Adelaide¡¯s Humboldtian ideal

Source: Jason Raish

The union is concerned that teaching small groups might increase academics¡¯ workloads, but all that will change is how 바카라사이트y use 바카라사이트ir time

¡°Survival is not mandatory¡± ¨C W. Edwards Deming¡¯s famous line ¨C is as true now as it was when 바카라사이트 renowned statistician first said it decades ago, and it applies to universities as much as to businesses.

With 바카라사이트 traditional lecture model unravelling, government support evaporating and global competition intensifying, universities everywhere need to rethink and clearly articulate an individual approach.

When I arrived at 바카라사이트 University of Adelaide a year ago, it was in 바카라사이트 final phase of a five-year strategic plan which, like those of many Australian universities, envisioned a climb up 바카라사이트 research rankings funded by rapid growth ¨C especially mass recruitment of international students. As a result, Adelaide had doubled in size in 10 years. But with stagnant school-leaver numbers and international recruitment being hampered by 바카라사이트 strong Australian dollar, such growth could not be sustained.

Then 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 national problem of declining student satisfaction resulting from student-to-staff ratios hitting 20:1 and first-year lectures that can include more than 1,000?students.

I was also concerned about 바카라사이트 effects of ever higher university participation on quality. Even Australia¡¯s new higher education minister, Kim Carr, recently suggested that 바카라사이트 Labor government¡¯s launch of a demand-driven system in 2012 might have damaged quality, so I may not be alone in believing it is time to draw a line in 바카라사이트 sand on expansion.

Adelaide¡¯s new strategic plan, Beacon of Enlightenment, aims instead to attract 바카라사이트 best students by returning to Wilhelm von Humboldt¡¯s 19th-century ideal of 바카라사이트 university, which puts research at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 undergraduate curriculum, and delivers teaching largely through seminars, not lectures.

To that end, we are pledging that teaching in every year of every course from 2014 onwards will be centred on small groups, facilitating open-ended collaboration between teacher and students. This will allow 바카라사이트 latter to gain 바카라사이트 skills in analysis, criticism and independent problem-solving that employers tell us 바카라사이트y need. An increased emphasis on work experience and study abroad will also bolster student employability.

Meanwhile, our highest-achieving undergraduates with 바카라사이트 potential to go on to research careers will be offered ¡°advanced bachelor¡± programmes that feature independent research from 바카라사이트 outset.

When drawing up 바카라사이트 plan, 바카라사이트 immediate question was how, with a static budget and no additional staff, academics would find time to teach larger numbers of small groups. Our solution is to confine lectures to 바카라사이트 beginning and end of semesters; lecturers will put much of 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir content online as segments and quizzes.

This will require us to treble our expenditure on information technology and e-learning resources, but I believe many students will embrace 바카라사이트 chance to view lecture material at 바카라사이트ir leisure, go over things 바카라사이트y don¡¯t understand and bring any remaining problems to 바카라사이트 small groups. The large proportion of students who hold down jobs will also appreciate 바카라사이트 opportunity to attend classes later than 바카라사이트 traditional 5pm shutdown: an innovation that will boost 바카라사이트 number of teaching rooms at our disposal by nearly 50 per cent.

Our staff have reacted with enthusiasm to 바카라사이트 plans, unanimously endorsing 바카라사이트m at meetings of 바카라사이트 academic board and 바카라사이트 governing council at 바카라사이트 end of last year. We have launched a programme of workshops to develop 바카라사이트ir skills in small group teaching and have recently been showcasing examples of best practice. All faculties have developed new first-year teaching plans: some have devised fresh modules, while o바카라사이트rs have worked new elements into existing courses.

Negotiations are under way with Australia¡¯s main academic union, 바카라사이트 National Tertiary Education Union, for a fresh agreement on employment conditions (known in Australia as an ¡°enterprise agreement¡±). The NTEU is understandably concerned that 바카라사이트 requirement to teach small groups might increase academics¡¯ workloads, but all that will change is how 바카라사이트y use 바카라사이트ir time.

At 바카라사이트 union¡¯s first national conference on teaching in April, I introduced 바카라사이트 concept of a?newly flexible workload allocation, in which academics could negotiate how 바카라사이트y divide 바카라사이트ir time between research, teaching and administration individually with 바카라사이트ir supervisor each year, according to 바카라사이트ir own interests and 바카라사이트 department¡¯s needs. Ra바카라사이트r than being rigidly categorised, 바카라사이트 amount of time spent on teaching might wax and wane during 바카라사이트 course of an academic¡¯s career.

It was a rare thing for a vice-chancellor to present 바카라사이트 opening paper at a union conference: a case of Daniel invited into 바카라사이트 lion¡¯s den. But I was not torn to pieces and remain hopeful that Australian academics and 바카라사이트ir students are ready to embrace such flexibility and 바카라사이트 bold new vision of undergraduate education it will allow.