultural international course offer, having the opportunity to know about class structure and teaching methodology.
See the related materials in the box on the right.
3.5. Cascade Trainings for spill-over effect
Once back to Myanmar, MM professors organized cascade trainings for the academic staff who will be involved in course restructuring. The training focus was on the presentation of the different EU models of didactic management, innovative teaching methods and best practices in curricula design based on students learning outcomes.
Cascade Training - History - University of Yangon
Following the mobility period at Uppsala University, the History and Law task force of the University of Yangon organized a cascade training addressed to its teaching staff. Fifty teaching staff took part in the event. The aim of the training was to share the experience and discuss about the learned aspects of the curriculum design, syllabus structure, learning outcomes and assessment methods for degree courses in History and Law they had the chance to attend in Uppsala. At the end of the training the task force discussed about possible implementation of History and Law degree courses at the University of Yangon, taking into account the new acquired knowledge and how it could be functional to the restructuring of the existing degree courses.
For cascade training materials please see the box on the right.
Cascade training - Economics of Tourism - Yangon University of Economics
After the mobility period in Granada, Yangon University of Economics professors of the Economics of Tourism Task Force organized a cascade training at their home University on November 7th 2019 with the aim of sharing the experience they had at the University of Granada and exploit the acquired notions to update their degree courses in Economics of Tourism. The event saw the participation of 50 Teachers from Yangon University of Economics presented to their colleagues the activities carried out in Granada during which they attended classes of economics as observers, discussed about ECTS Credit System and the University of Granada Grading System and assessment methods.
The cascade training was concluded with an overview on the acquired knowledge and the possible uses in the design of YUEco courses, suggestions for the implementations of degree courses and future prospects.
Cascade training materials available at the box on the right.
Cascade training- Archaeology - University of Yangon
Following the mobility period at Uppsala University, the Archaeology task force of the University of Yangon organized a cascade training addressed to its teaching staff. Fifty teaching staff took part in the event. The aim of the training was to share the experience and discuss about the learned aspects of different teaching methods and different learning environments that imply a more active role of students. At the end of the training the task force discussed about possible implementation of Archaeology degree courses at the University of Yangon, taking into account the new acquired knowledge and how it could be functional to the restructuring of the existing degree courses.
Cascade training materials available at the box on the right.
Cascade Training - Law - Dagon University
Once back in Myanmar, the Law Task force of Dagon University, organized a cascade training to share with the teaching staff the experience on the Mobility period at the Law department of Uppsala University. The cascade training saw the participation of more than 30 teaching staff who got the chance to learn about the different approaches to the teaching methodologyes and assessment systems of Uppsala University law degree courses and discussed on the possible uses of the learned practices in the restructuring of Dagon University degree courses.
See the box on the right for the training materials.
Cascade Training - History- Dagon University
Following the mobility period at the History department of Uppsala University, the History task force of Dagon University organized a cascade training to share the mobility experience with its teaching staff. More than 50 participants took part in the event and had the opportunity to discuss about the different approaches to the courses design and teaching methodologies of Uppsala University useful for the design of the new degree courses at their own University.
See the box on the right for the training materials.
3.6 Review of the degree courses
The focus of the activity was the review and update of the Myanmar's curricula offers. On January 9th 2020, Dagon University hosted the conference "CHINLONE Recommendations for Curricula updating", with the intervention of Prof. Nay Win Oo from the Ministry of Education - Department of Higher Education and Professor Nu Nu Yi, Dagon University Pro - Rector. The Conference exposed the achievements of the WP3 Educational Platform and focused on Professor's recommendations and suggestions on curricula updates. The activity eventually had as an outcome effective renewal and updating of MM Universities' academic offer.
Myanmar's updated curricula offers now comprehend:
- MA in Marketing Management at Yangon University of Economics
- MA in Agricultural Science at Yezin Agricultural University
- BA in History at University of Yangon
- BA in Oriental Studies at University of Yangon
- BA in Law at Dagon University
- BA in Archaeology at Dagon University
- BA in History at University of Mandalay
- MA in History at University of Mandalay.
Please have a look at the conference agenda and materials here.
