Executive Summary
Armenian State Agrarian University — Agricultural Education Reforms Initiative
Texas A&M University—U.S. Department of Agriculture-Foreign Agricultural Service
August 2006 - September 2007
Strategic Goal
The Armenian State Agrarian University (ASAU) will be recognized and accredited by the European Union as a higher education university with institutional standards for academic credit, curriculum, qualified faculty and qualified students who are accepted by world-class universities in agricultural science and education. The transformation will be complete and fully implemented by 2010.
Scope of Work, Phase I. (August 2006- December 2006)
Phase I began 15 August and continued through 31 December 2006 and included three mutually reinforcing streams of work: 1) Program development, 2) Priority initiatives and activities, and 3) Organizing developmental work groups.
1. Program Development. A six member program development team (PDT) examined the state of program development in the university. The PDT included six professors from five American Land-Grant Universities with expertise in higher agricultural education—New Mexico State University, Oklahoma State University, Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M University and Washington State University. The team members had specialties in credit transcription systems, curriculum transformation, English language, extension education, external relations, faculty teaching effectiveness, integration of e-technology, organization structures and teacher preparation. All PDT members explored innovative approaches in the transformation of ASAU.
Impacts: The PDT filed a report, SAUA work plan - Higher agricultural educational reforms in Armenia, on 20 Nov 06. Report included case findings, inputs and resources, recommended activities, alternatives for scope of work, budgets, and planning schedules. The results provided a valuable baseline for planning and assessing high priority activities. The PDT examined challenges in adjusting to the conditions of the EU Bologna Declaration. The analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats included interviews, literature reviews, and document analysis. Appendices included partial budgets for 70 credit system and professional development activities in word document and Excel spreadsheet formats.
2. Priority Initiatives and Activities. Based upon the recommendations of the PDT, five foci were selected as Phase II activities; developing courses and curricula, developing course syllabi, adopting new teaching and learning methods, adopting European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) student evaluation methods and tools, and developing an ECTS transcript management system. Results included a detailed planning calendar that guided workshops in credit system and professional development reforms. The calendar provided objectives and a blueprint to communicate a strategy for accelerating change, tactics, sequenced priority activities, budget estimates, complementary American university partners and faculty members with critical skills to match priority tasks.
3. Organizing Developmental Work Groups. The working groups comprised TDY specialists, 110 key faculty members, university administrators and a complement of student and industry leaders. A structure was designed to include five working groups to be made up of 22 opinion leader faculty members with five lecturers from agronomy and economics—larger departments—and three lecturers from the four smaller academic departments.
Scope of Work, Phase II (March 2007- September 2007)
Phase II began 15 March 2007 and continued through 30 September 2007. This phase had two mutually reinforcing streams of work:1) ECTS Credit System and 2) Professional Development. The University of Georgia collaborated in this phase.
ECTS Credit System Overview. Guided by a detailed planning calendar and using a workshop format, six TDY experts plus the resident advisor delivered 279 clock-hours of technical training to 66 faculty members and eight administrators. Specific training included 90 clock-hours in each of three topic areas. Seven American professors from Clemson University, New Mexico State University, Texas A&M University, University of Georgia and Virginia Tech & State University provided workshop training. Six translators and logistical support from Texas A&M University assisted the trainers.
1. ECTS Credit System, Phase II. This scope of work included four topics:
- developing courses and curricula
- developing course syllabi
- developing a transcript management system
- administering a transcript management system
Methods included case studies; computer-assisted instruction; demonstration-performance (by both workshop presenters and subsequently by individual lecturers); experiential learning; student intern programs; formative evaluation/feedback on materials and methods developed by participants; group/committee/team work; guided discussions; guided-problem solving; independent study; individual projects; post-workshop with follow-up consultations; readings; seminars and symposia.
Credit System Deliverables. Each of the four themes delivered a series of three 10-day workshops with 75 hours of faculty training in each topic area. A total of 234 hours of technical training was delivered to the four groups. Using a pre-post activity-driven workshop method, 22 key professors and administrators participated in each of the first three topic areas (225 hrs) and eight key administrators were included as a specially organized administrative group (9 hrs). Each of the workshops provided prolonged engagement with follow-up consulting, group/committee/team work, and guided problem solving.
Primary Impacts included improved curriculum and course planning; increased transparency in student evaluation and grade assignments; increased teaching effectiveness; and more accurate student evaluation and grade assessments. Secondary impacts included improved articulation with other Armenian universities and the Minister of Education; improved English usage by professors and students; and increased student learning of criterion materials; improved articulation among ASAU and CIS/EU/US universities; improved international mobility of Armenian graduate students; enhanced knowledge articulation and information leveraging; improved scholarship by professors and improved student competence through degree planning.
A public access website, www.sauabologna.com was launched with 327 downloadable training documents in Armenian, English and Russian. One hundred ten lecturers and 20 administrators received an Armenian translated copy of “Big Picture Strategic Plan” describing strategies for achieving the goals of quality, international mobility, autonomy, transparency, and social access to higher education. Pre-post workshop evaluations and product development documented positive change in attitudes, knowledge, engagement, viewpoint, and behaviors of lecturers.
2. Professional Development, Phase II. This portion included three topics:
- teaching and learning methods
- student evaluation methods & tools
- computer applications for higher agricultural education
Professional Development Overview: Using the planning calendar and workshop format, six TDY experts delivered 200 clock-hours of technical training to 77 faculty members. Specific training included 90 clock-hours in teaching and learning methods; 90 clock-hours in developing student evaluation methods and materials and 20 clock-hours in computer applications in higher agricultural education. Seven American professors from Pennsylvania State University, Texas A&M University and the University of Georgia-Athens provided workshop training. Six translators and logistical support from the Texas A&M University assisted the trainers.
Professional Development Deliverables. The first two topics were delivered as a series of three 10-day workshops with 75 hours of faculty training in each topic area. Eight 2½ hour workshops in computer applications were delivered to 17 selected faculty members. This series included three sessions on using Word software, two using Excel software, two using PowerPoint and one integrated Word-Excel-PowerPoint session. Three 2½ hour computer-based course management system workshops were delivered to 26 selected faculty members in which lecturers created their own electronic course materials. MOODLE uses textual and multimedia materials to improve teaching efficiency. A dedicated website www.sauabologna.com includes downloadable training documents in Armenian, Russian, and English. All workshops had pre-post evaluations with gain scores in both computer knowledge and attitudes.
Impacts included improved accuracy in student evaluation and grade assessments; improved articulation among AM/EU/US universities; improved English usage by professors and students; improved scholarship by professors; improved faculty and student computer skills; increased student learning; increased teaching effectiveness; and improved student recruitment.
Success indicators included the development and adoption of new curriculum materials; adoption of new teaching and learning methods; use of new educational technologies; new methods of student assessment and evaluation; development of excellent professors; demonstrated innovative practice; and expanded global viewpoints.
Additional Accomplishments
Bonus Activities. There was a major ASAU commitment to the development of a HEI training monograph, The Bologna Process: Reforms and Strategies. The guidebook documents and describes policies, procedures, and materials necessary to achieve the transformation of university curricula. The 150 page Armenian handbook is to be used to communicate policy and strategies for universities as they apply ECTS criteria in first and second cycle degree programs. |
