How can a university that thinks of itself primarily as a research university (in say selecting, tenuring, and promoting academic staff) ensure good quality teaching? Students and taxpayers think a university exists mainly to teach students, but few members of a research university think that. Indeed some think that teaching is at the expense of research. What can be done to keep a balance between the two?
In addition to those that exist in disciplines, schools, and faculties, the University has a regime to enhance and assurance quality in teaching. Representatives of Nagoya University (Japan) approached the University last year about sharing and comparing experience in supporting teaching in a university that sees itself primary as a research university. This self-understanding is crucial to the life-world of members of the University. (Both of the hyphenated words in the foregoing sentence are derived from phenomenology where they have a greater technical meaning, but perhaps they convey something as it is.) I am going to Nagoya University shortly to develop this relationships further. I met with members of Nagoya University in July in Coventry, so this visit is follow-up. They particularly focus on the survey research we do to get feedback from students, and I want to put that in a wide context so that it is not treated as if it were an end in itself. I will have a number of meetings across a table as well as a public lecture. The PowerPoint for the lecture is attached. While passing through Tokyo on the way to Nagoya I will meet some former students who now live there. I will say more about the trip later.
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I think there is something to be said too about the way high quality teaching can contribute to high quality research on the micro-level. In a high-intensity learning environment academics should, in principle at least, be able to see spill-over effects into their own research via inspiration, new ideas, diverse perspectives and the intellectual stimulation that comes through interaction. Often fruitful thinking can arise in conversation, dialogue and social interaction. Learning processes which promote these processes can also contribute to valuable research.
Michael, I’m just checking in on your blog – read a few things and also read a few other things out to Sue some of which we found interesting and others interesting and also amusing.
I’ll be back!
(visitor 2886)