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Contemporary Issues and Trends in Education
Study by Syllabus
VU EDU401

Virtual University EDU401 Syllabus

Case Example: Pakistan
This page follows the official Virtual University EDU401: Contemporary Issues and Trends in Education course outline, taken from the university’s own weekly schedule. If you are enrolled in EDU401, study straight from it: work down the fifteen weeks and open the linked article for each lecture topic. The lecture numbers here match the course’s own Topic 1 to Topic 255, so a title that reads oddly on its own still points to the lecture with that number.

How to use this page

Each numbered line is one lecture topic, in the course’s own order, linked to the article that teaches it. Study the article, then close it and write the main points in your own words. If you can explain a topic without looking, you know it. Some weeks group several short lectures into one article, so the same link can appear more than once.

Week 01

  1. Education in twenty first Century
  2. International Conventions for Free and Quality Education
  3. Status of Education in Pakistan
  4. Pakistan’s Constitutional Provisions for Education
  5. Equity Issues in Education: Poverty
  6. Equity issues in Education: Silent Exclusion
  7. Equity issues in Education: Income
  8. Equity issues in Education: Health
  9. Equity issues in Education: school equipment
  10. Equity issues in Education: Gender
  11. Equity Issues in Education: Gender (for Teachers)
  12. Equity Issues in Education: Gender (Non-Enrollment rates)
  13. Equity Issues in Education: Gender (Literacy)
  14. Equity Issues in Education: Gender (Reasons for Gender Disparity)
  15. Equity Issues in Education: Religion

Week 02

  1. Religious Discrimination-I (Textbook Analysis)
  2. Religious Discrimination (textbook Analysis)
  3. Socio-Cultural related Issues (Reform Opportunities)
  4. Free and Accessible Education
  5. Free and Accessible Education (21st Century)
  6. Elements of Free and Accessible Education
  7. Benefits of Free and Accessible Education-I
  8. Benefits of Free and Accessible Education-II
  9. Benefits of Free and Accessible Education-III
  10. Free and Accessible education: Key Players I
  11. Free and Accessible education: Key Players II
  12. Free and accessible education: Attitudes and Values
  13. Free and Accessible Education: Curricula
  14. Free and Accessible Education: Empowerment for All

Week 03

  1. Peace Education
  2. Introduction to Peace Studies
  3. Peace Education I
  4. Peace Education II
  5. Transcend Approach
  6. Why do Human Clash
  7. Philosophy of peace education
  8. Elements of Curricula
  9. History I
  10. History II
  11. Aims: Knowledge
  12. Aims: skill
  13. Aims: Attitude
  14. Peace?
  15. Why Peace for Education?

Week 03 activity: Assignment.

Week 04

  1. Theme 1: A
  2. Theme 1: B
  3. Theme 1: C
  4. Theme 2: A
  5. Theme 2: B
  6. Theme 2: C
  7. Conflict: Introduction
  8. Conflict: Definition
  9. Conflict: Sources
  10. Conflict response style
  11. Dealing with Difficult People
  12. Looking at the problem or issue
  13. Rules for the road
  14. Approaches I

Week 04 activity: Quiz 1.

Week 05

  1. Conflict style based on TKI-I
  2. Conflict Style based on TKI-II
  3. Conflict styles
  4. Conflict Situation
  5. Madrassa Education
  6. What is Madrassa Education?
  7. Classification of Madrassa Education
  8. Historical Status of Madaaris in Pakistan
  9. Dominance of Madrassa Education
  10. Madrassa Education (Debate Controversies)
  11. The debate (challenges)
  12. Madrassa and Politics

Week 05 activity: Quiz 2.

Week 06

  1. Madaaris and radicalization
  2. Madrassa Reforms: Ghost Madaaris
  3. Madrassa Reforms: Foreign Funding
  4. Madrassa Reforms: Demands
  5. Madrassa Reforms; Obstacles
  6. Madrassa Reforms: Capacity constraints
  7. Policy recommendations for the government
  8. Policy recommendations for the madrassa administration
  9. Policy recommendations for civil society
  10. Success stories: Indonesia and Cuba
  11. Universal Literacy
  12. Levels of Literacy
  13. Literacy and Education
  14. Literacy in Islam

Week 06 activity: GDB (Graded Discussion Board).

Week 07

  1. Literacy as social practice
  2. Life on the basis of Literacy
  3. Literacy rate In Pakistan
  4. Definitions and Literacy rates
  5. NETCOM
  6. National Education policy
  7. National Education policy II
  8. National Education policy III
  9. National Education policy IV
  10. Private School growth
  11. UNESCO and Universal Literacy
  12. World Literacy Rate
  13. Problems in Literacy
  14. Problems in Literacy II
  15. Medium of Instruction

Week 08

  1. Medium of Instruction II
  2. Why Mother Tongue?
  3. Why International language?
  4. Basic and Secondary Education
  5. Literacy and Lifelong Learning
  6. Quality Education
  7. Instructional provisions
  8. 4 Models of Education
  9. Implementing Mother Tongue as Medium of Instruction
  10. Learning Types
  11. Learning types II
  12. Eraut (2000) I
  13. Eraut (2000) II
  14. EU’s Definitions (EC 2001) I
  15. EU’s Definitions (EC 2001) II
  16. Livingstone (2001) I
  17. Livingstone (2001) II
  18. Billet (2001) I
  19. Billet (2001) II

Week 08 activity: Mid Term Exam.

Week 09

  1. Beckett and Hager (2002)
  2. Colley, Hodkinson and Malcom I
  3. Colley, Hodkinson and Malcom II
  4. Colley, Hodkinson and Malcom III
  5. A Contemporary Concern
  6. Introduction 2
  7. Population Situation 1
  8. Population Situation 1-II
  9. Population Debate
  10. Health Care
  11. Food
  12. Human Rights

Week 09 activity: Quiz 3.

Week 10

  1. Why population education
  2. The role of Ideology and Culture 1
  3. The Role of Ideology and Culture 2
  4. Levels of Aggregation
  5. Decision making
  6. Relevance and Participation
  7. Program Planning/ Implementation
  8. Future Oriented learning
  9. Persuasion and prescription 1
  10. Persuasion and prescription 2
  11. Population Studies
  12. Methodological issues
  13. Population Education/Other “Educations”
  14. Population Education and the Media

Week 11

  1. Research for Program Development
  2. Conclusion
  3. Innovation and Renovation
  4. Population Education: Integration
  5. Introduction of Privatization
  6. Three forms of Privatization 1
  7. Private Funding
  8. Private regulation
  9. Privatization Policies in Education 1
  10. Public School Liberalization
  11. Private Contracting
  12. Tuition Credits and Deductions

Week 12

  1. Subsidies and Assistance Grants
  2. Private Payments
  3. Implementing Privatization Programs
  4. Implementing Privatization Programs 2
  5. Why is Privatization Happening? 1
  6. Why is Privatization Happening? 2
  7. Why is Privatization Happening? 3
  8. Why is Privatization Happening? 4
  9. Privatization in Pakistan I
  10. Privatization in Pakistan 2
  11. Privatization in Pakistan 3

Week 13

  1. Financing private Education in Pakistan I
  2. Financing Private Education Pakistan 2
  3. Financing Private Education Pakistan 3
  4. Diversity Private Education Pakistan 1
  5. Where has this diversity come from?
  6. What are the implications of diversity in the provision of education?
  7. Quality of Teaching and Learning 1
  8. Quality of Teaching and Learning 2
  9. Evaluate Privatization Programs 1
  10. Evaluate Privatization Programs 2
  11. Evaluate Privatization Programs 3
  12. Evaluate Privatization Programs 4
  13. Evaluate Privatization Programs 5
  14. Evaluate Privatization Programs 6
  15. Evaluate Privatization Programs 7
  16. Evaluate Privatization Programs 8
  17. Evaluate Privatization Programs 9
  18. What is Environmental Education? 1
  19. What is Environmental Education? 2
  20. What is Environmental Education? 3
  21. Vision of Environmental Education
  22. Climate Change 1
  23. Climate Change 2
  24. Existing Frameworks 1
  25. Existing Frameworks 2
  26. Implementing EE 1
  27. Implementing EE 2
  28. Implementing EE 3
  29. EE in Practice
  30. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 1
  31. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 2
  32. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 3
  33. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 4
  34. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 5
  35. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 6
  36. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 7
  37. EE in Environment-Friendly Schools 8

Week 14

  1. Methods for EE 1
  2. Methods for EE 2
  3. Methods for EE 3
  4. Methods for EE 4
  5. Children’s Voice 1
  6. Children’s Voice 2
  7. Teacher Education 1
  8. Teacher Education 2
  9. Teacher Education 3
  10. EE in the School Area 1
  11. EE in the School Area 2
  12. EE in the School Area 3
  13. EE in the School Area 4
  14. EE in the School Area 5
  15. EE in the School Area 6
  16. EE in the School Area 7

Week 15

  1. Technology Education
  2. Engaged Learning: Today’s Digital Natives 2
  3. Education Revolution 1
  4. Education Revolution 2
  5. A Look at Yesterday and Today 1
  6. A Look at Yesterday and Today 2
  7. The Communication Revolution 1
  8. The Communication Revolution 2
  9. Engaging “Digital Natives” 1
  10. Engaging “Digital Natives” 2
  11. Paths to Successful Education 1
  12. Paths to Successful Education 2
  13. Effects of Using Technology 1
  14. Effects of Using Technology 2
  15. Technology-Enabled Education 1
  16. Technology-Enabled Education 2
  17. Technology-Enabled Education 3
  18. Technology-Enabled Education 4
  19. Technology-Enabled Education 5
  20. Technology-Enabled Education 6
  21. Technology-Enabled Education 7
  22. Technology-Enabled Education 8
  23. Technology-Enabled Education 9
  24. Challenges of T-E Education Initiatives 1
  25. Challenges of T-E Education Initiatives 2
  26. Challenges of T-E Education Initiatives 3
  27. Challenges of T-E Education Initiatives 4
  28. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 1
  29. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 2
  30. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 3
  31. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 4
  32. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 5
  33. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 6
  34. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 7
  35. Reforms for Tech-Supported Education 8

Week 15 activity: Final Term Exams.

This guide covers everything in the course and adds more besides, so a few chapters here go beyond what EDU401 tests.

Last updated on • Talha
Syllabus C