We are having a discussion in my department over whether to provide podcasts of lectures so that when a lecturer is off sick students can access what they have missed. This is controversial not least because many university lecturers, as with school teachers, dislike the idea that a lecture is something set in stone. Instead, it is an organic happening that emerges out of the classroom and never quite sticks to plan! (more…)
Archive for June, 2009
Students as customers.
Monday, June 29th, 2009End of year thoughts!
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009For many university staff this is the last week of the teaching year, a time when we say goodbye to our final year students (until graduation ceremonies at least!) and retreat to our homes and libraries or laboratories to start doing some serious research. So as an academic job seeker what sorts of things can we do to maximise our chances in the job market over the coming weeks and months?
Portfolio careers: pros and cons
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009There’s an interesting discussion in US academia at the moment about whether a portfolio career is a good thing for an adjunct (or part-time, temporary) lecturer to be establishing. See the full discussion here for yourself. Portfolio careers (those with several part-time roles building up to one full time role) have certain advantages and disadvantages over the traditional one permanent job model and I’m going to look at some of those today.
Universities, gender and jobs
Monday, June 8th, 2009Higher Education has been all over the media this weekend in the UK because it has been found that female students are achieving more and better degrees than males at UK universities. This is news because it is a new phenomenon in the last couple of decades and represents a significant change. So what impact will that have on the profession of Higher Education teaching and the job market itself?
Online teaching: problems and opportunities
Monday, June 1st, 2009Many university departments are getting enthusiastic about online or distance learning. It is seen as another way to make money and attract students who might not normally be able to get a degree at a particular institution. For many the projects are slow at getting off the ground due to internal resistance and lack of time to focus on online course building. But it is coming! Here’s what one American academic thinks of online teaching
