This blog is dedicated to higher education in Jordan. as a Jordanian privileged to study in the United States, it helped me to bring back some new perspectives to try implementing it in our education system. The idea that the professor knows everything and stick to one textbook will not help in raising the ability for research or generating methodologies. the student needs to learn how to discuss, question the theories and built his own ideas, which I have been struggling to do. Making sure not to underestimate the classes that he is required to take during his studies, but some life related and research classes would help in shaping the students' way of thinking. Some of the universities tend to specify one instructor/lecturer for different topics, same sources, and technique, However, from my point of view, students need to experience different approaches and therefore instructors, in order to be exposed to new educational pedagogies. I think circulating different subjects and courses around instructors might be a possibility to enriching the educational system. Another issue is the grading system, I believe that is should be changed; not letting the students fall again into the trap of grades to pass the course. Tests and evaluations can be different and more innovative, it discards the importance of learning, it might be that students can grade each other according to their performance in class and therefore, they can be the judge for themselves.
I also believe that study abroad is a great learning opportunity, having a year for the students to experience different places, culture and learning resources is rewarding. I have been teaching at the German Jordanian University for the last 7 years, and I believe that the students graduating from this university are more capable of facing career life challenges than others. As they are required in their fourth year to travel to Germany, there work hard in the first 3 years to get the flexibility to choose the city or the university he believes will benefit him. in addition to learning a third language, the university prepares him for any cultural chocks during this year. The student is required to study for a semester and work for the other in a firm of his specialty, and then come back to do his graduation project. This university was established 10 years ago; however, it is one of the top universities in Jordan, approached by students and parents to get admitted for its great results on students and the community.
One of the interesting opinion that I read ” that learning never stops, so we must recognize the temporary nature of knowledge and skills, that the learner is ready when the learner is ready, and that only when mastery of knowledge and skills is achieved is the learner (and learning) certified”. I truly agree that the learner must be prepared to be entrepreneurial and flexible to adopt lifelong learning approaches. And most importantly, it helped by the higher education to open opportunities in the job market, providing all statistical data needed for the student to be able to choose the right decision for his major according to what the market needs and requires.
Higher education needs to find more effective, efficient ways to help to embrace the job market, technology, government mandates, and the economic status of all related programs to protect and help the future of our graduates. It is not enough to try to protect and preserve the status quo, sustaining innovations are incremental improvements intended to preserve or improve an existing institution; disruptive innovations, in contrast, target unserved or underserved markets by offering a less expensive alternative.