Recent trends in higher education have increased the attention given to the quality of the teaching offered to the students. First, the advent of mass higher education in the 1960s and even more so in the 1980s produced a shift in the conception of the role of universities. It questioned the nature of the relationship between teaching and research. In fact, according to Coaldrake and Stedman (1999), until the late nineteenth century, teaching was the major function of universities. But the export of the German model of research and teaching to the UK and the USA led research to become the sine qua non of the University during the 20th century, whereas teaching was often perceived as a second-class activity. But because of the expansion of the higher education sector, the importance of teaching is now being reexamined and reassessed.
The States and the students demand that the learning experience be worth their money
Second, changes in the funding structure of many universities also increased the focus on the quality of teaching. The modern State, the “evaluative state” (Neave, 1998) is a State that has concerns dominated by value for money and public accountability. Higher Education Institutions must learn to respond to these concerns about finances.
Moreover, higher education is increasingly seen as an investment that should contribute to national prosperity in the long term. Therefore the return on the investment must be good (Yorke, 2000). Quality assurance in higher education has also become a focus of attention for private universities (Jones, 2003). Students - who are increasingly paying tuition fees- might now be considered as “clients” of higher education institutions (Telford & Masson, 2005). Students are therefore also very concerned about the quality of the lectures they pay for. As the “culture of higher education” has become “increasingly market-oriented” (Green, 1993), external demands for quality of teaching have increased.
The Student body is changing, teaching methods are too.
Last, the student body itself has changed considerably since the 1960s, hence modifying expectations regarding teaching. To begin with, in most developed countries, increasing social diversity has transformed the student body at university level. Higher education is no longer reserved to the elite. Next, the Internet has globalised the market place, and institutions are increasingly competing for the best students, nationally and internationally. Many professors are now teaching international students, and consequently must develop new pedagogical strategies.
Teaching methods have also evolved. Professors who wish to incorporate aspects of on-line learning need to become familiar with new pedagogical methods. Distance education in print form is being supplemented by Internet – based delivery. Mixed modes of learning have become common: the majority of cross-border distance programmes now involve some form of face-to-face pedagogical or administrative
11
contact, sometimes visits to study centres. Generally people in remote locations and working adults are the first to experience these new forms of learning.
Vocational training institutions, which prepare learners for careers that are based on practical activities, are no longer shun. They are now fully considered as an important part of most higher education systems. Last, lifelong learning now offers a second chance to those who did not attain higher education or to those for whom the knowledge and skills acquired in school are no longer sufficient for a professional career spanning three or four decades (Marginson, Van der Wende, 2007). For instance, the European Union adopted in October 2006 a Communication entitled "It's never too late to learn", which claims that lifelong learning is at the heart of the ambitious Lisbon 2010-process (Marginson, Van der Wende, 2007).
Change fosters reflection and debate
Higher education has changed in the past twenty years: the number of students has dramatically increased, funding concerns have changed, and the student body has diversified. The current “knowledge era” has reintroduced transfer of knowledge as a major contributor to growth and business success.
As globalization continues, the national and international competition for the best students is likely to increase among higher education institutions, thus only reinforcing pressure for Quality Teaching and quality assurance. It is likely that international rankings based on the quality of teaching will be set forth, thus reinforcing the attractiveness of quality initiatives. Moreover, there are more and more students who study at various universities, benefitting from opportunities like Erasmus or international scholarships. These students are likely to compare the quality of the teaching received at these different institutions.
A generation of new teachers will soon come in to replace the baby boomers when the later retire. These new teachers will have grown up with the Internet and will have a renewed vision of what good teaching is. A possible change is that the faculty might come to adopt a more integrated professional identity, through for instance the reconceptualization of the relationship between teaching, learning and research (Bauer & Henkel, 1997).
Because of all these changes, several questions have received increased attention such as: “Can the possession of a PHD be taken as a proxy for teaching competence” (Ryan, Fraser & Dearn, 2004)? More fundamentally, what constitutes “good” and appropriate teaching? How can a “quality culture” in higher education that supports Quality Teaching be defined and achieved?
The States and the students demand that the learning experience be worth their money
Second, changes in the funding structure of many universities also increased the focus on the quality of teaching. The modern State, the “evaluative state” (Neave, 1998) is a State that has concerns dominated by value for money and public accountability. Higher Education Institutions must learn to respond to these concerns about finances.
Moreover, higher education is increasingly seen as an investment that should contribute to national prosperity in the long term. Therefore the return on the investment must be good (Yorke, 2000). Quality assurance in higher education has also become a focus of attention for private universities (Jones, 2003). Students - who are increasingly paying tuition fees- might now be considered as “clients” of higher education institutions (Telford & Masson, 2005). Students are therefore also very concerned about the quality of the lectures they pay for. As the “culture of higher education” has become “increasingly market-oriented” (Green, 1993), external demands for quality of teaching have increased.
The Student body is changing, teaching methods are too.
Last, the student body itself has changed considerably since the 1960s, hence modifying expectations regarding teaching. To begin with, in most developed countries, increasing social diversity has transformed the student body at university level. Higher education is no longer reserved to the elite. Next, the Internet has globalised the market place, and institutions are increasingly competing for the best students, nationally and internationally. Many professors are now teaching international students, and consequently must develop new pedagogical strategies.
Teaching methods have also evolved. Professors who wish to incorporate aspects of on-line learning need to become familiar with new pedagogical methods. Distance education in print form is being supplemented by Internet – based delivery. Mixed modes of learning have become common: the majority of cross-border distance programmes now involve some form of face-to-face pedagogical or administrative
11
contact, sometimes visits to study centres. Generally people in remote locations and working adults are the first to experience these new forms of learning.
Vocational training institutions, which prepare learners for careers that are based on practical activities, are no longer shun. They are now fully considered as an important part of most higher education systems. Last, lifelong learning now offers a second chance to those who did not attain higher education or to those for whom the knowledge and skills acquired in school are no longer sufficient for a professional career spanning three or four decades (Marginson, Van der Wende, 2007). For instance, the European Union adopted in October 2006 a Communication entitled "It's never too late to learn", which claims that lifelong learning is at the heart of the ambitious Lisbon 2010-process (Marginson, Van der Wende, 2007).
Change fosters reflection and debate
Higher education has changed in the past twenty years: the number of students has dramatically increased, funding concerns have changed, and the student body has diversified. The current “knowledge era” has reintroduced transfer of knowledge as a major contributor to growth and business success.
As globalization continues, the national and international competition for the best students is likely to increase among higher education institutions, thus only reinforcing pressure for Quality Teaching and quality assurance. It is likely that international rankings based on the quality of teaching will be set forth, thus reinforcing the attractiveness of quality initiatives. Moreover, there are more and more students who study at various universities, benefitting from opportunities like Erasmus or international scholarships. These students are likely to compare the quality of the teaching received at these different institutions.
A generation of new teachers will soon come in to replace the baby boomers when the later retire. These new teachers will have grown up with the Internet and will have a renewed vision of what good teaching is. A possible change is that the faculty might come to adopt a more integrated professional identity, through for instance the reconceptualization of the relationship between teaching, learning and research (Bauer & Henkel, 1997).
Because of all these changes, several questions have received increased attention such as: “Can the possession of a PHD be taken as a proxy for teaching competence” (Ryan, Fraser & Dearn, 2004)? More fundamentally, what constitutes “good” and appropriate teaching? How can a “quality culture” in higher education that supports Quality Teaching be defined and achieved?
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