Thank you for this Deirdre. The issues you raise can certainly be expanded into extensive discussion and I hope others will comment as we gain momentum in this seminar.
I will make a general comment for people to respond to. Make the rewards for teacher training (educational development) significant--so all faculty will see it as a good use of their valuable time. Build it into promotion and tenure so it will be recognized as having significant value compared to other components of work.
The valuing of traditional "research" compared to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is a huge issue in BC institutions and I hear elsewhere as well. At my institution, Thompson Rivers University, we have made an important step toward recognition of the SoTL. Embedded in the collective agreement, we have a definition of "scholarly activity" which is broad and encompasses the scholarships of Ernest Boyer (discovery, application, integration, and teaching). We are currently developing criteria for promotion and tenure in each of our faculties and schools. The wording in these documents will determine the extent to which the faculties really buy into the idea of broad scholarship.
Gary Hunt
Posts made by Gary Hunt
Thank you for your post Nalin. A national system of expectations will provide a reference framework of the essential knowledge and skills that post-secondary teachers should have. I see this as part of our professional obligation to be accountable and transparent about what we do.
Although many people refer to our students as "customers," I view the relationship very differently. I see them more as partners or colleagues in an extended educational journey. They integrate into the teaching and learning environment with us and have an intrinsic interest in the processes associated with their learning development. I think this is fundamentally different from "customers" in the sense of retail marketing.
I am very interested in your comment about needing adaptations from the UK system. It would be great if you could unpack that one for use--in what ways does the UK system not meet your needs?
Although many people refer to our students as "customers," I view the relationship very differently. I see them more as partners or colleagues in an extended educational journey. They integrate into the teaching and learning environment with us and have an intrinsic interest in the processes associated with their learning development. I think this is fundamentally different from "customers" in the sense of retail marketing.
I am very interested in your comment about needing adaptations from the UK system. It would be great if you could unpack that one for use--in what ways does the UK system not meet your needs?
Hi Jo Ann,
Thank you for initiating our discussion. You have hit on an important issue about the need for collaboration and resources. Because we have no federal mandate for post-secondary education in Canada, we tend to be very regionalized in developing educational initiatives. A good example of this is the Ontario expectations for undergraduates and graduates. Guidelines for University Undergraduate Degee Level Expectations (Ontario Council of Academic Vice Presidents), and Guidelines for University Graduate Degree Level Expectations(Ontario College of Graduate Studies) are Provincially mandated. I think these are very beneficial initiatives and I wish we had the equivalent in BC.
The UK systems are Federally driven so they were developed through wide feedback and collaboration.
I am sure we will have more comments about how e-learning fits into this national concept. Would we need to have a special qualification for e-learning?
Gary
Thank you for initiating our discussion. You have hit on an important issue about the need for collaboration and resources. Because we have no federal mandate for post-secondary education in Canada, we tend to be very regionalized in developing educational initiatives. A good example of this is the Ontario expectations for undergraduates and graduates. Guidelines for University Undergraduate Degee Level Expectations (Ontario Council of Academic Vice Presidents), and Guidelines for University Graduate Degree Level Expectations(Ontario College of Graduate Studies) are Provincially mandated. I think these are very beneficial initiatives and I wish we had the equivalent in BC.
The UK systems are Federally driven so they were developed through wide feedback and collaboration.
I am sure we will have more comments about how e-learning fits into this national concept. Would we need to have a special qualification for e-learning?
Gary
Because there are many facets to our broad topic of teaching expectations, we would like to focus on three main topics at different times during the seminar. While we welcome comments on any aspect of the topic at any time during the seminar, we plan to divide the topics as described below.
For the first week (March 2-8) the focus will be on the desired outcomes of a national system of training and credentialing. Here are some questions that we could address. What benefits do national systems have that are not possible with regional or institutional systems? How much of a benefit is portability of a credential? Is the quality of teacher training better under a national framework compared to that in separate institutions?
For week two (March 9-15) the focus will be on the attributes of a good teacher-training framework. What are the critical components of a training programme? Should the framework be different for training graduate students compared to junior faculty or professional development for senior faculty? What can other countries take from the UK experience?
For week three (March 16-22) the focus will be on required resources. What are the personnel and financial resources required to develop, implement, and maintain a national system? What are examples of appropriate national bodies that have the ability to oversee and run a national initiative?
For the first week (March 2-8) the focus will be on the desired outcomes of a national system of training and credentialing. Here are some questions that we could address. What benefits do national systems have that are not possible with regional or institutional systems? How much of a benefit is portability of a credential? Is the quality of teacher training better under a national framework compared to that in separate institutions?
For week two (March 9-15) the focus will be on the attributes of a good teacher-training framework. What are the critical components of a training programme? Should the framework be different for training graduate students compared to junior faculty or professional development for senior faculty? What can other countries take from the UK experience?
For week three (March 16-22) the focus will be on required resources. What are the personnel and financial resources required to develop, implement, and maintain a national system? What are examples of appropriate national bodies that have the ability to oversee and run a national initiative?