A collaborative effort between Appalachian State University in the US and the University of Salahaddin in Iraq worked to revise a course on critical thinking, debate, and public speaking at the University of Salahaddin. The collaboration involved using technology tools in creative ways to deliver both professional development for faculty and coursework for undergraduate students. Challenges included getting faculty to agree on course content and delivery methods. Discussions focused on instructional strategies, training faculty, and ensuring consistency across disciplines and instructors. As a result of workshops and presentations at Appalachian State, the University of Salahaddin prepared a new syllabus, materials for faculty training, and recommendations to implement the revised course across colleges.

1. Revising an Iraqi Course on Debate and Critical Thinking:
A Collaborative Effort Between an Iraqi and US University
Sara Olin Zimmerman, Mona Abinader, Appalachian State University, US
Fatimah Hasan Al Bajalani, University of Salahaddin, Iraq
Abstract: A collaborative effort between the Ministry of Higher Education
and Scientific Research and Appalachian State University began in 2008 to
reform higher education in six universities in northern Iraq. This
collaboration was renewed in 2015 through a grant from the International
Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), an international nonprofit
organization providing thoughtful leadership and innovative change
globally. This recent grant supported Iraqi faculty and administrators to
strengthen university curriculum, enhance and update teaching methods
and to implement technology. Specifically, Appalachian State worked with
Salahaddin University-Erbil to revise a course on critical thinking, debate,
public speaking, and respect for different points of view. This work involved
using technology in creative ways to deliver both professional development
and coursework to undergraduate students. This session will address the
challenges of curriculum revision and course delivery along with examples
of the technology tools used.
Project Outline US:
Aims as ideals, goals as measurable objectives
Information vs. learnedness, critical thinking, ethics
Traditional vs. progressive curriculum
Implicit and explicit curriculum
Curriculum theory
Curriculum development
Curriculum as personal, interpersonal and
social change
Paradigmatic tensions, moving to wisdom
3S model
Reflective inquiry
Designing and planning
Curriculum evaluation
Feedback and Lessons Learned:
• Dr. Lori Mason was extremely important with
the initial workshop. Lori helped focus the
discussion around future needs and emphasized
the importance of the grant work during the
time in Boone.
• When the professors from the University of
Salahaddin arrived in Boone, they were
introduced to other international visitors who
were working at ASU with the TEA Grant. This
seemed to help the transition and gave the
visiting professors other educators to interact
with at the same hotel.
• The session on technology and communication
tools was good. The group seemed to
appreciate the accessibility of the Internet.
Mona Abinader created a website for the team:
https://sites.google.com/a/appstate.edu/public
speaking/
We worked diligently on specifics such as assessment of activities within a revised syllabus, weekly content (activities and
assignments) for the semester long course, and a thoughtful review of course goals and objectives. It was difficult to get the faculty
members to agree on content and course delivery initially. We discussed academic freedom and the need for specific directions.
Therefore, discussions of instructional strategies and training for faculty so that the course will stay consistent across disciplines and
faculty were also an important part of the week.
Training Preparation in Iraq:
• Preparation of a new syllabus for Academic Debate and
Critical Thinking course depending on the subjects and
the presentations that the team attended at Appalachian
State University, the feedback of SU teachers of AD&CT,
MA thesis of one of our teachers in the College of Basic
Education, and some lectures prepared by three teachers
in the College of Education
• Preparation for the workshop of AD&CT lecturers in all
Salahaddin University departments as follows:
Translation of the booklet to Kurdish language.
Poster preparation, designing posters, printing
the posters and distributing them to all colleges
and departments.
Deciding on the day of the workshop.
Distribution of the tasks and presentations among
the team members as follows:
• An overview of the new course”Academic Debate
&Critical Thinking” by the team leader (Prof. Fatimah R.
Hasan Al Bajalani). She also reviewed all the materials
and presentations; Report writing by Prof. Dr. Adel Kamal
Khider; Critical thinking by Mr. Hardawan Mahmmood
Persuasion and argumentation by Ms. Skokhan Sherzad
Qader. Google application, Google classroom, links, and
videos, note taking by Mr. Hemin Essa. Poster design,
referencing and avoiding plagiarism (paraphrasing,
summarizing and quotations) by Mr. Hardi Barznji.
• As a result of the workshop of Academic Debate and
Critical Thinking, and to further develop this course, the
directorate of curriculum development offered a number
of recommendations to the President of SU in order to be
put into practice and implemented in all the colleges.