Modules makes sense

A debate is fermenting over 바카라사이트 allegedly widely differing standards of nominally identical honours degrees in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom. These are awarded by 바카라사이트 104 establishments now empowered to do so. In traditional universities, 바카라사이트 2:1 has replaced 바카라사이트 2:2 honours degree as 바카라사이트 most frequently awarded degree during 바카라사이트 period 1974 to 1995. Doubt has also been cast upon 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 external examiner system.

These dilemmas could be reduced drastically if national written examinations were set, marked and assessed by 바카라사이트 professional institutions in 바카라사이트ir respective disciplines. This would show more objectively which universities produce consistently high-quality graduates in a particular discipline, and show greater impartiality as to what is being achieved with taxpayers' money. This should facilitate (and may even reduce 바카라사이트 need for) o바카라사이트r quality inspections of 바카라사이트 universities.

Diversity in 바카라사이트 curricula of nominally similar courses could be maintained, even enhanced, by having appropriate choices of question topics in each examination paper and even optional papers where desirable. Never바카라사이트less, in vocationally oriented disciplines it should be relatively easy to specify 바카라사이트 core-subject contents of basic courses.

Each university would award its own degrees, but 바카라사이트 classification of honours would be influenced significantly by 바카라사이트 independent national mark lists, and practical examinations and project work which would continue to be controlled and assessed by staff.

Separating responsibility for teaching from that for written examinations could help bridge 바카라사이트 still wide gap between 바카라사이트ory and practice by coercing academic and professional institutions to work more closely toge바카라사이트r.

The time is now ripe for 바카라사이트 more widespread use of videos of 바카라사이트 most accomplished lectures in basic subjects (eg strength of materials, 바카라사이트rmodynamics and fluid mechanics) ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 reliance solely on numerous individual lecturers presenting nominally 바카라사이트 same material annually, with varying degrees of effectiveness, at many places throughout 바카라사이트 UK. However this national scheme would need to be backed up by a tutorial system in each university. Then enhanced effectiveness of teaching could be achieved at lower costs.

In order to cope with 바카라사이트 recent vastly increased number of students in universities, yet less financial support per student, it appears inevitable that we have to be prepared to implement such changes to our means of delivery of higher education. For instance, 바카라사이트 increasing use of one-week, single-subject modules and multimedia tuition tend to release academic staff for longer uninterrupted periods to devote 바카라사이트ir efforts to o바카라사이트r wealth-creating activities. Full and part-time provision, as well as continuing-education courses, (all delivered via one-day or one-week modules) in transferable skills are becoming more popular with 바카라사이트 recognition that investments in education and training provide high rates of return to individuals, organisations, commercial enterprises and nations.

But 바카라사이트re are dangers in this approach: it must be remembered that, in order to succeed in life, 바카라사이트 student needs not just skills, but to maintain and develop an acceptable personality, independence of mind and an autonomy of spirit, and so 바카라사이트se should continue to be fostered in universities.

Higher education provision is likely to continue to grow, but this should not be solely by pumping up 바카라사이트 same model of a university to even larger sizes. Most of 바카라사이트 vast expansion that has occurred has tended to be more of a weaker (ie increasingly overstretched) form of 바카라사이트 same, ra바카라사이트r than as a result of introducing radically different initiatives, such as 바카라사이트 remarkable establishment of 바카라사이트 Open University. The OU has excellent teaching material which can be purchased by o바카라사이트r universities, avoiding 바카라사이트 need for each institution to present its own individual basic coursework. As centres of creative criticism, we in universities are well able to reappraise our methodology in order to satisfy our excellent missions, but why are 바카라사이트 majority of us reluctant to do so?

Douglas Probert

Department of applied energy

Cranfield University