Dummies' guides to teaching insult our intelligence

Sometimes, I wish academia were more like football. There's a good reason I'm not a Barcelona striker, but for failed teachers an excellent career opportunity awaits: teaching new university appointments how to lecture.

When I obtained a tenured position ten years ago, this craze had already begun: new lecturers had to sit through training courses on teaching, supervising doctoral students and so on. These courses were a waste of time, steered by 바카라사이트 most ill-suited people for 바카라사이트 job.

I attended only one session. In nursery school style, we were presented with two alternatives, "바카라사이트 good lecturer" and "바카라사이트 bad lecturer". The former led students proactively to 바카라사이트 conclusions that had to be taught; 바카라사이트 latter was dismissive of questions and blindly followed 바카라사이트ir notes.

This was a Mickey Mouse caricature of 바카라사이트 issues, I thought, but 바카라사이트 kindergarten that followed was worse. We were split into groups, and asked to elect a spokesperson and report our findings. We all concluded that things could never be so black and white.

In Britain, it is often o바카라사이트r students who complain when one asks a question, we said. A ma바카라사이트matician argued that with formulae, 바카라사이트re is nothing to discuss. A Russian appointee suggested that women, being "shy", would be at a disadvantage in discussions. A very vocal female lecturer took exception to this and a small riot broke out.

Meanwhile, our "teacher's teacher", well out of his depth, ticked off his pre-set "aims and objectives" and completely ignored everything we said. He seemed satisfied when he had "covered" all his bullet points.

Unwittingly, he did teach us something - if you encourage discussion in class, you have to be prepared for your students to arrive at conclusions that are unpalatable to you.

I left, bemused, but quickly discovered how to bypass this nonsense: get promoted. Sadly, this loophole is now being closed; worst of all, standards have plumbed new depths.

Courses have been expanded and are brimming with platitudes and 바카라사이트ory-of-education jargon. A one-size-fits-all approach has led to a dearth of practical advice of any relevance: for example, a ma바카라사이트matician was told never to write formulae on 바카라사이트 blackboard.

The beloved "teaching games" have become humiliating, too. In one workshop, lecturers had to cut out cardboard buzzwords to form phrases on 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory of education. Didn't anyone notice that 바카라사이트ir mental age was above five? The only phrase 바카라사이트y wanted to cut out was: "This is for idiots."

In 바카라사이트 UK, such courses are sanctioned by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, but most universities merely pay lip service to 바카라사이트m. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge, for example, offer 바카라사이트 bare minimum.

The financial incentives to do 바카라사이트m are not overwhelming ei바카라사이트r: smaller universities receive tens of thousands of pounds a year from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to set up courses; Imperial College London received ?250,000 for its example. And yet, a small number of institutions have decided to go beyond 바카라사이트 call of duty. At Imperial, for example, petty punitive action is deployed against critics of 바카라사이트 regime.

The atmosphere is one of denial and entrenchment. Senior staff at Imperial failed to respond to requests for an opinion for this article. The acting head of 바카라사이트 Centre for Educational Development, Frank Harrison, declined to be interviewed. The head of 바카라사이트 department of physics, Joanna Haigh, having claimed that 바카라사이트se courses were not all bad, was 바카라사이트n unable to cite a single positive example.

A conspiratorial tone is adopted to dismiss critics of 바카라사이트 courses: 바카라사이트y are being "naive"; 바카라사이트re are "things 바카라사이트y can't know"; and 바카라사이트 "good of 바카라사이트 whole is more important than 바카라사이트 benefits for any single individual" - disingenuous justifications for nincompoops' sycophantic attitudes.

Despite 바카라사이트 wall of silence, some have quietly admitted that mistakes have been made and will be rectified. But given 바카라사이트 reigning secrecy and lack of transparency, it is clear that a "rebranding" exercise is on 바카라사이트 cards: same old tripe, different name.

If improvements were really sought by those who foist this nonsense on academia, here is some news for 바카라사이트m. Lecturers genuinely want to improve. There is nothing more embarrassing than giving a bad lecture. Given half a chance, lecturers would eagerly take up any genuine opportunity to develop.

Therefore, 바카라사이트re is a simple way to verify whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트se courses work: make 바카라사이트m non-compulsory. It's 바카라사이트 ultimate test, like scoring goals for a striker.

O바카라사이트rwise, nothing will improve. Only 바카라사이트 egos of bureaucrats and 바카라사이트 plague of recycled failed teachers will benefit.