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Ministry of Higher Education

(MoHE)

Higher Education Development Project

(HEDP)

Modernizing Teaching and Learning

Outcome Based Education (OBE) and Student Centered Learning (SCL)

Plan

Revised

October 2016

Prepared by: Ahmad Jawed Samsor

Acronyms:

MoHE Ministry of Higher Education HEDP Higher Education Development Program PDC Professional Development Center GoA Government of Afghanistan OBE-SCL Outcome Based Education/Student Centered Learning GPA Grade Point Average FGD Focus Group Discussion QA&C Quality Assurance and Certification SIDP Strategic Institutional Development Plan IQUA Internal Quality Assurance Unit DLI Disbursement Linked Indicator CMS Course Management System TPD Teacher Professional Development

Table of Contents Background ................................................................................................................................................... 1

Vision:............................................................................................................................................................ 1

Mission: ......................................................................................................................................................... 1

Objectives: .................................................................................................................................................... 1

Deliverables: ................................................................................................................................................. 2

Before Jumping Into Solutions ...................................................................................................................... 3

First Things First ............................................................................................................................................ 3

What needs to be done next? ....................................................................................................................... 3

Approach: ...................................................................................................................................................... 4

1. Capacity Building Through University and Professional Institutes Partnerships: ............................. 4

A. Selection of Trainees: .................................................................................................................... 5

B. Types of Training: .......................................................................................................................... 5

C. Objectives of the Training: ............................................................................................................ 6

2. OBE-SCL Practice: .............................................................................................................................. 6

3. OBE-SCL Conference/Symposium: .................................................................................................... 7

4. Participation in Regional and International Conferences: ................................................................ 7

5. Establishing Professional Development Centers (PDCs) or Institutionalizing OBE-SCL: ........... Error!

Bookmark not defined.

A. Structure ........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

B. Function or Term of Reference of the PDC .................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

C. Reporting........................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

D. Office Space ................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

E. Curriculum (Training Certificate and Competency Exam): ............ Error! Bookmark not defined.

6. Establishment of Advisory Committee (Long Term): ...................................................................... 17

7. Student Engagement and Student Evaluation Surveys: ................................................................. 17

8. Integration with Quality Assurance, Research, Scholarships and SIDP: ......................................... 18

9. E-Learning ....................................................................................................................................... 19

10. Meeting the Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) for 2016-2017 ........................................... 19

11. OBE-SCL Task Force: .................................................................................................................... 20

Objectives: .......................................................................................................................................... 20

Task Force Structure and Selection Criteria: ....................................................................................... 20

Reporting............................................................................................................................................. 21

12. Regulatory Framework and Policy Level Changes: ..................................................................... 21

Implementation Plan: ................................................................................................................................. 22

Monitoring Mechanisms: ............................................................................................................................ 25

Improving Coordination to Avoid Duplication: ........................................................................................... 26

References: ................................................................................................................................................. 27

Annexes: ...................................................................................................................................................... 28

Annex A: Baseline of OBE-SCL ................................................................................................................. 28

Method of carrying out the Baseline .................................................................................................. 30

Scope of Baseline ................................................................................................................................ 30

Timeline for Baseline: ......................................................................................................................... 31

Annex B: .................................................................................................................................................. 32

Annex C: OBE-SCL Champions ToR.......................................................................................................... 34

1 | P a g e Outcome Based Education & Student Centered Learning Plan

Background

Higher Education is a major driver of economic development and the imperatives for countries to upscale

employment skills demands for quality teaching and learning within higher educational institutes.

Universities want to be recognized as providers of good quality education, ensure their reputation and

wants to demonstrate their performance by responding to student’s demands by assuring them that their

education will lead to good jobs and will give them the skills needed for a successful person in the society.

In post-conflict countries such as Afghanistan, where many teachers still follow traditional teacher-

centered pedagogy approaches, struggles to adapt to the modern teaching and learning approaches. The

Government of Afghanistan (GoA) by recognizing the strategic importance of human capital in the modern

global knowledge economy, and its direct impact on the economic development, has placed higher

education as one of its priority. The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) is aware of the fact that higher

education is becoming more internationalized and its role in contributing to new areas (such as evidence-

based policy making, innovation, local and regional development) and to produce appropriately skilled

workforce that can respond to the challenges of the 21st century is growing.

The quality of teaching matters the most in higher education, MoHE has therefore taken a series of

initiatives including short-term and long-term training for teacher of public universities on Outcome-

Based Education, Student-Centered Learning, and the use of Information and Communication Technology

(ICT) for improved pedagogy and student-teacher interaction. In order to foster a climate conducive to

the recognition of teaching quality as a priority in public universities, and to employ innovative evaluation

instrument so that the impact on the quality of learning outcomes could be measured, MoHE has laid out

a strategy that will pave ways for the implementation of modern teaching and learning approaches in

public universities.

Vision: To modernize teaching and learning in higher education of Afghanistan by promoting and

institutionalizing outcome based education and student centered learning.

Mission: 1,500 full time academic staff trained in, and practicing, outcome-based education and student centered

learning by 2022

Objectives:

The objectives of OBE-SCL component are:

Promote and institutionalize OBE and SCL in higher education

Train full time academic staff outcome-based education and student centered learning

Collect data on practice of OBE and SCL and recommend changes for improvement

Enable professional development centers (PDCs) in public universities

2 | P a g e Outcome Based Education & Student Centered Learning Plan

Deliverables:

Modernizing and Enhancing the Quality of Teaching and Learning

Unit of

Measure

Baseline 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Number of

full time

academic

staff trained

in, and

practicing,

outcome-

based

education

and student

centered

learning

Number

(cumulativ

e)

Professional

Development

Centers are

dysfunctional

or non-

existent

Baseline data

on OBE-SCL is

not available

Training

manual

completed

70

academics

trained as

trainers for

the Staff

Developme

nt Centers

or

Professional

Developme

nt Centers

of

universities

250

academic

staff

trained in

and

practicing

outcome-

based

education

and

student

centered

learning

500

academic

staff trained

in and

practicing

outcome-

based

education

and student

centered

learning

750

academic

staff

trained in

and

practicing

outcome-

based

education

and

student

centered

learning

1,000

academic

staff trained

in and

practicing

outcome-

based

education

and student

centered

learning

1,250

academic

staff trained

in and

practicing

outcome-

based

education

and student

centered

learning

1,500

academic

staff trained

in and

practicing

outcome-

based

education

and student

centered

learning

3 | P a g e Professional Development Center (PDC) Plan

Before Jumping Into Solutions

Even though some actions and plans are already underway to improve learning and teaching in public

higher education institutes/universities, however, the impact of these plans seems challenging for the

Ministry of Higher Education in sustaining OBE-SCL in the long term. For example, trainings on OBE-SCL

had been carried out by different projects in the past however, the assumption in the design of HEDP was

that OBE-SCL is not currently practiced in the public universities. In addition, the followings are some of

the main challenges for OBE-SCL in higher education:

Baseline data on OBE-SCL is non-existent

Lack of capacity of public universities full time faculty in OBE-SCL (Knowledge)

The culture of OBE-SCL is non-existent or there is no data to show that OBE-SCL is practiced

OBE-SCL is not part of the Strategic Institutional Development Plan (SIDP)

The term of reference or job description for university lecturers does not emphasize on OBE-SCL in

detail

Student and the market stakeholders engagement in curriculum design is minimum or non-

existent

Professional development centers (PDC) or Teaching Training Centers (TTC) are dysfunctional or

non-existent and they are not structured as an independent department body within public

universities

The minimum passing marks or graduate point average (GPA) for a course is 50% based on the

classic cohort system while it’s 55% under the credit system (Taken from credit system policy)

Final exam accounts for 60% to 70% of grades for a course or subject (Taken from Examination

policy)

It’s very important to mention that training the university lecturers in OBE-SCL, establishing PDCs, and

developing a standard curriculum and monitoring mechanisms for OBE-SCL

First Things First

Looking at existing situation, it’s highly recommended to conduct a baseline on OBE-SCL in a selected

number of universities, where PDCs were built and teachers were trained in OBE-SCL. The baseline study

will basically focus on collecting data the quality of teaching and learning (i.e. outcome based education

and student centered learning) from student, faculty member, department head and faculty dean,

university leadership and relevant departments of Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE).

A detailed plan including scope of the baseline, methodology and timeline is included in Annex A.

What needs to be done next?


Once data from target universities and MoHE directorates is collected, it will be analyzed and shared in

the form of report. This data will be used in short and long term planning of OBE-SCL and maybe used for

other components such as Strategic Institutional Developmental Plan (SIDP), Quality Assurance and

Research.

Approach:

OBE-SCL plays a vital role in improving quality of education to meet the market needs, prepare students for

future challenges and universities and programs to compete regionally and globally. In the core of OBE-SCL

the students and teachers represent the heart and mind of an education system, without the two, the body

(i.e. education institute) would fail to function.

Unfortunately, the role of student in higher education is very passive, however, the evolution in learning

teaching in the past few decades emphasizes on active participation of student inside and outside the

classroom. Student engagement outside the classroom supports the learning and teaching, it improves

students’ abilities and skills in forming ideas and delivering them, students learn how to work in groups,

they learn the skills of to communicate effectively, apply the concepts learning in classroom into real world

examples, improve critical thinking skills etc.

The higher education institutes/universities must engage with its stakeholders, the most relevant

stakeholders of a higher education institute/university are students, teachers, parents and the market. The

stakeholders in other words are best sources of feedback on improving quality of education.

The MoHE will follow a systematic approach for improvement and institutionalization of OBE-SCL in higher

education.

1. Capacity Building Through University and Professional Institutes Partnerships: MoHE has partnered with University Technology Malaysia (UTM) to introduce OBE-SCL through a

Cascade Model1, conducting workshops, raising awareness and potential mid-career certification

on OBE-SCL. The MOHE’s approach is to work on multiple fronts for the implementation of OBE-SCL

in public universities of Afghanistan.

MoHE will increase the number of partnerships with universities and professional teaching

institutes regionally and internationally. The increased number of partnerships will help decrease

dependence on a single university or institute (i.e. avoiding single point of failure) and will help in

scheduling the training programs according to Afghan Public Universities’ need and academic time

table. At the moment trainings are scheduled based on availability of trainers at UTM, not based on

the academic schedule of Afghan universities, this greatly disturbs the academics in target

universities.

1 In the Cascade model, one or two teachers from a university/school receive TPD via a training-based model and return to their schools to replicate the training that they have received—serving as “champion teachers” or a “vanguard team.”


Training(s) provided by the partners will be coordinated and be based on the MoHE and Afghan

Universities needs to insure that lecturers/faculty members acquire the needed skills in both OBE

and SCL. The following items will be part of each training:

1. A training syllabus including training outcomes and list of topics

2. Pre and Post test

3. Copy of training materials (printed and digital copy)

4. Attendance sheet for each day

5. End of training report

6. Clear list of assignments, classroom activities etc.

7. Training Evaluation by participants

A. Selection of Trainees: In year one a specific criteria for training participants did not exist, however, it’s very important to

have one so participants can be tracked and monitored in the later stages. The priority will be given

to priority disciplines lecturers, faculty deans and department heads.

As mentioned above, the objective of the OBE-SCL component is not only training but also

monitoring and gathering proof on practice of OBE-SCL in classroom, faculty and university.

A participant selection criteria will be developed to avoid duplication, reduce high cost of resources

as a result, and to achieve the outcomes set for each training.

B. Types of Training:

1. Training for faculty members: Trainings on OBE-SCL for faculty members consisting of

A. Curriculum Design (Program Learning Outcomes, Program Mission and vision,

Courses matrix, Course Learning outcomes, course syllabus, lesson plan etc.)

B. Student Centered Teaching and Learning (Learning styles and strategies,

Facilitating Constructivist Learning Environments, designing student centered

lessons, lesson plan design, introduction to teaching methodologies, use case,

practice and integration in course syllabus)

C. Assessment (understand student evaluations, how to measure student learning,

summative vs. formative assessment, different types of assessments and use,

introduction, development and use of rubrics for assessment).

2. Training for department heads, faculty dean and vice chancellors for academic affairs: In

addition to the regular training on OBE-SCL for faculty members, a separate set of trainings

for Vice chancellors of academic affairs, faculty deans and department heads should be

provided on OBE-SCL. These trainings should focus on the role of leadership in promoting

and institutionalizing OBE-SCL on university, faculty and department level. These trainings

will focus on:


A. Role of Supervisors in promoting and institutionalizing OBE-SCL (how to conduct

classroom observation, develop standard tools, provide feedback to teachers,

take initiatives to set goals for faculties, interact with student representatives,

teaching portfolios and teachers recognition etc.)

B. Strategic planning (integrate OBE-SCL in department, faculty or university in SIDP,

forming of advisory committee etc.)

C. Objectives of the Training:

The main objectives of these trainings will be:

1. Develop standard training materials for a certificate program that will be used by the PDC

in future. The certificate program will focus on OBE and SCL, use of ICT in higher education,

soft skills development, assessment and evaluation of teaching and learning, and research

method

2. Train a selected group of faculty members of primary disciplines who will be used as trainers

(i.e. OBE-SCL champions) at the established PDCs and their own faculty or department. The

PDC staff will coordinate with these trainers (i.e. OBE-SCL champions) to train new faculties

in OBE-SCL, in other words act as instructors of OBE-SCL certificate program. Terms of

Reference of champions is attached in Annex C. The champions will be required to sign an

official commitment letter with MoHE and HEDP to advocate, support and provide training

in OBE-SCL at their own universities.

3. Train faculty deans, department heads and vice chancellors for academic affairs of

identified universities and primary disciplines in how to promote and institutionalize OBE-

SCL in their university, faculty or department.

Note: University of Potsdam, Germany, funded by GIZ, is going to start a two year teacher training

program for faculty members of Public Policy and Public Administration in Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kabul,

Balkh and Herat Universities. HEDP will coordinate with Potsdam University team for information sharing

purposes. It will be beneficial for HEDP and MoHE to track the number of trainees.

2. OBE-SCL Practice: Tool(s) for collecting data on OBE-SCL practice will be developed and will be used to collect data

on OBE-SCL practice in classroom, department and university level. At the initial stage tool will be

focused towards teachers practice in classroom and will collect data through classroom

observation and student feedback forms. However, in the upcoming years, the tool will consider

different aspects (i.e. students, teachers, department head, faculty dean, and university

management) of OBE-SCL and will collect data accordingly. The practice tool was under

development during development of the plan, as soon as the tool is drafted and finalized it will be

attached in the next version of the plan.


3. OBE-SCL Annual Conference (OBE-SCL Champions Recognition): In order to promote OBE-SCL within the higher education an annual conference/symposium on OBE-

SCL will be arranged where scholars and university professors from public and private universities

will gather and share their knowledge, findings and experiences in OBE-SCL. The conference will

host a guest speaker from a renowned university or professional institute. In this conference, one

or two lecturers/professors who adopted OBE-SCL and shared his experience in the form of a

research or case study will be identified and awarded. This activity will be taken over by the PDC in

long term.

*Representatives of private universities should also be invited to participate in these conferences.

4. Participation in Regional and International Conferences: University professors, department heads, faculty deans active in adopting and promoting OBE-SCL

in their classrooms, departments or faculty and developing research paper or case study will be able

to participate in regional and international conferences related to OBE-SCL. The selection criteria

will be defined in detail for participation in regional and international conferences. This activity will

be taken over by the PDC in long term.

*Faculties of private universities should be encouraged to benefit from this, however, selection shall

occur based on a clear criteria.

The Challenge:

Looking at the data provided regarding PDCs established previously by MoHE, most the PDCs are

dysfunctional at the moment. The main reasons that these PDCs couldn’t not be sustained or kept

functional were poor commitment and sense of ownership by the university leadership, absence of

a clear structure with defined functions of PDCs within each universities, absence of a defined

training curriculum, and absence of a direct reporting system to the university.

PDC Models in Other Countries:

Models in different countries have been studied when developing this document. These models include

Purdue University, USA, Lawrence Technological University, USA, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Malaysia and

University of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Main findings of studying these models are:

The main objective of the PDC, discovered in the models studied, is delivering non-academic

trainings, certification and coaching through continuous evaluation and assessment in a variety of

fields.

Research center and professional development centers function as different entities at the

universities


Both research and professional development centers have independent organizational structure

and full time staff assigned as director and deputy director

In most of the above-mentioned models the professional development centers focused more on

skills development of the faculty members to improve teaching and learning.

Trainings under the PDC were delivered in the form of a certificate, after completion of certain

hours of training, and completing certain assignments or taking the competency exam.

The mission and vision of the research center and professional development centers varied in the

above-mentioned models.

After studying these models, and looking at the Afghan context, it’s important that research center and

PDC should be built as separate entities.

Objective:

In order to institutionalize OBE-SCL, Research, and Leadership, and improve technical skills of

university administrative staff in library management and ICT MoHE plans to establish Professional

Development Center (PDC) in targeted public universities. PDC will be established as an

independent body within universities and will report directly to the vice chancellor (VC) for

academic affairs or the chancellor. The PDCs’ main objective will be to promote outcome based

education, student centered learning including e-learning, research, leadership, library

management, and use of ICT by training full time teaching faculty members, university chancellors

and vice chancellors, faculty deans, department heads and university administrative staff.


Figure – 1: Structure of the Professional Development Center

Illustrated in Figure-1, the PDC will manager research, OBE-SCL, Leadership, and technical capacity

building of university staff training.

Going Forward:

It’s substantial that structure, targeted universities, curriculum, functions (ToR) of the PDC are

clearly defined. It’s also important that MoHE enforces university leadership involvement, and

support for OBE-SCL, research, technical and leadership trainings and sustainability of the PDCs.

Without that the PDCs will be a failure that will become dysfunctional after the end of the project.

The PDC must have an organizational structure, director, deputy director, and at least two to three

officers, who will be responsible for day to day operations of the center. The main role of the PDC

will be implementation of an OBE-SCL certificate training program, research trainings, leadership

trainings, and technical trainings (i.e. library management and ICT trainings) for university

administrative staff through year-long training schedule, conferences, workshops and symposiums,

Professional Development Center

OBE-SCL Trainings

Research Trainings

Technical Trainings

Leadership Trainings


monitoring of these activities in different faculties/departments and providing data on OBE-SCL,

leadership, research and technical trainings practice to various departments. In the initial years the

role of PDC will be kept focused towards teacher training certificates in order to train faculty

members, faculty deans, department heads, university leadership and administrative staff.

Establishing a PDC in each university requires considerable human and financial resources, it is not

a feasible option at the moment and is not necessary. Instead this plan focuses on establishing PDCs

in universities with high number of priority disciplines and the commitment level of university

leadership. In the meantime these universities will provide support to newly established

universities, higher education institutes and universities comparatively smaller in size that are

located close to the regional universities.

Also, because there are quite a few universities in Kabul that are bigger in size (i.e. enrollment,

teacher student ratio and number of faculties) more than one university will be equipped with a

PDC.

According to this plan the following universities will have a functioning PDC by 2022.

1. Kabul University

2. Kandahar University

3. Herat University

4. Shaikh Zayed University (Khost Province)

5. Balkh University

6. Nangarhar University

7. Kabul Medical University

8. Kabul Education University

9. Kabul Polytechnic University

10. Bamyan University

11. Faryab University

12. Alberoni University

A timeline of when the PDCs will be established in the targeted universities is included in the

implementation part of this document.

Structure The following structure is proposed for PDCs in the above mentioned universities. The PDCs will

need office space for the staff and at least one equipped meeting room. The PDC will use the ICT

centers, library and a training hall at the university. A clearly defined structure for the PDCs will

support the sustainability of these centers in the long run.


Figure 1: Organizational Structure of a PDC

As mentioned above, the PDC should be assigned on full time basis; a standard selection criteria has

to be developed along with a comprehensive ToR.

ToR of Director of PDC:

Develop short term and long term training plans against university priorities, timeline,

budget and intended outputs, that are consistent with university’s/faculty’s overall

development plan and that helps the university in achieving the quality assurance targets

in regards to OBE-SCL, Research, leadership and technical trainings.

Take proactive actions and develop strategies that will foster the university’s adaptation to

international best practices in teaching and learning, and pedagogical innovations (e-

learning didactics etc.), research, leadership, library management and use of technology.

Establish processes for recognizing and rewarding achievements in teaching & learning,

research, leadership, library management and ensure mechanisms for dissemination of

these achievements

Develop a long term strategy for the sustainability of the PDC and explore opportunities for

income generation for the PDC and developing external partnership

Liaise closely with university leadership, faculty deans and department heads as well as with

the Ministry of Higher Education

Collect quarterly and annual data on OBE-SCL, research, leadership practice, and library use

in relevant university, develop and submit the report to university leadership and a copy to

MoHE

Develop a plan for implementation of a Course Management System (CMS) in relevant

university

Director of PDC

Deputy Director of PDC

Officer 1 Officer 2

Office Cleaner


Supervise the staff of the PDC including annual performance review and supporting them

whenever necessary during the implementation

Report the vice chancellor for academic affairs and carry out any other relevant tasks

assigned by the vice chancellor for academic affairs

ToR of Deputy Director of PDC:

Support the Director of PDC in developing short term and long term training plans against

university priorities, timeline, budget and intended outputs, that are consistent with

university’s/faculty’s overall development plan and that helps the university in achieving

the quality assurance targets in regards to OBE-SCL, Research, leadership and technical

trainings.

Take proactive actions and develop strategies that will foster the university’s adaptation to

international best practices in teaching and learning and pedagogical innovations (e-

learning didactics etc.), research, leadership, library management and use of technology.

Provide support to the Director of PDC in establishing processes for recognizing and

rewarding achievements in teaching & learning, research, leadership, library management

and ensure mechanisms for dissemination of these achievements.

Support the Director of PDC in developing a long term strategy for the sustainability of the

PDC and explore opportunities for income generation for the PDC and developing external

partnership

Support the Director of PDC in liaising closely with university leadership, faculty deans and

department heads as well as with the Ministry of Higher Education

Support the Director of PDC in collecting quarterly and annual data on OBE-SCL, research,

leadership practice, and library use in relevant university, develop and submit the report to

university leadership and a copy to MoHE

Support the Director of PDC in staff supervision including annual performance review and

providing support during the implementation

Lead the PDC according to the plan in absence of the Director of the PDC

Report to the Director of PDC and carry out any other tasks assigned by the Director of PDC

ToR of the Officer:

Provide logistical support during implementation of OBE-SCL, research, leadership and

technical training activities

Develop a database for training participants, maintain the database and backup the

database in a secure place

Coordinate with relevant administrative departments for OBE-SCL, research, leadership and

technical training activities implementation

Carry out the communication with faculty members and department heads, administrative

staff regarding OBE-SCL, research, leadership and technical training activities

Help in developing the budget for OBE-SCL, research, leadership and technical training

activities and insure that all required items are included in the budget


Conduct data collection of OBE-SCL, research, leadership and technical training practice in

coordination with faculty members, department heads, faculty deans and the PDC Director

and Deputy Director

Maintain the Course Management System (CMS) by adding new materials, making it

available to training participants and generating reports

Report to the Deputy Director of PDC and carry out any other tasks assigned by the Deputy

Director

Functions or Term of Reference (ToR) of the PDC

The basic functions of a PDC encompass but will not be limited to:

Conduct regular needs assessment for capacity building trainings in the university, through

close liaising with Deans and Head of Department

Develop a year-long (i.e. annual) OBE-SCL, research, leadership, and technical trainings plan

with clear deliverables

Train university lecturers in OBE-SCL, research, leadership and university administrative

staff in library management, and ICT through an approved certificate program

Coordinate with Faculty Deans, department heads, and Vice Chancellor for Academics on

finding ways to institutionalize OBE-SCL, research and leadership.

Plan and conduct annual and semiannual OBE-SCL, research, leadership and library

management conferences and recognize champions in each area.

Identify and develop a list of regional and international OBE/SLC, research, and leadership

conferences and encourage faculty members to participate in these conferences

Conduct surveys (i.e. teacher, student, faculty dean, department head, and university

leadership) every semester and develop report on statistics, improvement, performance of

each faculty, plan for future improvement etc.

Work closely with Vice Chancellor for Academics in planning for improvement of teaching

and learning, research, leadership, and technical skills of academic and administrative staff

Contribute in development and improvement of SIDP and addressing OBE-SCL, research,

leadership and technical skills needs and improvement

Use the ICT center training room for relevant training

Use course management system (CMS) for training of teachers and make available the

training materials online through the CMS

Develop and maintain a database for the trainings and trainees

Seek both internal and external fund sources to cover operational costs of the PDC as well

as that of the training

Manage the whole process from organizing training to registration to evaluation to

certificate awarding

Award certification to faculty members on successful completion of the trainings

Reporting The PDC will be reporting directly to vice chancellor for academic affairs of the university.


Office Space A minimum office space for the PDC should include 3 to 4 rooms for director, deputy director and

the officers and one meeting room. Training, workshop and other activities larger in size will take

place at the ICT Center training room(s) or university hall and auditorium.

Training Curriculum: Standard training curriculum will be developed for the trainings delivered through the PDC. Every

training curriculum must least have the followings:

1. Training program learning outcomes

2. Number of training courses (with clear names and codes)

3. Learning outcomes for each training course

4. A course syllabus including

5. Course schedule

6. Pre/post test

7. Assignments used by the trainers

1. Training Curriculum for OBE-SCL Because OBE-SCL is a multidimensional phenomenon, thus the stakeholders (i.e. university

leadership, faculty deans, department heads, and faculty members) should be trained on how each

one of them can contribute to improving teaching and learning in a classroom, department, faculty,

or a university. In order to achieve this it’s imperative that two sets of training curricula is developed

for full time teaching faculty members, and faculty deans, department heads and university

leadership.

OBE-SCL Training Curriculum for full time teaching faculty members:

A standard training certificate of minimum 90 class hours will be developed based on the training

materials provided by the training partners. The training certificate will consist of four compulsory

and one optional courses at minimum for full time lecturers:

2 The ICT for teaching and learning training will be covered by the ICT component of the project.

Training Certificate for full time faculty Members

Module # Module Name No. of Hours/Days

1 Outcome based Teaching and Learning 24 hours or 4 full days

2 Student Center Learning 24 hours or 4 full days

3 Assessment in Teaching and Learning 12 hours or 2 full days

4 Blended Learning (E-Learning) 18 hours or 3 full days

5 ICT for Teaching and Learning2 30 hours or 5 full days


A detailed curriculum including programing learning outcomes, course mapping matrix, course

learning outcomes, a schedule and pre and post tests will be developed as soon as the plan is

approved.

Major Learning Outcomes of the OBE-SCL Certificate Program for Full Time Teaching

Faculty Members:

At the end of training certificate program faculty members will be able to:

Have adequate knowledge about modern approaches to teaching and learning and

Teaching Pedagogy

Have adequate knowledge about outcome based education and student centered learning

concepts

Develop course learning outcomes and a standard course syllabus with a schedule of

topics

Use student learning styles while developing course curriculum

Learn about different student centered learning methodologies and integrate them in

their course syllabus

Develop a daily lesson plan and know differences between summative and formative

assessment

Use student assessment data for improvement of teaching in classroom and course

curriculum to better address the challenges

Understand basics of a Course Management System (CMS) and use a CMS for classroom

activities

Acquire skills and knowledge in utilizing information and communication technology in

their classrooms for teaching and learning, for research purposes and for other related

academic and administrative activities

OBE-SCL Training Curriculum for Faculty Deans and Department Heads:

University or faculty management including faculty dean and department head will have to take a

training of minimum 30 class hours, the training certificate will include:

Training Certificate for Dean and Department Heads

Module # Training Module Name No. of Hours/Days

1 Role of Supervisors in promoting and institutionalizing OBE-SCL

18 hours or 3 full days

2 Strategic Planning for OBE-SCL 18 hours or 3 full days


A detailed curriculum including programing learning outcomes, course mapping matrix, course

learning outcomes, a schedule and pre and post tests will be developed as soon as the plan is

approved.

Major Learning Outcomes of the OBE-SCL Certificate Program for Faculty Deans and

Department Heads:

At the end of training certificate program participants will be able to:

Acquire knowledge about concepts of OBE-SCL

Develop and use assessment tools for classroom observation and teachers feedback

Develop a teachers’ development training plan for his/her own faculty or department

Develop strategies for integration of OBE-SCL in University strategic planning

Interact with student representatives and understand students learning issues related to

SCL

Participants of each training certificates will be required to take a standard competency exam at

the end of each training. Those not meeting the passing criteria will have to retake the same

course.

2. Training Curriculum for Leadership, Research, and Technical Trainings:

Curriculum for leadership trainings, research, and technical trainings (i.e. library management and

ICT trainings) will be developed as these trainings are conducted by the relevant components. Senior

Manager of Each component will be responsible for overseeing the curriculum development of

these components.


Implementation Plan of PDC Establishment:

The following timeline provides information about dates of PDC establishment in targeted universities.

# University Name Dec. 2016 Dec. 2017 Dec. 2018 Dec. 2019

1 Kandahar University

2 Kabul University

3 Balkh University

4 Kabul Medical University

5 Sheikh Zayed University

6 Herat University

7 Kabul Education University

8 Kabul Polytechnic University

9 Nangarhar University

10 Alberoni University

11 Bamyan University

12 Faryab University

5. Establishment of Advisory Committee (Long Term): To help institutionalize OBE-SCL, an advisory committee in next three to four years for each faculty

needs to be formed. The main objective of the advisory Committee will be to meet with faculty

dean and department heads on semiannual or annual and give inputs on improving the

curriculum, learning and teaching and engagement with the market.

The advisory committee will be formed of:

1. Private sector representatives (3 to 5 Members)

2. Student alumni representatives (2 to 4 Members) and

3. One representative from the relevant public sector (Optional)

This advisory committee can be structured on university level as well, however, the number of

members should increase.

6. Student Engagement and Student Evaluation Surveys: Active student engagement is key to promoting and institutionalizing OBE-SCL. There are several

approaches to engaging students, for example students should be asked about quality of teaching

in the classroom through systematic evaluation forms at the end of each course, and student

representative body should exist within each faculty/department that will have active interaction

the department head, lecturers, and faculty dean.


7. Integration with Quality Assurance, Research, Scholarships and SIDP:

OBE-SCL falls under the umbrella of Quality Assurance and Certification (QA&C) (see Figure 2) and

so are governance, strategic planning and infrastructure.

As an important component, OBE-SCL need to be evaluated in detail by adopting a more

comprehensive approach during the quality assurance check. For example, the quality assurance

should look and ask for evidence of program educational objectives, program level outcomes, a

standard curriculum with list of courses, program learning outcomes matrix, a standard syllabus

for each course, with sample course schedule, grading policy, sample assignment, midterm and

final exam, sample case study and group project.

To institutionalize OBE-SCL it’s highly important that capacity is built by allocating masters and

PhD. Scholarships for this specific field, in other words, the universities will need capacity with

background in OBE-SCL not only to support the PDCs but to act as champions of OBE-SCL in their

faculty or department.

Furthermore, promoting research in the field of OBE-SCL and quality assurance should be used as

an advocacy tool to improve learning and teaching in higher education and create more resources

in this filed. The research component of HEDP can help by accepting and recognizing research

projects in OBE-SCL.

As targeted universities start to develop their SIDPs, OBE-SCL should be listed and prioritized in

order to improve quality of teaching and learning.

Figure 2: The Quality Assurance Triangle

Accreditation/Quality Assurance

Leadership/Governance

Strategic Planning (Mission, Vision, Values)

Student & Stakholders Focus

Measurement & Analysis of Student Learning &

Performance

Faculty and Staff Focus (Plan, Policies, Load etc.)

Educ. & Business Proc. Mgt.

(Education Design, Support,

Enroll Management)


8. E-Learning As mentioned in the NHESP-II, ICT integration in Afghan universities is a top priority. HEDP will

therefore support the key components in universities: connectivity and bandwidth expansion and

e-learning.

E-learning is defined as learning conducted via electronic media, typically on the Internet. The

project plans to equip 14 universities with ICT centers by end of 2022. To promote e-learning

along with OBE-SCL a training course of (30 hours or 5 full days) is developed and is integrated in

the certificate program for full time teachers.

The main objective of this training course will be to build and enhance university lecturers’ skills

and knowledge in utilizing information and communication technology in their classrooms for

teaching and learning, for research purposes and for other related academic and administrative

activities.

Learning Outcomes (Training – I):

By the end of this training course, the participants will be able to:

1. Have necessary knowledge on basics of computers, information technology, basic computer security and e-learning concepts

2. Use computers effectively during classroom sessions i.e., connect computer to projector, LCD screen adjustment and utilize necessary software such as presentation and PDF and use external storage

3. Use word processing software such as Microsoft Word for preparing classroom materials, research documents and other related academic and administrative material

4. Use spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel for recording student data such as grades 5. Use presentation software such as Microsoft PowerPoint for preparing presentations of

teaching material 6. Communicate through electronic mail (e-mail) with students, colleagues, supervisors and

individuals from outside the workplace 7. Have basic skills on use of search engines, digital academic journals and other digital

repositories for collecting reliable e-resources to complement teaching and research 8. Use collaborative and productivity tools such as Google Docs, online calendar, DropBox and

Google Forms for classroom, research and other academic and administrative activities

In next two to three years setup of a course management system (CMS) for example MOODLE

should be part of the ICT structure in order to integrate technology in teaching and learning.

9. Meeting the Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) for 2016-2017

In order to meet the DLI (i.e. 250 academic staff trained in and practicing outcome-based

education and student centered learning) for year 2016-2017, trainee list will be cleaned to

identify the exact number of trainees (broken down based on university, faculty and department).


The remaining numbers, to meet 250, will be identified. In the meantime, the 24 selected

champions will be sent to UTM to complete their advanced training.

The 24 champions, remaining trainees who participated in the initial two trainings to deliver OBE-

SCL training in their faculty or department to at least 10 faculty members. The activities can be

coordinated with the HEDP assigned university coordinators.

A standard form will be developed and filled by the assigned academic advisors and university

coordinators to collect data on practice of OBE and SCL in the classroom.

10. OBE-SCL Task Force: An OBE-SCL task force under the direct supervision of the Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs will be established to provide overall support in the implementation and promotion of Outcome Based Education and Students Centered Learning in public universities of Afghanistan.

Objectives: More specific objectives of the OBE-SCL Task Force will be:

Act as agents of change by providing leadership support for promoting OBE-SCL and modern learning techniques in higher education

Provide support in policy and regulatory framework change, for example in developing the OBE-SCL bylaw and review existing bylaws at MoHE to align them with OBE-SCL

Make significant contribution to the content and review of the Outcome-Based Education and Students-Centered Learning manual to ensure local context and different academic disciplines are adequately reflected.

Provide support in the implementation of OBE-SCL trainings in public universities of Afghanistan whenever needed

Assist in creating awareness on the importance of OBE and modern learning techniques in higher education

Assist in development of a standard OBE-SCL training certificate program

Provide advice and recommendation and help in developing robust strategies for the promotion and implementation of OBE-SCL in public universities of Afghanistan

Work closely with the Teaching & Learning Manager of HEDP and support activities related to OBE-SCL and modern learning techniques in the public universities

Address and raise OBE-SCL implementation constraints with Ministry as well as with University leadership and find ways to remove hurdles in the implementation of OBE-SCL in the universities

Strongly support the OBE-SCL plan

Task Force Structure and Selection Criteria:

The Task Force will be comprised of 4 to 6 members with demonstrated understanding, knowledge and experience in the areas of teaching and learning, pedagogy, Constructive Alignment, outcome-based education, ICT based blended learning, and students centered learning as well as with quality assurance mechanisms.


The following criteria will be used in selection of the Task Force Members:

1. Be able to demonstrate good command over English language 2. Written a case study or research paper related to OBE-SCL, quality assurance

and modern teaching and learning 3. Must have a master degree 4. Should be able to allocate enough time to the tasks and activities assigned 5. Be able to attend both national and international conferences and workshops

on OBE-SCL topics, and willing to train other university teachers on the same topic

The positions will be voluntary and will be announced for open competition; interested candidates meeting the criteria will have to submit their resume, proof of previous experience in OBE-SCL and answer two three questions related to OBE-SCL.

Reporting The Task Force will work under the direct supervision of the Deputy Minister for Academic

Affairs, MoHE and will meet once a month (or when required) to discuss the progress and

challenges in the implementation of OBE-SCL.

11. Regulatory Framework and Policy Level Changes: Improving a system require a sound implementation plan and improvement in the regulatory

framework and change on the policy level. The two complements each other in the case of OBE-

SCL. Based on initial findings, some of the existing policies do not promote OBE-SCL, in other

words they are in contradiction with OBE-SCL.

Example1: In the examination bylaw, article 14, the minimum percentage for final examination is

60%, maximum 70%. While OBE-SCL strongly emphasizes on a balance between summative and

formative assessment. Allocating a high percentage of course grade to final exam discourages the

students and teachers from focusing on active learning or adopting teaching and learning

strategies that results in long lasting learning, building critical thinking skills etc.

Example 2: in the quality assurance bylaw, there is no mechanism in checking the details and

collecting evidence on program mission, vision, learning objectives, learning outcomes, course

matrix, syllabus, course policy, sample assignment, sample exam etc.

Example 3: In the course credit system bylaw, article 18, the minimum percentage or score for

passing a course is 55% while for advancing to the next semester the percentage is 60%. Lowering

the minimum passing percentage and allocating a high percentage to final exams deteriorates the

role of OBE-SCL in the classroom. This means that students can pass a course without submitting

a single assignment, participating in the group work, taking the midterm exam if he or she sits for

the final exam and earns 55% out of 60% or 70%.

Example 4: Article 7 of academic staff bylaw, the Terms of Reference (ToR) of department head

does include activities related classroom observations based on a standard format, interaction


with student representatives or providing feedback to teachers on their teaching. While OBE-SCL

strong emphasizes on ongoing monitoring mechanisms of teaching in the classroom and

interaction with students and receiving students feedback.

Changes in the regulatory framework is necessary, the followings can be done in order promote

and institutionalize OBE-SCL:

Review the existing bylaws (i.e Curriculum Development, Course Credit System,

Examination, Quality Assurance and Academic Staff) at MoHE that have a direct relation

with OBE-SCL and bring changes to promote and institutionalize OBE-SCL

Develop a comprehensive bylaw for OBE-SCL that will at minimum include the followings

o Standard format for curriculum

Program Learning Objectives

Program Learning Outcomes

Course Matrix

Course Syllabi

Course Learning outcomes

Grading System

Course calendar

o Approaches for integrating SCL in the curriculum and in classroom

o Standard forms for classroom observations, student evaluations, pre-test and

post-test

o Responsibilities of faculty members

o Responsibilities of department head

o Establishment of Advisory Committee (Structure, role and meeting schedule)

o Extra-curricular activities for students

Approve the structure and functions of PDC

Require newly recruited full time Teacher Assistants to complete the OBE-SCL training

program

Require existing full time lecturers to complete the OBE-SCL training certificate within five

years

Implementation Plan:

It’s imperative that activities of the OBE-SCL component are harmonized with the Quality Assurance,

Research, SIDPs and ICT centers establishment. A holistic approach in the case of OBE-SCL will not only

waste a lot of resources but also will undermine achieving the set deliverables and measuring the impact

at the end of the project life.

For example, the OBE-SCL should systematically target universities where SIDPs, Internal Quality

Assurance Units (IQAU) and ICT centers exist or they are under development. Or universities that are

targeted by the research component. Annex B includes mapping of different components.

The following implementation timeline is developed for OBE-SCL for 2016 to 2017. Dates are subject to

change due to government holidays, emergency situations, and security conditions. Activities such as


the OBE-SCL conference/symposium will take place on semi-annual or annual basis, and participation in

regional and international conferences will take place quarterly.


Higher Education Development Program (HEDP)

OBE-SCL Implementation Plan 2016 - 2017

Ministry of Higher Education

1 Planning for OBE/SCL Training

2 OBE/SCL Training (Kabul)

3 OBE/SCL Training (Balkh)

4 Champions Training (Malaysia)

5 OBE/SCL Training 2017 Planning

6 Conduct OBE/SCL Training 2017

1 OBE/SCL Practice Framework Development

2 OBE/SCL Practice Data Collection and Report (2016)

3 OBE/SCL Practice Results Evaluation (2016)

4 OBE/SCL Practice Data Collection and Report (2017)

5 OBE/SCL Practice Results Evaluation (2017)

1 Plan and Conduct Baseline

2 Analysis and Report

1 PDC Structure Approval and Tashkeel

2 PDC Establishment Kandahar University

3 PDC Establishment Kabul University

4 PDC Establishment Kabul Medical Uni

5 PDC Establishment Balkh University

6 PDC Establishment Sheikh Zayed Uni

1 OBE/SCL Annual Conference Planning

2 Conduct OBE/SCL Conference (2016)

3 Conduct OBE/SCL Conference (2017)

1 Advocacy for Research and Case Study Development

2 Identify Faculty Members (All Year Long)

3 Support Faculty Members for Participation in Conf.

1 Advocacy for Student Government Association in HE

2 Conduct Annual Student Evaluation and Satisfaction Surveys

3 Analysis and Report on Key Findings

1 Approval of OBE/SCL Workforce Structure

2 OBE/SCL Taskforce Selection

3 OBE/SCL Taskforce work plan development

1 Approval for Review and Changes

2 Review of Bylaws (Curriculum, Examination & Course Credit Sys.

3 Review of Bylaws (Quality Assurance, Academic Staff ToRs)

4 Approval of changes suggested in the bylaws

5 Development of Bylaw of OBE/SCL and Approval

1 Conduct Annual Teachers Satisfaction Survey


Time in Days (1 = 5)Mar. 17 Apr. 17 May. 17 Jun. 17 July. 17 Aug. 17Dec. 16 Jan. 17 Feb. 17Sep. 16

OBE/SCL Trainings/Capacity Building

OBE/SCL Practice

Baseline on OBE/SCL

ActivitiesCategoryNoOct. 16 Nov. 16 Sep. 17 Nov. 17Oct. 17

Student Engagement

OBE/SCL Taskforce

Regulatory and Policy Level Changes

Faculty Engagement

PDC Establishment

OBE/SCL Conference

Participation in Regional and International Conferences


Monitoring Mechanisms: Promoting and implementing OBE-SCL should be an ongoing and multifaceted process; it is the

responsibility of different stakeholders in Afghan Public Universities and thus cannot be monitored by a

single person or department. For example, the department head must regularly conduct classroom

observations and interact with student representatives and give feedback to lecturers on how to improve

things. Or teachers should conduct pre and post-test in each class they teach to measure learning of

students. Or the IQAU should have a clear set of criteria for OBE-SCL and should collect evidence and

publish annual reports. The PDC should conduct semester wise or annual teacher and student surveys and

publish their reports on the university website.

The following monitoring Mechanism is developed to ensure OBE-SCL activities are on track and help

give feedback for improvement whenever necessary.

No. Type of Monitoring Mechanism Stakeholder Period

1 Classroom Observation Department Head, Faculty Dean

Semester

2 Curriculum Review Curriculum Review Committee

Annual, Once in two years

3 Student Evaluation Department Head, Faculty Dean

Semester

4 Pre and Post Test Lecturer Semester

5 Teacher/Lecturer Supervisor Evaluation

Department Head, Faculty Dean

Annual

6 Advisory Committee Meeting Advisory Committee and Department Heads and Faculty Dean

Semi-Annual

7 Students Representative Meeting Department Head, Faculty Dean and Student Representatives

Semester

8 Quality Assurance Check IQAU Annual

9 Annual Training Plan PDC and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Semester/Annual

10 University Students and Teachers Survey

PDC Semester

11 OBE-SCL Conference/Symposium PDC and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Semester/Annual

12 Regional and International OBE-SCL Conference

PDC and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Semester/Annual

13 External Verification of OBE-SCL Practice

Third Party Verification Annual

14 Implementation of the OBE-SCL Plan Deputy Minister for Academic Affairs, OBE-SCL Manager, OBE-SCL Taskforce

Quarterly, semiannual and annual


Improving Coordination to Avoid Duplication: In order that activities of the OBE-SCL and other components are carried out smoothly measures should

be in place by different stakeholders to improve coordination and avoid duplication. The following

measures may help:

1. Development of a centralized database where beneficiaries of each component are listed with their

detail information

2. Faculty members who has master’s degree shall be given priority in the OBE-SCL component

trainings and activities because faculty members with bachelor degree are required to get their

masters within next 2 to 3 years.

3. Faculty members assigned by universities as representatives for components of the project should

be different people. Exceptional cases can be considered separately. Assigning the same faculty

member as OBE-SCL champion, SIDP lead and member of research committee makes it challenging

for the project to work with one individual on different components.

4. Faculty members with improved level of English proficiency shall be introduced by the universities

and faculties


References:

1. Project Appraisal Document, July 5, 2015

2. Bylaws of Higher Education, Afghanistan

3. National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2 (NHESP 2)

4. Accreditation Standards document of Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

(ACBSP)

5. Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)

6. Outcomes Based Teaching and Learning Practices in the Hotel and Resort Management Program

of Dusit Thani College (Research Paper)

7. Best practices in outcome based education teaching and learning at the Chinese University of

Hong Kong

8. Models and best practices in teacher professional development

(https://www.infodev.org/infodev-files/resource/InfodevDocuments_294.pdf)

https://www.infodev.org/infodev-files/resource/InfodevDocuments_294.pdf


Annexes:

Annex A: Baseline of OBE-SCL Because OBE-SCL involves different stakeholders (i.e. students, teachers, and university and faculty

leadership) for this reason the baseline will cover collecting data from these stakeholders. Possible data

to be collected on OBE-SCL may include the followings:

A. Students:

b. Quality of teaching in classrooms

c. Involvement in curriculum design

d. Extra-curricular activities (i.e. study tours, student government association, debates,

competitions, sports activities etc.)

e. Teacher Student interaction

f. Student interaction with department head

g. Students representative meetings

2. Teachers:

a. A classroom observation of selected classes based on a standard form will be done

b. Evidence of active learning in the classroom

c. Student vs. teacher engagement in the classroom

d. What teachers think of their teaching quality

e. What forms of active learning active learning activities do teachers use in the

classroom?

f. Does the teacher receive feedback from the supervisor/department head?

3. Faculty Dean or Department Head:

a. Mission and vision

b. Program objectives and learning outcomes

c. Existence of curriculum (with proof)

d. Course list (with proof)

e. Course learning outcomes

f. Matrix of courses with program outcomes (i.e. course mapping)

g. Course syllabi, course schedule, sample assignment, exam, case study etc.

h. Pre-test and post test

i. Teacher professional development plan

j. Satisfaction Surveys

k. Existence of an Advisory board (including members of private sector and student

representative)

l. Are graduates being tracked after graduation? How’s the data being used?

m. MoUs with private sector companies

n. Student clubs or organizations

o. Is there a structure of process for introducing a new degree, certificate or program?

p. Does the department head conduct classroom observation? How often? Is there a

standard format? Is feedback given back to teacher?


q. Does the department head interact with student representatives?

r. Student/teacher in the faculty or department

s. How lecturers work load is distributed

4. University Leadership:

a. Existence of Strategic plan

b. Existence of professional development center (PDC) or teacher training center (TTC)

c. Is OBE-SCL part of the strategic plan

d. Satisfaction Surveys (i.e. Teachers, students and staff)

e. Stakeholders interaction (i.e. private sector, student bodies, parents)

f. Existence of student government association (SGA) and student clubs

g. Is there a structure of process for introducing a new degree, certificate or program

h. Does the university follow a standard course credit system or use the classic percentage

system? How many faculties/department use it?

i. Does the university interact with student representatives? If yes, how often? What’s

discussed in the meetings?

j. Does the university track graduates? And student employability?

The second target group in the baseline will be the Curriculum Development Directorate, Quality

Assurance Directorate, Planning and Policy Directorate and Academic Affairs Coordination Directorate.

The following questions will be addressed:

a. Does MoHE has an approved bylaw for OBE-SCL? b. Does OBE-SCL bylaw address the market needs and regional or international standards? c. What are MoHE’s expectations from OBE-SCL? d. Is there a curriculum development directorate at MoHE? e. Does the curriculum development has a bylaw? How often is the bylaw revised and

updated? What criteria is being considered while developing the curriculum bylaw? f. Is OBE-SCL connected with the Quality Assurance? How does the quality assurance

department assess OBE-SCL at each university? g. Does MoHE have an OBTL framework? (i.e. 1. Mission and Vision, 2. Program

Educational Objectives, 3.Program Outcomes; 4. Matrix of Courses with Program Outcomes (Curriculum Map), 5. Outcomes-Based Teaching and Learning Delivery Processes, 6. Program Assessment and Evaluation Process, and 7. Continuing Quality Improvement Program)

h. Does MoHE rank universities?

How often?

Is there a pre-set criteria?

Is the ranking announced publically?

Are stakeholders (teachers, department heads, students, parents and the private sector) part of the process?


Method of carrying out the Baseline

A mix method will be used to carry out the baseline, it will include:

Focus group discussion (FGD)

Group Survey

Individual interview

Questionnaire for survey, interview and FGD will be developed based on the above-mentioned points,

the university coordinators and academic experts of HEDP will carry out the baseline under supervision

of the Senior Manager for Teaching and Learning.

Scope of Baseline

Primarily for this baseline universities where PDCs or TTCs existed before and where teachers were trained

in OBE-SCL will be selected. Maximum three universities will be selected. Two departments in each

university will be part of the baseline.

University Department Students MoHE

Target Group and Method

University Leadership (Vice Chancellor for Academics) (3) - Individual Interview

Department Head (6) – Individual Interview

Teacher Classroom Observations (12) – Standard observation form

Teachers (3) -FGD

Student Evaluations (12) – Standard Evaluation questionnaire

Students (3) - FGD

Directorate of Curriculum, Directorate of Quality Assurance, Planning and Policy, academic affairs (1) – FGD

The following universities and faculties will be part of the baseline, because of the comparatively high

number of universities in Kabul, two universities from Kabul and one provincial universities are

identified for the baseline.

1. Kabul Medical University

a. General Medicine Faculty

b. Stomatology Faculty

2. Kabul Education University

a. Computer Science Faculty

b. Languages and Literature Faculty

3. Kandahar University

a. Computer Science Faculty

b. Agriculture Faculty


Timeline for Baseline: The following timeline is developed for conducting the baseline; it’s assumed that MoHE will approve

the baseline and will inform the universities and relevant faculties for cooperation with the team.

No Tasks Timeline (Week)

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3

1 Training the Staff on how to conduct the baseline

2 Conduct Interview/FGD in Kabul Medical University

3 Conduct Interview/FGD in Kabul Education University

4 Conduct Interview/FGD in Kandahar University

5 Conduct FGD at MoHE

6 Data Entry



Annex B: Mapping of OBE-SCL & Other Components

University

21 December, 2016

21 December, 2017

21 December, 2018

21 December, 2019

21 December, 2020

21 December, 2021

21 December, 2022

Afghanistan National Agricultural University EQAU SIDP

OBE-SCL

Albironi IQAU EQAU, ICT SIDP, OBE-SCL/PDC

Badakhshan SIDP ICT, IQAU EQAU, OBE-SCL

Baghlan ICT, EQAU SIDP OBE-SCL

Balkh EQAU

SIDP, IQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC

Bamyan ICT SIDP, IQAU

EQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC

Faryab ICT IQAU

SIDP, EQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC

Ghazni

EQAU, ICT, OBE-SCL

Ghazni Technical Engineering University OBE-SCL EQAU

Herat EQAU,SIDP

OBE-SCL/PDC

Jawzjan IQAU EQAU

OBE-SCL

Kabul

SIDP , IQAU , EQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC

OBE-SCL/PDC


Kabul Medical

SIDP, IQAU,

EQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC

Kabul Education SIDP, ICT

IQAU , EQAU

OBE-SCL/PDC

Kabul Polytechnic EQAU SIDP

OBE-SCL/PDC

Kandahar

IQAU, EQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC SIDP

Khost ICT

IQAU, OBE-SCL/PDC

SIDP , EQAU

Konar ICT , EQAU

Kundoz IQAU EQAU, ICT SIDP OBE-SCL

Laghman EQAU SIDP OBE-SCL

Nangarhar IQAU SIDP, EQAU

OBE-SCL/PDC

Parwan IQAU EQAU OBE-SCL

Paktia ICT IQAU

SIDP, EQAU, OBE-SCL

Takhar ICT IQAU EQAU OBE-SCL


Annex C: OBE-SCL Champions ToR Introduction:

Ministry of Higher Education with collaboration of Higher Education Development Project (HEDP) and

University of Technology Malaysia (UTM) is working to modernize higher education in public universities

of Afghanistan. As part of this program, the counterparts have conducted a series of OBE-SCL trainings.

The first training was conducted in November 2015 and followed by another training in April 2016. 77

faculty members participated in the first training and 178 participated in the second training. In the end

of second training, participants were given a homework to work on writing a teaching portfolio and submit

the portfolios by July 15, 2016. A total of 54 portfolios were submitted and most of these portfolios were

reviewed by UTM. Based on their portfolios and observation during the trainings, a pool of 24 lecturers

are selected as potential candidates (champions) for the trainer-level program in Malaysia which will be

conducted in August 2016. These champions will attend a trainers-level OBE and SCL workshop in Malaysia

and upon successfully completing the trainers-module, these participants will be awarded Level (II) OBE-

SCL certificates that will be signed and stamped by both MOHE and UTM.

Roles and responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of OBE-SCL champions are:

1. Work in close collaboration with university Professional Development Center (PDC) and Ministry

of Higher Education of Afghanistan to organize, mentor and deliver OBE-SCL capacity building

short term training programs in their relevant universities and MoHE

2. OBE-SCL champion shall be actively involved in Professional Development Center (PDC) of the

university to provide mentorship and technical assistance to faculties and lecturers in the

respective universities to enhance course material quality by integrating OBE and SCL

3. Help the Curriculum Committees of relevant university to integrate OBE and SCL into curriculum

of different programs

4. Help in reviewing the examination, course credit system, quality assurance and curriculum

bylaws of Higher Education.

5. Conduct at least two trainings annually on OBE-SCL in their relevant faculties

6. Assist and facilitate implementation of OBE-SCL in universities by working as support to the

Strategic Institutional Development Plan committee

7. Provide support to PDCs and individual faculty members in designing and developing program

and course learning outcomes, teaching methods and student assessment

8. Help in translating the OBE-SCL training materials to local languages

9. Develop at least one case study after their final training completion and annually, and submit it

to regional and international conferences for review and selection

10. Work closely with E-Learning committees/departments in their respective universities to

integrate OBE, SCL and e-learning especially blended learning into teaching and learning

11. Help in designing OBE-SCL training certificate program for PDCs

12. Work in close collaboration with their relevant university and develop monitoring mechanisms

to monitor and assess OBE-SCL implementation in universities

13. Provide support during annual OBE-SCL conference at university level and on national level