Higher Education Curriculum in the 21st Century: Challenge and Strategies

By reviewing some of the markedly changes which have been taken place in higher education in recent years, this paper offers new insights into undergraduate curriculum. It is emphasized that the significant changes in science and technology disrupted the traditional identities of place, time and the scholarly and student communities in university. The modifications discussed in terms of the deconstruction of the subject, key skills movement and learning through experience. It is also explained that the dramatic changes in employability skills influenced higher education curriculum. And finally, many of the innovations and trends in the field of curriculum as an academic discipline reflect three important shifts in emphasis; from content to competencies, integration across the curriculum and Innovative instructional Methods. To comprise the new situation, it is argued that an alternative process model of curriculum creation should be taken into account for the development of higher education curriculum in the 21st century.