The Theory and Practice of Teaching in Today's Colleges and Universities

Author(s):  
Victor X. Wang

Teaching is changing and it is being forced to change by many forces of social change. Today’s theory and practice of teaching in adult and higher education are not only shaped by technology, but also by prevalent teaching and learning theories such as constructivism, progressive principles of education, humanism and even behaviorism. While behaviorism, a major component of pedagogical teaching, successfully dominated adult and higher education in the past, the purpose of this chapter is to demonstrate that we are experiencing a paradigm shift from being pedagogical in our instruction to an andragogical mode of education in the 21st century due to the fact that we do know, to some extent, how students learn. Therefore, the way knowledge is delivered in the new century must be changed in order to serve the needs of this learning society.

Author(s):  
Barbara de la Harpe ◽  
Fiona Peterson

There is a strong move worldwide for a constructivist theory to underpin the way teaching and learning are viewed in today’s colleges and universities. In this chapter, the authors explore the interconnections (or not) between constructivist theory and mainstream university teachers’ practice, and their use of educational technology. They suggest that at the heart of ongoing transformation of teaching with technology is a supportive context and inspirational leadership that (re)engages the academic heartland with constructivist learning theory, so that teaching with technology is constructivist based. Technology can thus serve as a powerful catalyst for reinvigorating the inter-relationships between theory and practice.


10.31355/42 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 065-077
Author(s):  
Agyei Fosu

NOTE: THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED WITH THE INFORMING SCIENCE INSTITUTE. Aim/Purpose...................................................................................................................................................................................................... The purpose of this study is to expand the knowledge base on factors likely to impede implementation and adoption of web-based learning management systems to blend with traditional methods of lecturing in universities to cater for the next generation of learners in Africa and Eastern Cape Province South Africa in particular. Background........................................................................................................................................................................................................ The shift from the industrial economies to 21st century digital and knowledge-based economies, fueled by rapid Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) such as Internet, YouTube, Chartrooms, Skype, Social media networks and its introduction to the educational system not only resulted in a new teaching approach globally but also paved way to usher in new generation of learners (anytime, anywhere learners) in the higher education system. Despite the fact that universities and other institutions of higher education in developed countries and some Africa countries have since recognized that the 21st century global digital and knowledge-based economies evolution has ushered in the next generation of learners, and as a result have taken the necessary steps to blend the traditional method of lecturing in higher education with web-based learning management systems in order to accommodate these learners. However, in Africa not much research have been done on the readiness of higher education institutions in terms of blending web-based learning management systems with the traditional method of lecturing to cater for the next generation of learners. Methodology....................................................................................................................................................................................................... Quantitative and two non-probability sampling methods, namely, quota and purposive sampling was used to investigate the technological skills of selected lecturers from universities within Buffalo City Metropolitan as one of the core component to check the readiness of their faculty for the next generation of learners. Contribution........................................................................................................................................................................................................ This research will add to the growing knowledge about the blending of web-based learning management with the traditional style of lecturing in higher education in the 21st century digital economies. Findings.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. The results indicated that the participating lecturers need to be trained and sup-ported in the skills of using of the ICTs and computer programs applicable to enhance web-based learning in teaching and learning environment in higher education in order to cater for the next generation of learners associated with the 21st century digital economies. Recommendations for Practitioners................................................................................................................................................................. Much as there is a need for increased in investment in infrastructure within higher education institutions to support teaching and learning, continuous sup-port and training for academics to be technologically literate and also be abreast on rapidly evolving field of ICTs is paramount as it can expedite the teaching and learning process in higher education. Recommendation for Researchers................................................................................................................................................................... There is the need to explore in depth the other two components suggested by Mishra and Koehler (2007) which can serve as barriers for successfully integration of technology into teaching and learning by locus of knowledge. Impact on Society............................................................................................................................................................................................... The research will assist stakeholders, policy makers and agencies tasked with transforming institutions of higher learning to identify the barriers likely to hinder transformation efforts and address them accordingly. Future Research................................................................................................................................................................................................. Conducting research on technological skills of students are critical in this context.


Author(s):  
Robin Bell

AbstractEntrepreneurship educators can maximise the effectiveness of their delivery by having a firm grasp of the different educational philosophies and theories that underpin entrepreneurship education pedagogy and practice. A particular educational philosophical orientation underlies, directs, and drives educator practices and should align with what the teaching seeks to impart and achieve, and the roles the learners and educator play in the learning process. Whilst educators might not always be explicitly aware of their philosophical orientation, it will direct and drive their pedagogic practice and have implications for what they deliver, and how they deliver it. The benefits of bringing together different learning theories, philosophies, and approaches for entrepreneurship education has previously been posited in the literature. However, it has been highlighted that connections between educational theory and practice are limited, and that the field of entrepreneurship education could be advanced through providing links between education literature, theory, and learning. This paper advances the literature by linking educational philosophy and theory to entrepreneurship education and pedagogy in higher education. It discusses and highlights how behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, and humanism can be used to underpin and support learning in entrepreneurship education. This meets calls for the conceptualisation of how educational philosophies and theories can be integrated into entrepreneurship education to support learners.


Author(s):  
Tom H Brown

<p class="Paragraph1"><span lang="EN-US">The paper of Barber, Donnelly &amp; Rizvi (2013): “An avalanche is coming: Higher education and the revolution ahead”  addresses some significant issues in higher education and poses some challenging questions to ODL (Open and Distance Learning) administrators, policy makers and of course to ODL faculty in general.  Barber et al.’s paper does not specifically address the area of teaching and learning theories, strategies and methodologies per se.  In this paper I would therefore like to reflect on the impact that the contemporary changes and challenges that Barber et al. describes, have on teaching and learning approaches and paradigms.  In doing so I draw on earlier work about future learning paradigms and navigationism (Brown, 2006).  We need a fresh approach and new skills to survive the revolution ahead.  We need to rethink our teaching and learning strategies to be able to provide meaningful learning opportunities in the future that lies ahead.</span></p>


Author(s):  
Charlotte Baker ◽  
Rebecca J. Blankenship

In this summary, authors Charlotte Baker and Rebecca Blankenship provide an overview of the cases and their impact on the overall DLI initiative. They also explore similar initiatives at other colleges and universities and how these technical transformations are changing the higher education teaching and learning culture. The authors examine the DLI in terms of other short-term, mid-term, and long-term goals as noted in the 2019 Horizon Report and how the DLI initiative can be used as a vehicle to actuate an ongoing culture of innovation and digital transformation in colleges and universities across the country.


Author(s):  
Roy Schwartzman ◽  
David Carlone

Online teaching and learning has been adopted throughout higher education with minimal critical attention to the challenges it poses to traditional definitions of academic labor. This chapter explores four areas where the nature of academic labor becomes contestable through the introduction of online instruction: (1) the boundaries demarcating work from personal time; (2) the relative invisibility of online labor; (3) the documentation, recognition, and rewards attendant to online instruction; and (4) the illusory empowerment of online students as consumers. The theory and practice of what constitutes “legitimate” labor in higher education require substantial reconsideration to incorporate the online dimension.


Sociology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (6) ◽  
pp. 1026-1042
Author(s):  
Laura Connelly ◽  
Remi Joseph-Salisbury

Although literature on the role of emotions in teaching and learning is growing, little consideration has been given to the university context, particularly from a sociological perspective. This article draws upon the online survey responses of 24 students who attended sociological classes on the Grenfell Tower fire, to explore the role emotions play in teaching that seeks to politicise learners and agitate for social change. Contributing to understandings of pedagogies of ‘discomfort’ and ‘hope’, we argue that discomforting emotions, when channelled in directions that challenge inequality, have socially transformative potential. Introducing the concept of bounded social change, however, we demonstrate how the neoliberalisation of Higher Education threatens to limit capacity for social change. In so doing, we cast teaching as central to the discipline of sociology and suggest that the creation of positive social change should be the fundamental task of sociological teaching.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Gulnara Makhkamova ◽  
Akram Amirkulov

Uzbekistanis a multilingual country, therefore the problems of multididactics in higher education has been arisen for the last period. This paper offers the current ideas in multilingualism, multilingual assumptions for teaching an additional foreign language and implications of the changes of instructional input in the context of multididactics. In particular, the article aims to look into the issues of teaching additional foreign language for occupational purpose in theUzbekistancontext. This study emphasizes the specificity of the cognitive process in teaching and learning two foreign languages for vocational aims and presents the principles of multilingual didactics. More specifically, the article brings an overview of didactic principles in the context of positive and negative transfer of the previous language experiences in learning Italian as additional foreign language atTashkent-TurinPolytechnicUniversity. The successful methods and techniques for application the didactic principles into practice of teaching the Italian language are also described within this article.


2012 ◽  
Vol 591-593 ◽  
pp. 2262-2265
Author(s):  
Su Han ◽  
Xiao Feng Han

The 21st century is the one in which knowledge innovation promotes economic development. Our country and society earnestly need a lot of talents who have the abilities of creation, innovation and pioneering. In order to meet the challenge of the times, it is highly necessary for colleges and universities to carry out the education to create, innovate and pioneer. Higher education should undertake the mission of training and improving college students’ such abilities so as to make good preparations for their future. In this paper, combined with the above situation, the authors analyze the characteristics of creating, innovating and pioneering talents, probe into the main points of the creative, innovative and pioneering education and put forward the concrete measures to foster such talents.


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