Sejahtera Academic Framework (SAF)

52 51 SECTION 3 IIUM recognises that a curriculum is the heart of its being. Innovatively developed and creatively delivered, a curriculum serves as a catalyst that triggers dynamic processes that would shape narratives and effect changes in societies and nations. To ensure the successful implementation of the framework, a comprehensive evaluation of the present practices in the existing curricula was conducted. The aims of this evaluation were to review, develop, and validate the efficacy of leading-edge changes to the University’s academic programmes. In order to obtain this information, the following major activities were conducted: 1. perform a 360-degree assessment of the relevance and adequacy of IIUM’s curriculum in terms of its goals, programmes and courses learning outcomes, content-standards and performance-standards, structure, delivery, assessment and implementation. 2. benchmark best practices and innovation in curriculum development and implementation, with a special focus on the delivery and the achievement of content-standards and performance-standards of the curriculum and courses. INTRODUCTION RETROSPECTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING SOURCES OF INFORMATION The information for this report was obtained from a series of activities involving different segments of the University. • Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving course facilitators, students, administrators of each of the UniCORE courses, academic staff according to their kulliyyah, postgraduate students and deputy deans in charge of postgraduate programmes in the kulliyyahs, at different times. • Graduate Attributes Survey 2019 • Academic Experience Survey 2019 • Post-Graduate Survey 2020 • Tracer Study 2018 • Meeting of IIUMGreat Minds Workshop • Student Feedback Survey 2019 • Academic Review Survey 2020 As such the report here is presented according to the order below: i. General perception ii. Academic programmes iii. UniCORE courses iv. Graduate attributes v. Tracer Study vi. Student Feedback Survey METHODOLOGY Focus Group Discussion (FGD) The FGDs were led by skilled moderators leading a targeted group of informants through a semi-structured interview setting on a specific issue. Accordingly, in each FGD, all informants were allowed to voice their complaints, concerns and recommendation to the issues above. Two sets of FGDs were conducted in this exercise, one related to kulliyyah’s academic programme and the other related to the University Required Courses (UniCORE). At the Kulliyyah level, a series of 12 FGDs were conducted. Each FGD was conducted at the different kulliyyahs with the esteemed academic members of the kulliyah serving as the informants for the FGD. The general objective of this exercise was to identify and record the views of the academic members of the University about the academic programmes in IIUM. Specifically, in each FGD,