Teaching and the human brain: strategic interventions in curriculum redesign for mba program in mekelle university, ethiopia

Abstract

The report is a proposal for strategic interventions in the curriculum of the MBA program in Mekelle University. Based on my experience in the university and its strategic documents and findings, although there have been reform programs in the university, of which curriculum redesign is one element, there are strategic issues that are still major concerns challenging the attainment of its mission and strategic objectives. To address strategic issues related to curriculum, based on the basic principles of the mind and the theories of learning and their implications for instructional curriculum design the report presented the interventions, rational and examples of the strategies in designing a curriculum for the MBA program in the university. In doing so, although the comprehensive description of the neurological findings that have implications for the design of instructional strategies and curriculum is beyond the scope of the study, it summarized some of the findings that will help as a background in proposing strategic interventions in the MBA curriculum. Accordingly, first the major neurological findings regarding how the human brain works have been briefly presented. Then the general theories of learning that will have a profound impact on curriculum design taking Caine and Caine (1991) principles of brain based learning have been summarized. And finally, based on our understanding of the basic principles of the mind and the theories of learning and their implications for instructional curriculum design the report presented the interventions, rational and examples of the strategies in designing a curriculum for the MBA program in the university.