A Theoretical Foundation to Foster the University Education System in Sri Lanka; Pragmatic Approach to Evacuate the Age-old Gap

Abstract

Despite the fact that one pivotal role of the university education system in Sri Lanka is to fabricate proficient graduates as per the expectations by both private and public sector organisations meeting their competent criteria, we experience situations of large number of graduates bear with unemployment for a long period of time. One most recent remedy taken up by the government in this direction is to employ 40,000 unemployed graduates. The recurring issue of unemployment, under-employment and a variety of precautions taken by different authorities to the resolve the above, hints that the current university education system has not been able to cater to the needs of the society to a greater extent. The problem of this study is to formulate a mechanism to minimise the above by suggesting a framework based on reforming curriculum design. The objective of this study is to propose a theoretical framework for the university education where the expected knowledge, skills and attitudes can be acquired to meet the industry requirements reducing the age-old gap. The model is devised by constructively aligning the curriculum; learning outcomes, teaching learning: activities and assessments addressing to three domains of learning; cognitive, affective and psychomotor. In each domain, the curriculum is designed assigning lower levels of a taxonomy in the preliminary years of the degree programme and progressively directing to higher levels of the taxonomy at the higher levels the degree programme. Also within each level, objectives, teaching, learning and assessment is constructively aligned. In conclusion, adaptation of this theoretical framework to design the curriculum will be a milestone in the university system in Sri Lanka to evaluate the age- old gap and meet the industrial demand successfully.