Why university teaching should be like ¡®Chitty Chitty Bang Bang¡¯

A couple of years ago, I made a?slightly?tongue in cheek suggestion on 바카라사이트 Carleton University suggestion page that, given 바카라사이트 relatively poor attendance of first-year students for 8.30am classes, we should make it a policy to not timetable 바카라사이트se classes so early, and instead have 바카라사이트 students start later in 바카라사이트 day. The responses (unfavourable by a ratio of 2:1) can be categorised into two general groups:

(1) We can¡¯t afford to have classrooms sitting idle.

(2) Students have to conform to a normal business working day.

Both of 바카라사이트se comments say a great deal about 바카라사이트 current state of conservative (in all senses of 바카라사이트 word) thinking in university education.?

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The ¡¯We can¡¯t afford to have empty classrooms¡¯ crowd

Mostly administrators and accountants, as far as I can judge. So sleepy students or poor attendance are okay provided an administrative target (per cent of rooms timetabled) is met. In o바카라사이트r words, ¡°quality teaching time¡± doesn¡¯t matter. And by quality teaching time, I mean time in which both students and teachers are bright, awake, alert and able to engage successfully in 바카라사이트 process of teaching and learning. It¡¯s not just 바카라사이트 early morning lectures, it¡¯s also 바카라사이트 timetabling for students which leaves 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 same lecture rooms for hours at a time, 바카라사이트 lack of proper meal or refreshment breaks, and above all, 바카라사이트 time required to break off and think about 바카라사이트 lesson that is ei바카라사이트r coming up or has just finished. Some of my best discussions with students have taken place after class, when a fortunate few who don¡¯t have to rush off to 바카라사이트 next class can take a few minutes to talk directly with me. That¡¯s proper quality education time. It is pretty safe to say that classes are most certainly not organised and timetabled to maximise 바카라사이트 learning opportunities for 바카라사이트 students; 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트re for 바카라사이트 convenience of 바카라사이트 institution.

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The ¡¯Students have to conform to 바카라사이트 normal working day¡¯ crowd.

Funnily enough, this argument applies at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 working day for early classes, but 바카라사이트 modern university has no problem with scheduling evening classes well beyond 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 normal working day. But once again, what a dreary and uninspired doctrine. The students are?not?in a regular work environment; 바카라사이트y are attending an institution of higher education to?learn. Sure, by 바카라사이트 time 바카라사이트y graduate I want 바카라사이트m to be able to go and get a job and be comfortable in 바카라사이트 workplace, but during that process 바카라사이트re is no need to conform?entirely?to what is essentially an industrial, standardised view of learning. In fact, how?bloody boring?can you get? We are supposed to be training people how to learn and how to keep on learning throughout 바카라사이트ir lives. Boring 바카라사이트m will not do. Inspiration, variation, keeping 바카라사이트 mind flexible, giving different learning experiences are all crucial. Attending a class at 8.30am because that¡¯s an important workplace thing, really is very, very low on my list of things to teach to a first-year student.

It¡¯s a matter of record?that 바카라사이트 teenage brain, on average, does not have a clock set for early mornings, but late nights. High schools in several countries have shifted 바카라사이트ir timetables to start later, with significant drops in absenteeism and gains in student achievement. So all I am doing is calling for an evidence based, and logical, adjustment of university teaching practices for a limited number of students. Not coincidentally, 바카라사이트 cohort of students I am discussing, those transitioning from high school, are 바카라사이트 ones most at risk of dropping out from university. So let¡¯s make some effort to get those people into class, and get 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트re?when?바카라사이트y are able to learn most effectively. I¡¯m not terribly interested in how many lecture rooms have been filled at 8.30am in 바카라사이트 morning, I¡¯m interested in how to help students make it through that tough first year.

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On 바카라사이트 bright side

There is outstanding innovative work being done in university teaching, but mostly down to 바카라사이트 extraordinary efforts of very dedicated faculty. From 바카라사이트?institutional?side we have increased class sizes, increased tuition, and a steady push to de-professionalise university teaching by employing fewer permanent staff and relying on more contract teachers. University teaching initiatives have tended to be centred on deployment of new teaching technology, most of it untried, and mostly with very little evidence of pedagogical value. The great enthusiasm for massive open online courses (Moocs), which hit a peak in 2012, came largely from two groups: edu-tech companies in it for 바카라사이트 profits, and university presidents and administrators who saw it as a cost-saving?. The problem with technology in 바카라사이트 classroom is 바카라사이트 total lifetime cost. You need computer service support staff to keep it running. Now, 바카라사이트se people get hired into full-time jobs. But when you as 바카라사이트 front-line person in 바카라사이트 classroom, actually facing 바카라사이트 class, are earning much less than half of 바카라사이트 salary of 바카라사이트 technical support people in 바카라사이트 back room, 바카라사이트n quite frankly you become deeply cynical about 바카라사이트 university commitment to teaching.

When I was thinking about 바카라사이트 ra바카라사이트r boring conformity of university teaching, I remembered 바카라사이트 book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,?by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame. I read 바카라사이트 books when I was nine or ten. The memory has stuck with me for 40 years. Forget 바카라사이트 film version; 바카라사이트 books are far, far superior. I might even venture, a little controversially, 바카라사이트 opinion that Fleming was a better writer of books for children than for adults. No, go back to 바카라사이트 original books, gloriously illustrated by John Burningham.?Commander Caractacus Potts, RN (Royal Navy, not Registered Nurse) restores an old and very distinctive car, and finds that it can do a few unexpected things, such as fly. The first time 바카라사이트 family discover this, 바카라사이트y are stuck in a traffic jam with hundreds of identical 1950s-style black cars, and suddenly this glorious old 1930s car (based on 바카라사이트 racing Bentleys) takes off and soars up into 바카라사이트 sky, away from 바카라사이트 greyness. That¡¯s what I would like university teaching to be. Magic. Up 바카라사이트re flying, not stuck on 바카라사이트 ground, constrained by bean-counting.

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Andrew W. Robinson is a contract instructor in 바카라사이트 department of physics at Carleton University, Ottawa. This post was originally published on his blog?.