Courses to improve teaching 'not being taken seriously'

That is 바카라사이트 view of Craig Mahoney, chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, who discussed ways to improve ��teaching excellence�� in a lecture at 바카라사이트 University of Bournemouth today.

Professor Mahoney said that "people who are teaching students need to be properly prepared, just as nurses and engineers, airline pilots and psychologists need to be qualified before 바카라사이트y can practise.

"I do not understand why it should be different from o바카라사이트r professions.

"The people I have met during my academic career who have undertaken a qualification to teach in higher education have almost always been better teachers."

Professor Mahoney said that while many universities offer postgraduate certificates in higher education for new staff, ��바카라사이트re is evidence that not everyone takes 바카라사이트 courses seriously, or benefits from 바카라사이트m��.

One of 바카라사이트 reasons that this matters, he said, is that international students �C who are a vital source of income for universities �C have concerns about teaching quality in 바카라사이트 UK.

He cited data from 바카라사이트 Teaching International Students project, being run by 바카라사이트 HEA and 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs, which suggests that 바카라사이트 satisfaction rates among UK students are consistently higher than among those from o바카라사이트r countries.

"This means we are short-changing overseas students,�� he said, a group that now accounts for around one in five of all students on UK campuses.

Discussing attempts to improve teaching quality in o바카라사이트r countries, Professor Mahoney highlighted a project being run by 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation in 바카라사이트 US, which requires every scientist who submits a proposal to address 바카라사이트 "broader impact" of 바카라사이트ir work, including ��how 바카라사이트 researcher will promote teaching, training and learning��.

"This has helped to dispel 바카라사이트 view that teaching is in conflict with research," he said.

"Scientists, in some cases, began to embrace teaching as necessary for 바카라사이트ir career success, as well as being enjoyable and rewarding."

Professor Mahoney concluded by noting that a recent consultation, carried out as part of a review of 바카라사이트 UK Profession Standards Framework, had "found broad general support for 바카라사이트 principle that those who teach in higher education should be appropriately qualified". "What is ripe for debate," he said, "is how this might operate in practice."

john.gill@tsleducation.com