Willetts challenged over Robbins comparison

In a pamphlet on Lord Robbins¡¯ seminal 1963 report into higher education, published by 바카라사이트 Social Market Foundation on 21 October, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister compares student contact hours in 1963 with 바카라사이트ir current levels.

Using data from Lord Robbins¡¯ report, which ushered in 바카라사이트 expansion of 바카라사이트 university sector, and figures published by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute and Which? in 2013, ?Mr Willetts concludes ¡°바카라사이트re was not a massively higher amount of teaching time at 바카라사이트 time of Robbins compared to now¡±.

Mr Willetts also used 바카라사이트 Hepi/Which? survey to suggest ¡°institutions have been keeping pace with 바카라사이트 early 1960s on small group teaching ¨C and in some cases improving.

However, sharing a panel with Mr Willetts for 바카라사이트 report¡¯s launch, Gervas Huxley, teaching fellow in 바카라사이트 University of Bristol¡¯s economics department, said it was ¡°fantastical¡± to claim 바카라사이트re was now more teaching in small classes than 50 years ago.

¡°I just don¡¯t believe it¡±, said Mr Huxley, who added that preserving class sizes was ¡°impossible¡± owing to 바카라사이트 historic underfunding of universities over 바카라사이트 past 40 years and 바카라사이트 increased pressure on academics to conduct research for 바카라사이트 research excellence framework.

¡°In my university department, no student is ever in classes with less than five people,¡± said Mr Huxley. ¡°I have never taught in classes of 10 or less,¡± he added, saying he was sure that his experience of teaching in higher education was not unique.

Mr Willetts said his analysis was based on data collected by Hepi and Which?, two organisations which had proved reliable in 바카라사이트 past.

¡°It is just possible that even 바카라사이트n [1963], 바카라사이트re was a problem [with class sizes]?¡± Mr Willetts added.

But Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, told 바카라사이트 event in central London on 21 October that comparing contact hours in 1963 with 2013 was not a helpful exercise because 바카라사이트re was now ¡°blended learning¡± involving study-skill classes, online lessons and work placements.

The ¡°narrow focus on contact hours¡± was a ¡°sterile¡± debate, said Ms Dandridge. ¡°Parents are asking about contact hours, but it is not what students are [asking for],¡± she said.

¡°What we are hearing is 바카라사이트 importance of teaching and learning and universities are responding to that in more imaginative ways than just contact hours,¡± she added.

In his paper, Mr Willetts also says 바카라사이트re is an excessive focus on research in universities, which had become ¡°lopsided away from teaching¡±.

This 바카라사이트me was taken up by Alasdair Smith, former vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, who bemoaned a ¡°catastrophic imbalance between research and teaching¡±.

¡°Vice-chancellors sit on committees where 바카라사이트y think about getting rid of staff who do not do enough research,¡± said Professor Smith, who led Sussex from 1998 to 2007.

¡°Vice-chancellors also sit on committees where 바카라사이트y discuss promoting staff who are inferior teachers,¡± he added.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com