Final International University recently hosted Dr. Mehdi Riazi of Macquarie University in Australia. Dr. Riazi, who specializes in language education, gave a seminar and workshop to a large and enthusiastic audience of both academic staff and students on the theme of incorporating twenty-first century skills in university programs.

Comparing traditional modes of educational delivery to contemporary practice, Dr. Mehdi stressed the role of active student involvement in the learning process, and the shift in the role of the teacher from director to facilitator. He further explored the concepts of life, literacy, and learning skills, and the evolution from assessment of learning to evaluation for learning.

Dr. Mehdi’s workshop proceeded to examine some of these themes in greater detail, with a particular focus on the challenging but important task of curriculum alignment, to ensure that courses have clear learning outcomes, materials and methods to promote the achievement of those outcomes and appropriate tools for evaluating success.