In 2015, this author was part of the UCO Fulbright Iraqi Scholars program and through the guidance of the  (CETTL) UCO Center  led the shift in Iraqi universities. One conference, three workshops, and multiple webinars has resulted in over 300 Iraqi instructors trained from ten different provinces. The breadth of teaching and learning from a TL perspective has support from the U.S. Embassy and the IREX organization objectives: increase opportunities for instructors to shift their educational focus on the transmission of knowledge to a learner-centered approach, where deeper and long-lasting learning occurs. Challenges that have become apparent through the move to a TL methodology are that the Ministry college and administration have legal obstacles that need to be overcome, like a shortage of time and materials. We are proposing to address these by offering more training for professors and post-graduate students; involving other educational entities, e.g., CETTL or IREX, to deliver easily implemented methodologies, and to network with universities and other educational units across Iraq. Participants' takeaway lessons learned from our launch. It will be interactive and of interest to a broad audience, and considering launching TL at their own universities.

The UCO Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching & Learning (CETTL) should change the last three words in the four lines definition of CETTL from “University of Central Oklahoma” to other universities in the United States and overseas countries.

"CETTL, in collaboration with other campus units and individuals, offers programs, services, and resources to encourage, enhance, and support faculty to help students learn. It also provides support and confidential consultations for individual faculty members, and consistently promotes deep, transformative learning experiences for all students at the University of Central Oklahoma."

This session presents the process involved in implementing a transformative learning initiative in a country outside the U.S. It will suggest lessons learned in the implementation of TL that can be transferred to other countries. The author led the shift in Iraqi universities to transformative learning. As a participant in the 2015 UCO Fulbright Scholars program, this author was introduced to TL through the guidance and leadership of CETTL (specifically Drs. King and Horn). Upon returning home the author was able conduct three workshops, one conference, and some webinars on TL.
The application, strategy, and experience of TL spread quickly. Within two years more than 300 Iraqi university instructors from twenty universities in ten different provinces were trained. The breadth of teaching and learning from a transformative learning perspective can make a difference in the Iraqi education system in another two years mostly because of the support from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the IREX organization (The International Research & Exchanges Board). These agencies are a couple of the most prominent influencers in higher education in Iraq, benefiting from our UCO experience (Barthell et al., 2010) and inspirations (King, 2002).

The objectives of launching TL in Iraq are to increase opportunities for instructors to shift their educational focus on the transmission of knowledge to a learner-centered approach, where deeper and long-lasting learning occurs.

The challenges that have become apparent through the move to a TL methodology are that the Ministry has legal obstacles that need to be overcome, that there is a shortage of time and materials, and that this shift challenges the college and administration hierarchy. We are proposing to address these challenges by offering more training for professors and post-graduate students; involving other educational entities, e.g., CETTL or IREX, to deliver easily implemented methodologies, and to network with universities and other educational units across Iraq.

Participants will takeaway from this session lessons learned from our launch of TL in Iraq to their universities. The session will be interactive with and of interest to a broad audience participants comparing and contrasting challenges and benefits we have discovered to what they might envision in their university.

Barthell, J., E. Cunliff, K. Gage, and C. Steele. (2010). "Transformative Learning: Collaborating to Enhance Student Learning." A Collection of Papers on Self-Study and Institutional Improvement, 26th Edition. Higher Learning Commission.

King, K. P. (2002). A journey of transformation: A model of educators’ learning experiences in educational technology. In J. M. Pettit & R. P. Francis (Eds.). Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Adult Education Research Conference, (pp. 195200)

Mezirow, J. Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2000.

30-Minute Roundtable Session

Launching Transformative Learning