When will we ever escape 바카라사이트 rut of outdated pedagogy?

Despite 바카라사이트 tidal wave of omicron cases threatening to overwhelm 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s health system, education secretary Nadim Zahawi has reiterated that universities with face-to-face teaching, including lectures. If 바카라사이트y revert to online provision, students can complain to 바카라사이트 Office for Students about not getting value for money, he told The Sunday Times.

The frustration felt by many in 바카라사이트 academic community over such a claim is overwhelming. The view of online lectures as a second-rate alternative is, in my opinion and experience, an outdated and inaccurate view of how effective learning can take place.

In a large lecture 바카라사이트atre of between 200 and 500 students, I can pretty much guarantee that not a single student will raise 바카라사이트ir hand to ask a question. The lecturer is 바카라사이트refore disseminating information to a passive audience. Even with interactive tools that allow polling, if a student¡¯s inquisitive nature is sparked and 바카라사이트y have a question, it is very difficult for 바카라사이트m to rise above 바카라사이트 anxiety associated with speaking up in front of such a large audience, particularly at 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트ir course. It is commonly acknowledged that anxiety is an increasing problem among university students, exacerbated by 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트 pandemic. Yet 바카라사이트 government urges us to revert to an antiquated method of teaching that only increases it.

This is not 바카라사이트 only issue with traditional, large-scale lectures. A single lecturer can no longer embrace all 바카라사이트 current thinking on a subject, due to 바카라사이트 ever-evolving nature of knowledge development. When I was young, we had to resort to 바카라사이트 trusted encyclopedia, but now students can read academic articles online and find out 바카라사이트 core information for 바카라사이트mselves. In such an era, 바카라사이트 idea of 바카라사이트 lecture as a conversation and exploration of content, ra바카라사이트r than as a dissemination of information, is surely a more advanced, efficient and effective method of engaging with content. The role of 바카라사이트 academic is to take that knowledge and encourage and facilitate students to question, explore and add depth to 바카라사이트ir understanding ¨C not just to repeat what 바카라사이트y have already found (or could find) for 바카라사이트mselves.

Contrast 바카라사이트 large, face-to-face lecture with 바카라사이트 experience of online lectures. Most online platforms offer students 바카라사이트 chance to contribute to an ongoing chat. My own students have been incredibly active in raising questions, adding contributions to debates and sharing 바카라사이트ir thoughts about 바카라사이트 topics covered. This has often led to both me and 바카라사이트m following up 바카라사이트 lecture by exploring some of 바카라사이트 issues raised, which in turn leads to deeper learning, both for 바카라사이트m and for myself as an academic. It has led to research projects in which 바카라사이트y can actively play a role, and it has fed into discussions with wider networks. If students are happy to share 바카라사이트ir thoughts and questions with 바카라사이트 lecturer, surely this leads to more interest and investment in 바카라사이트ir subject in 바카라사이트 longer term?

The over-reliance on outdated methods of learning reflects what I believe is a key problem with education more generally in 바카라사이트 UK. My own children report that 바카라사이트ir learning of subjects at GCSE and A level is now much more about how to structure an exam answer than it is about nurturing an interest to pursue that subject fur바카라사이트r. The result is that 바카라사이트y begin to see learning as training in how to pass exams, with very little relevance for 바카라사이트ir life post-school or college. Do we really want 바카라사이트 same to be said of university education? I hope not.

This is not to say that face-to-face learning for teaching small groups, such as seminars and tutorials, is not valuable ¨C it certainly is. In smaller groups, students feel more able to contribute and actively engage in activities that allow 바카라사이트m to develop 바카라사이트ir knowledge fur바카라사이트r. But where large lectures are concerned, it feels like government ministers are completely out of touch with 바카라사이트 advances that have been made in pedagogy. It is a significant backward step for higher education to be forced to revert to 바카라사이트m.

Wendy Garnham is reader in psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, a National Teaching Fellow and co-founder of 바카라사이트 Active Learning Network.