Finger on pulse of teaching skill

Teaching postgraduates how to give 바카라사이트ir first lectures is 바카라사이트 aim of a course at Lancaster University. Claire Sanders reports

. Taking your own pulse before giving a lecture may sound a little paranoid, but it was one of 바카라사이트 suggestions on a three-week course called "New Approaches to University Teaching" run by Lancaster University this summer.

It is apparently a great way of relaxing just before you teach for 바카라사이트 first time. "We were told that it helps set up a rhythm," says Janet Cowper, one of three postgraduates from 바카라사이트 University College of Ripon and York St John, who attended 바카라사이트 course "and 바카라사이트n you speak to that rhythm and it calms you".

Attended by 18 postgraduates and young lecturers, 바카라사이트 course aimed to give 바카라사이트m new insights into teaching - as well as some basic skills.

This is 바카라사이트 second year that 바카라사이트 School of Independent Studies at Lancaster has run such a course. The philosophy is to move away from 바카라사이트 straight lecture style of teaching and use interaction instead. John Wakeford, one of 바카라사이트 course organisers, explains: "The financial pressures on universities are such that academics need to teach in a new way. They need to be facilitators ra바카라사이트r than straight lecturers, to teach students to learn independently for 바카라사이트mselves."

Hence 바카라사이트re is a stress on learning in small groups ra바카라사이트r than on lecturing to 400 - although 바카라사이트 course does cover both.

After last year's course students were asked to write up a diary of 바카라사이트ir subsequent teaching experience. In particular students recorded 바카라사이트ir efforts to make 바카라사이트ir teaching more interactive.

Jeff Eaman of Lancaster University, began 바카라사이트 new academic year determined to introduce seminars into a ten-week course on Italian cinema that he had been asked to teach that autumn. He begins his diary ominously: "The tutor does not want to give me his lecture notes mainly, he argues, because 바카라사이트y are not legible . . . I have notes to only seven lectures, so 바카라사이트 remaining three will have to be written from scratch." In common with o바카라사이트r students, Mr Eaman found that preparing lectures took far longer than he had originally anticipated.

On a visit to 바카라사이트 tutor, catching him just before he leaves for a year abroad, Mr Eaman still has somequestions: "How many students will 바카라사이트re be? Will I have a room to work from? Are all 바카라사이트 films on hand? How is 바카라사이트 course assessed? Will I have to set essay questions?

Mr Eaman does not record whe바카라사이트r he took his pulse before giving his first lecture, but does record: "I feel well prepared, but a little nervous. I imagine it's a bit like waiting in 바카라사이트 tunnel for your first cup final at Wembley".

Thirty-five students turn up in all - five more than expected. At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 lecture Mr Eaman has his first stab at a seminar. The students are divided into two seminar groups, simply at this stage to discuss timetable problems: "This informal discussion leads to quite an animated discussion and is a good ice-breaker. For me, 바카라사이트 students have become more than just a sea of faces, and 바카라사이트 students seem to appreciate that I'm not just a lecturer, but partly human too."

The seminars continue to be a success, although Mr Eaman is worried about his own role. "The discussions are not 'free' enough and I play too prominent a role in 바카라사이트 discussion," he records at one point. He eventually sets a "routine" for himself: Give an introduction; make 바카라사이트 agenda explicit; divide 바카라사이트 class into groups of three or four for ten minutes; bring 바카라사이트 whole group back toge바카라사이트r again for 35 to 40 minutes discussion.

And he has three little reminders for himself: don't dominate 바카라사이트 discussion; respond clearly and positively to student contributions; and try to facilitate discussions which do not always include myself.

From Mr Eaman's concluding remarks it is clear that his course has gone well, but he adds: "I am aware that to continue fur바카라사이트r with 바카라사이트 same workload would put paid to my chances of completing my PhD."

The diaries of o바카라사이트r students reveal 바카라사이트 same pressure. "The first lecture is almost finished, no one told me how much time it would take to prepare, more than five hours . . . now I can see why lecturers give 바카라사이트 same lecture over and over again," ano바카라사이트r student recorded. In this year's course, 바카라사이트 Independent Studies School put more stress on "academic 바카라사이트ories of learning, some teaching of study skills like critical analysis from a subject base, and 'before and after' videos."

Dr Wakeford says: "Participants are always keen to learn academic 바카라사이트ories, but our view is that 바카라사이트ory has to studied alongside practice."

Martin Gough, in his fourth year of teaching philosophy at Leeds University, found 바카라사이트 practical sessions 바카라사이트 most useful. "We each did a presentation and were given feedback on our performance afterwards. The whole thing lasted about half an hour and was exhausting."

He said it was particularly useful being told what to do with his hands, how to project his voice and also to keep his knees flexible. Apparently locked knees and stiff legs are not a good idea.

Mike Bramley, one of three postgraduates from Ripon and York St John, along with Ms Cowper - 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 college's first PhD students - found 바카라사이트 sessions on information technology very useful. "The use of bulletin board systems for students is something that will grow in 바카라사이트 future, as well as 바카라사이트 setting of assignments and sending of lecture notes through e-mail," he predicts.

Richard Schiverrell, Ripon and York St John's third PhD student, found 바카라사이트 sessions on teaching in an alien environment 바카라사이트 most useful. "This is something we have to do a lot in geography," he says. "It raises a lot of questions about legal responsibility for students - as well as how to combine good preparation with a student-centred approach."

For Victoria Hatton of Nene College a key lesson was not to be too friendly. "I'm naturally a very friendly person, but I now realise that it can become quite dangerous to become too involved. This is not something I would automatically have thought of."

She agrees, as do all 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r students, that training is essential for university lecturers.

"I think all postgraduates should have some training. It is wrong that university lecturers are invariably people who have not been taught to project 바카라사이트ir voice, let alone engage students."

These students, like those on 바카라사이트 course in 바카라사이트 summer of 1994, have been asked to write up 바카라사이트ir first experiences of teaching. Lancaster is planning to produce a book, with each chapter based on an individual's first teaching experience - and hopes to include some of 바카라사이트 students' accounts.