HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING STYLES

Every year, thousands of students from all over the world enter university or further edu­cation in the UK One of the biggest challenges they face is adapting to new styles of teaching and learning. Julie Hartill explains current styles and some new developments in learning.

Traditionally, teaching and learning in UK higher edu­cation takes place through lectures. The most familiar type of lec­ture is the formal presentation, where the lecturer stands at the front of a theatre or classroom and gives a talk on a topic which has been selected in advance. The presentation usually lasts about 45 minutes and students are expected to take notes and ask questions at the end.

In recent years, however, lectures have become much more interactive. Instead of the usual monologue which ends with questions, lecturers at many British universities now expect students to play a much more active role in their learning. It is gen­erally accepted that people learn bet­ter if they actively participate in the learning process, and if they interact both with the topic they are studying and with other students.

During interactive or informal lectures, students are allowed to interrupt with questions or ask the lecturer to explain points that they do not understand. The lecturer may also decide to set short group discussion tasks and then ask for feedback from each group. These approaches help to clarify any prob­lems or issues which arise and to ensure that students understand the focus of the lecture.

Lecture styles vary from subject to subject, from department to department and even from lecturer to lecturer, but there is one fea­ture that all lec­tures have in common: they are intended to be an introduc­tion to a topic or to provide an overview of a subject. Students are then expected to study the topic in more detail for themselves, usually by going to the library and getting some of the books and journals recom­mended by the lecturer.

In addition to lectures, many departments also expect students to attend compulsory classes. Whereas a lecture in a large school or faculty may be attended by as many as 80 or 100 students, classes tend to be small­er – usually between six and 25 stu­dents – and therefore more informal. This informality is also reflected in the fact that classes can sometimes be led by a teaching assistant, who is usually a PhD student in the depart­ment rather than a lecturer.

The aim of a class is to give stu­dents the opportunity to take part in debate and discussion, which are key aspects of British academic life. As with lectures, the way in which this is done can vary, depending on the sub­ject, the topic and the participants. For example, in the Humanities and Social Sciences, classes often focus on the ideas contained in a text. In these situations, students are expect­ed to research the subject before­hand, and then discuss it critically during the class. In some subject areas, classes may have a problem-solving focus, where students work together in groups to suggest how to tackle a particular issue or problem, or provide possible solutions.

However, the most common way of encouraging students to participate fully in classes is for them to lead a session or part of a session by pre­senting a seminar paper or giving a presentation. The format for seminar papers can vary considerably between disciplines. In some cases, the presentation is based on individ­ual research and reading; in others, pairs or small groups of students col­laborate to produce a joint piece of work. Other students are expected to join in the discussion afterwards by asking questions. In the Sciences, classes are often replaced by labora­tory sessions, where students carry out experiments and test hypotheses. Presentations are required at some point on most academic courses, but they are not always assessed.

The third and final learning sit­uation – which is becoming less common – is the individual tutori­al. In a tutorial, a student has a one-to-one dis­cussion with a lecturer. This often relates to course work which has yet to be submitted, or a complet­ed piece of work which has already been assessed. Unlike lectures and classes, the topic of a tutorial is cho­sen by the student not the lecturer.

The changes in how learning is organised are just part of much wider changes in higher education itself, which are largely the result of eco­nomic, financial and political changes both in Britain and abroad.

The traditional three term acade­mic year is gradually giving way to a semester, or two term, system. There have been changes in funding for uni­versity students, which mean that many more students today are self-financing, and this trend will contin­ue. As a result students need higher education to be more flexible so that they can take a break from their stud­ies if necessary or study part-time more easily. A number of universities have responded to this by introducing modular courses. By studying self-contained units of work, or modules, students have the flexibility to decide how and when they want to study.

The modular system also offers students more choice in how they structure their degree programme and the subjects they follow. Modular courses operate a credit scheme where assessment is based on a combination of course work and examina­tions. All of these factors mean that students in the UK have more and more independence and influence in deciding their course of study.

International students interested in attending a British university need an English language qualification such as^: IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). A number of universities also offer pre-sessional courses accredited by British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP), which prepare international students for life at a British university, providing language and study skills practice. There are also longer courses such as bridging year courses. As British universities become more international, there are signs that lecturers are adapting their teaching styles to accommodate student learning styles, which can only be of benefit to everyone.

4.b Explain the following concepts from the text.

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