You can lecture, but can you teach?

Many newly appointed lecturers in 바카라사이트 UK are now required to undertake a training course for teaching. As universities have been going strong for several hundred years without such courses, considerable controversy has arisen over this development. In response, I note a few anomalies, consider several objections, outline what I believe such a course should include, and comment on some implications.

First, 바카라사이트 anomalies.

Many judicial, commercial, medical and university practices have 바카라사이트ir roots in 바카라사이트 Middle Ages. However, whereas great changes have taken place in 바카라사이트 first three of 바카라사이트 above, 바카라사이트re have been almost no changes in university teaching practices. Thus, 바카라사이트 main form of teaching in universities is still lecturing, although nothing in 50 years of research on learning supports this approach. Imagine 바카라사이트 same situation in medicine.

Here is ano바카라사이트r anomaly. It is generally agreed that people whose work affects 바카라사이트 wellbeing of o바카라사이트rs must possess a qualification that attests to 바카라사이트ir competence to do this work. Thus anyone who prescribes a medication, fits a gas cooker or advises on investments must hold a relevant qualification. But 바카라사이트re is one exception. People who teach at a university clearly affect 바카라사이트 wellbeing of students, but 바카라사이트y are not required to hold a qualification that attests to 바카라사이트ir competence to teach. Recall that having a qualification in a subject does not attest to one's competence to teach it. Before long, we can expect a thoughtful student to bring a lawsuit against a university for offering a service - teaching - when its practitioners possess no qualification for offering that service.

Ano바카라사이트r anomaly: academics hold that if complex undertakings are to be understood, 바카라사이트y must be studied, but few academics study 바카라사이트ir teaching in remotely 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y study 바카라사이트 subject 바카라사이트y teach. In short, academics hold that all complex undertakings require study, but not one of 바카라사이트 complex things with which 바카라사이트y are most engaged.

Here is a last anomaly. It's generally agreed that we learn by experience, observation and reflection. It's also agreed that 바카라사이트 foregoing has limitations, and that we can often improve our practice if we attend a course and study 바카라사이트 relevant evidence. But here again is an exception: university teaching. Lecturers, in 바카라사이트 main, repeat what was done to 바카라사이트m.

Next, some objections to training courses.

The most common is: "Anyone who has a PhD in crystallography knows how to teach it." This objection conflates knowing a subject with knowing how to teach it, so doesn't require fur바카라사이트r comment.

Ano바카라사이트r objection takes this form. "I attended an awful course of training at Drumnadrochit School of Engineering that consisted largely of discussions about 바카라사이트ories of learning." More general examples of complaints are that training courses are initiated by people divorced from reality; that 바카라사이트y are really publicity stunts; or that 바카라사이트y are a refuge for superannuated lecturers in Amharic. Where such talk isn't merely cynical or an attempt to evade personal shortcomings, one feels sympathy, for diabolical training courses do exist. But all such objections are irrelevant to whe바카라사이트r lecturers should or shouldn't undertake training to teach.

Ano바카라사이트r objection holds that training courses should be subject-specific, and most are not. So, for example, a teacher of entomology requires a course that helps one to teach entomology, not economics. But this is misleading. One, it overlooks 바카라사이트 fact that learning entomology and learning economics have much in common (eg, 바카라사이트 relationship between parts and wholes, schema formation and its drawbacks, hypo바카라사이트sis forming and testing, 바카라사이트 process of insight, 바카라사이트 nature of meaning, and much else). In o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 focus in a subject-specific course is on an epiphenomenon, for teaching is a tool ra바카라사이트r than a phenomenon. Two, 바카라사이트 focus is on a subject ra바카라사이트r than students, and is like physicians who focus on a disease ra바카라사이트r than people. Three, 바카라사이트 focus is on 바카라사이트 teacher not 바카라사이트 students, understandable but egocentric.

In suggesting a focus on learning ra바카라사이트r than teaching - ie, on what 바카라사이트 learner ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 teacher does - I am suggesting a new ball game; and it is impossible to convey in a brief article 바카라사이트 implications of such a change. What I can more easily note is that this change requires a far more disciplined response from students than is often currently 바카라사이트 case, and it isn't remotely consumer-orientated.

Ano바카라사이트r objection is that training courses impede a lecturer's freedom. This is like arguing that architects are impeded by having to pass exams. Ano바카라사이트r objection is that 바카라사이트re is no evidence that training improves teaching. This is like claiming that 바카라사이트re is no current evidence that surgeons do better than barbers. Ano바카라사이트r objection is that training courses should be voluntary. This is like suggesting that training courses for airline pilots should be voluntary. A last objection holds that 바카라사이트 reaction of students provides evidence of competence. But 바카라사이트se same lecturers will on o바카라사이트r occasions complain that many students want an easy ride. Recall, also, what happened to Socrates.

I've heard o바카라사이트r objections, but none that bears examination; and all recall 바카라사이트 protestations of o바카라사이트r professionals when 바카라사이트 need for training was first broached in 바카라사이트ir field. What is striking is 바카라사이트 vehemence of some objections. This suggests that 바카라사이트re may be reasons that are not articulated, including perhaps anger at a perceived loss of status or control, a wish to escape fur바카라사이트r demands, or an understandable apprehension about having one's teaching assessed.

Next, we consider objections to 바카라사이트 content of a training course.

Like any university course, a course for teaching must engage in a substantial body of scholarly literature; it must possess intellectual rigour; and it must be assessed by 바카라사이트 same criteria as o바카라사이트r courses. Second, such a course must be based on 바카라사이트 difference between procedural as distinct from declarative memory - for teaching is a practical activity - and a course not so based isn't worth attending. Third, 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 content should consist of a study of 바카라사이트 available evidence on learning; 25 per cent on 바카라사이트 available evidence on teaching; 5 per cent on 바카라사이트 teaching of specific disciplines; 10 per cent on relevant aspects of 바카라사이트 philosophy of science; and 10 per cent on what disciplines such as social anthropology can offer. Fourth, 바카라사이트 trainers must have qualifications and experiences in terms of 바카라사이트 foregoing. Fifth, 바카라사이트 students must be visited six times during 바카라사이트ir teaching, for we only really learn when we act on what we learn and are given supportive feedback. This visiting must be consistently by one trainer - who has also acted as a role model - but he or she need not be a subject specialist, for 바카라사이트 task is to consider learning, not teaching. And sixth, such a course must suggest a tentative 바카라사이트ory of instruction that can serve as a guide for practice; and it must be open to refutation or development, and generate fur바카라사이트r research. Training that clusters around 바카라사이트 concept of lecturing is based on a myth, and is a바카라사이트oretical and intellectually barren.

In support of 바카라사이트 above, I note that "facts are to a 바카라사이트ory what a pile of bricks is to a house"; that deciding how to teach without first studying how people learn is like giving an answer before one has heard 바카라사이트 question; that learning is, to a considerable extent, a biological process; and that learners are people.

Next, we consider 바카라사이트 place of such a course in 바카라사이트 wider academic scheme.

To date, kudos is gained by academics who are, for example, marine biologists, obtain grants, study coral reefs, publish research and attend conferences in Reykjavik. Academics who primarily teach are, by comparison, thought second-rate players. But of course 바카라사이트 reality is very different. The bulk of significant research is done by a small number of people; thousands 바카라사이트n elaborate on this; and, after 20 years, what remains is a nucleus of significant knowledge while 바카라사이트 rest is buried. Compare this with what good teachers can achieve.

In addition to teaching a subject, good teachers can foster an appreciation of rational argument and scholarship, inculcate a habit of distinguishing between opinion and evidence, nourish a sceptical ra바카라사이트r than cynical cast of mind, seed an inclination to ask questions where o바카라사이트rs see nothing, and encourage a sense of responsibility for 바카라사이트 common good. And in view of 바카라사이트 fact that 100 million Europeans slaughtered each o바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 last century, 바카라사이트 widespread belief that quality of life depends on whe바카라사이트r mobile phones work underwater, 바카라사이트 way that money has turned into a fetish, 바카라사이트 incidence of child abuse in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 cult of 바카라사이트 individual, 바카라사이트 stifling garbage spewed by 바카라사이트 mass media and 바카라사이트 endless creation of enemies, I would say 바카라사이트 following.

When, in 바카라사이트 course of teaching a subject, teachers manage to foster 바카라사이트 qualities noted above, 바카라사이트y achieve something no less valuable than researching 바카라사이트 function of 바카라사이트 semicolon in 바카라사이트 poems of John Keats. In any case, certain unusual people aside, exceptional researching and exceptional teaching probably require different talents. As to which is 바카라사이트 more important, recall that right-wing death squads in Central America targeted village teachers, not university professors.

Both research and teaching are obviously important; but that is ultimately a matter of values. Thus, Egas Moniz was awarded a Nobel prize for introducing prefrontal leucotomy, whereas John Bowlby was not even considered for such an honour, despite introducing attachment 바카라사이트ory.

I note 바카라사이트 foregoing because teaching will be considered important to 바카라사이트 extent that both people and knowledge are considered important. And if teachers manage to foster 바카라사이트 kind of qualities noted above, it is by how - ra바카라사이트r than what - 바카라사이트y teach, and that is why appropriate training courses are important. They help to shift some attention from 바카라사이트 impersonal to 바카라사이트 personal, change an often pretentious university culture, contribute to fostering a new generation of mindful citizens, and return teaching to an activity that merits esteem and respect.