Üsküdar Üniversitesi Founding Rector Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, was the guest of the program organized by the Malatya Provincial Directorate of National Education within the scope of the “Values Education Project”. In his speech titled “New Truths in Education and 21st Century Education”, Tarhan stated, “The most important point in our education system as a 21st-century skill is not rote memorization, but learning through experience.”
Classical learning is not valid in the new age!
Drawing attention to the importance of learning through experience for the permanence of knowledge, Tarhan said; “As a 21st-century skill, the most important point in our education system is active learning, that is, learning through experience. In the classical learning method, students gather in the classroom, the teacher explains, and the lesson ends. This learning method is no longer valid in the new age. The neuroscience-based learning method is of two types. One is problem-focused learning, and the second is sensory-based learning. That is, a person assembles, disassembles, plays, and imagines. When learned this way, information becomes more permanent. Otherwise, you memorize it, but then the information flies away. That's why, as Üsküdar Üniversitesi, we attach great importance to learning through experience and by doing projects, and we provide courses in this scope.”
“Young people need to be approached with persuasive methods”
Underlining that education should be based on trust-oriented rather than fear-oriented approaches, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said; “The greatest need and demand of young people is for freedom. We lose young people with authoritarian approaches. That's why we need to approach them with persuasive methods. We should approach them with trust policies, not fear policies, without restricting their freedoms. This is one of the 21st-century skills. It is the same in education. In classroom management, a teacher can roar and make students listen, but students study with fear. If the teacher is student-focused, the student will love the teacher. When they love the teacher, they love the lesson, and when they love the lesson, they study more. They respect the teacher due to the trust relationship built to avoid upsetting them. Trust-oriented education in classroom teaching is important. Education requires trust-oriented leadership, not fear-oriented leadership. If we cannot do this, we will miss the era. We will lose the youth. Therefore, the 4 principles adopted by Üsküdar Üniversitesi; pluralism, libertarianism, criticality, and participation, are very important.”
“Positive Psychology should be taught to students from primary school”
Stating that social, psychological, and natural scientists in the Western world are conducting well-being-enhancing studies, Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan said; “Universities in the West adopt the understanding that values education should be taught in modules, not through conferences and sermons. For example, the Positive Psychology course we offer to students at our university is also a course that should be given to students from primary school. Students need to be taught to be honest and hardworking from their very first steps in school. Furthermore, it is necessary to emphasize that self-interest should not be an ego ideal.”