100226P - CONCEPT PAPER ON WRITING TEXTBOOKS FOR UNIVERSITY COURSES IN BANGLADESH

Paper delivered at a Textbook writing seminar held at Dhaka on 25-26^th February 2010 by Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Bioethics King Fahad Faculty of Medicine Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

1.0 BACKGROUND

1.1 Our main objective is to resolve the crisis of duality in education which has severe adverse intellectual and practical consequences for individuals and communities in our ummat.

1.2 Integrating Islamic values and concepts in all disciplines of learning is the best approach to resolving the crisis of duality on knowledge and education.

1.3 Epistemology and curriculum reform is necessary as a step to integrating Islamic values in education. This will lead to a knowledge renaissance that will eventually lead to an overall renaissance and revival of the ummat.

1.4 Education reform is the necessary condition for social reform and rebuilding the ummatic civilization.

2.0 REVIEW OF PAST ACHIEVEMENTS IN BANGLADESH

2.1 Epistemology and curriculum reform seminars have been held 2007-present to raise awareness of the problem of duality and to propose epistemological and curricular reform as the needed solution. These were followed by specific seminars with visiting discipline experts.

2.2 Discipline specific working groups were set up for each discipline of knowledge. These groups worked very hard and have now been able to develop a total of 75 course outlines with an integrated Islamic input.

2.3 The next step is to develop text books that will be used to teach those courses.

3.0 STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TEXTBOOK PROJECT

3.1 Finalizing course descriptions and course outlines to be completed by March 1, 2010

3.2 Compiling references available in Bangladesh both general and Islamic for all the courses to be completed by March 10, 2010.

3.3 Determining for each book: the title, units / sections, chapters (a chapter is one classroom session) to be completed by March 20, 2010

3.4 Structuring each chapter: learning objectives, detailed outlines (headings and sub-headings), key words, Islamic input, glossary, index, case studies, texts from Islamic sources (Qur’an, sunnat, other books), illustrations (pictures and drawings), chapter summary, review (questions, tests, exercises), and assignments. These assignments will be completed by March 31, 2010.

3.5 Designation the editorial board for each book (chief editor and co-editors), chapter writers, reviewers (from Bangladesh and overseas), advisors (Bangladesh and overseas), and consultants (Bangladesh and overseas). Full names, addresses, emails, and brief CV for each person to be submitted by April 10, 2010.

3.6 Allocation of chapters to writers by April 20, 2010.

3.7 Submission of the final version of the book plans by May 1, 2010

3.8 Collection of references by IIIT to be completed by June 1, 2010. General references can be obtained from online data bases like amazon.com and from various bookstores outside Bangladesh. Islamic sources will be supplied by IIIT and many of them will be translations from Arabic material available in Riyadh, Kuala Lumpur, Cairo, and Amman.

3.8 Regular workshops for chapter writers and editors to review the written material preferably once every 1-2 months.

3.9 Testing the chapters written as classroom notes for university students and getting feedback.

3.10 Evaluation and adoption of the final versions by the editorial board of each book to be completed by December 31, 2010.

3.8 Evaluation by IIIT consultants by March 1, 2011

3.8 Editing, proof reading, and type setting by the IIIT publications department to be completed by June 30, 2011. The IIIT style sheet will be used for transliteration and other editorial aspects.

3.9 Printing and distribution by IIIT / BIIT by October 1, 2011.

4.0 DESIRED FEATURES OF THE TEXT BOOK

4.1 Scope: 1-2 text book(s) for each course

4.2 Size: 150-300 pages

4.3 Cover: soft (80%) and hard (20%)

4.4 Attractive fonts (Times New Roman no 12), multicolors

4.5 Price: USD5-15 cover price

4.6 Accompanying CD / DVD and web based resources

5.0 BUSINESS ASPECTS

5.1 Copy right held by IIIT/BIIT

5.2 Editing, reviewing, printing, and distribution costs by IIIT/BIIT

5.3 A royalty will be paid for each book to be divided among the authors: 50% on submission of the manuscript and 50% on completion of all corrections prior to printing.

5.4 New editions every 2-3 years