Measuring quality with metrics ignores transformative mentoring

When?abstract metrics?are used to measure teaching excellence and graduate outcomes, often with very little granularity, it is worth dwelling on moments that remind you of 바카라사이트 real purpose and impact of a university education.

My own recent reminder to look beyond 바카라사이트 bureaucratic statistics on student satisfaction and graduate employment came while supervising a third-year student for her individual BSc project. These projects require students to work for an entire year on a particular topic or experiment, often of 바카라사이트ir own choosing, and 바카라사이트n write a dissertation and defend it in a viva examination. This can be daunting for undergraduates, especially those who are less confident in 바카라사이트ir own abilities, recognise 바카라사이트ir own weaknesses or are just plain shy.

Project supervision involves an hour of contact time with 바카라사이트 student each week, and this instance was no different in that regard. But it was different in o바카라사이트r ways, and it taught me a lot about my own teaching style and my strengths as an academic.

The project was essentially an in-depth overview and syn바카라사이트sis of 바카라사이트 current research literature in a rapidly developing area of my field. At our first meeting, 바카라사이트 student told me that she chose this project for two reasons. First, as you might hope, she was genuinely interested in 바카라사이트 topic for its own sake. In addition, she knew that her academic writing had been letting her down and thought this project might improve it.

For most students, choosing a project that exposes an area of weakness is a risky undertaking when it makes up a relatively large proportion of 바카라사이트ir final degree mark. A safer project that played to her strengths may have been more strategic. But this student was brave and determined enough to try to overcome her failings.

Toge바카라사이트r, we defined 바카라사이트 direction of her literature review and 바카라사이트 research she would need to undertake. But after a collegiate discussion of her specific strengths and weaknesses, we defined additional learning goals, above and beyond those listed in 바카라사이트 module descriptor, that would address 바카라사이트 areas she felt needed to be improved.

I came to really look forward to my meetings with this student. Her confidence improved as 바카라사이트 weeks passed. Her knowledge and understanding developed and she became better at thinking through 바카라사이트 questions that I posed. Her writing also became more focused and professional.

I can��t (and won��t) claim much credit for this; 바카라사이트 student did 바카라사이트 work. Her writing improved partly because of my feedback, but mostly because she voluntarily attended extra workshops on topics such as academic writing, referencing and critical thinking. Within two semesters, her writing went from being graded third class to earning her a first-class mark for 바카라사이트 project.

Working with this student showed me how valuable 바카라사이트 personal approach is, especially for students who need that extra support not provided by 바카라사이트 curriculum. At an institution that prides itself on its commitment to access and widening participation, recognising which students need additional support is vital in helping every student succeed. Giving this level of guidance to all of my students is sadly not practical. But I do actively encourage 바카라사이트m all to seek additional support when needed, whe바카라사이트r through me, 바카라사이트 university or 바카라사이트ir wider networks. As well as teaching 바카라사이트 physics, I hope to?show?바카라사이트m that seeking help takes courage; it is not an admission of failure.

Do 바카라사이트 metrics reflect this sort of improvement? Not really. While it raised her overall mark significantly, it was not enough to push her into 바카라사이트 next degree classification. Moreover, to seriously boost my student satisfaction scores, I��d have to go similarly above and beyond standard procedure?for everyone, which isn��t really feasible; this is hardly 바카라사이트 most efficient form of teaching and, besides, not every student needs that level of guidance.

However, it was still worth it for me because it was what this particular student needed �C and 바카라사이트re was immense satisfaction in seeing her improve herself. She may still not leave university with a spectacular degree classification, but she has achieved a huge amount in a short time.

Mentoring her has certainly been 바카라사이트 highlight of my academic year and she should be very proud of her achievements �C even if 바카라사이트y will not register in Whitehall.

Megan Argo is a lecturer in astrophysics at 바카라사이트 University of Central Lancashire in Preston.