University survey: Students not impressed by lecturers' lecturing skills
University lecturers are generally well prepared, knowledgeable about their subjects and willing to help, but many students are not so impressed with their lecturing skills and ability to be stimulating in class.
Three quarters of students believe there has been no improvement in the quality of education being offered at the University following the rise in salary lecturers received 18 months ago, according to a survey conducted by the University Students' Council (KSU).
Nearly nine in 10 of the students who answered the survey said their lecturers were knowledgeable about their subjects and three quarters felt they were well prepared.
However, more than four in 10 felt lectures were not well delivered and that their lecturers were not good public speakers, while more than half the students said lectures were not understandable or stimulating.
And while six in 10 of the students said lecturers made use of appropriate material and resources for lectures, roughly the same number said they did not encourage student participation.
Punctuality did not seem to be a strong point either: nearly half the students did not think their lecturers were punctual and the same number said they were not informed in a timely manner when their lectures were cancelled.
Two thirds of the respondents said lecturers treated students in a fair and equal manner but the other third disagreed with this statement.
The study, entitled Lecturer Accountability and Quality Assurance, was conducted with a sample of more than 550 students.
In its report on the survey, KSU said this should not be considered as a "mudslinging" campaign against lecturers.
"We truly believe several lecturers carry out their work with dedication and in a professional way. However, numerous complaints regarding certain issues have been received."
One of the points raised was that in some cases students were still asked to write their names on examination papers, something that went contrary to University regulations.
When contacted, communications lecturer Ġorġ Mallia said that while the University gave a very high level of education, the few "rotten apples" spoiled the whole basket for some students.
He said the survey highlighted an important point, which was that many lecturers, especially those who were trained not as teachers but as professionals, were very knowledgeable about their subjects but lacked the skill of teaching.
"I think it's time we introduce some pedagogy induction classes for lecturers who come from industry, for instance."
He said this was a problem common in universities around the world. He also pointed out that students had to "help themselves" and should not give up too quickly on good academics who were not excellent public speakers.
History Department head Dominic Fenech criticised the survey for taking too much of a general approach and said his faculty rarely received complaints from students.
He said it was unfair to judge whether the collective agreement for lecturers had increased the quality of education, because only 18 months had passed, and the agreement did not force lecturers to read more books, for instance.
"When you speak to international students here on an exchange they are all impressed by the accessibility of lecturers," he said.
Prof. Fenech said there was always room for improvement but being a good lecturer should not mean pleasing students by always giving them good grades or hints about what was coming out in exams.
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Kimberly Attard
Jun 16th 2010, 18:31
i just did my a-levels and got out of Junior College. i must say, from first hand experience, that most of my lecturers at the Junior College were unable to deliver lectures the way they were supposed to. I had to dedicate several of extra hours to studying, due to stupid lecturers who didnt do their job. one cannot just study a textbook. its completely stupid. after that i have read this article, i realised that Uni is not going to be that different. i hope that in October, when i go to Uni, i will get good lecturers.
Louise Cassar
Jun 16th 2010, 22:28
Dear, following secondary school, you will always have to dedicate extra hours to studying, even if the lecturer is brilliant!
D. Buttigieg
Jun 16th 2010, 22:43
@K. Attard:
And we all hope, for your sake, that you pass your English A Level so that you may be admitted into one of Europe's finest Universities. Stop the pessimism, and quit the spoon feeding attitude. You're mature enough now to know that education is something you acquire for yourself, and lecturers are simply one of the many channels to deliver the bare essentials. Its up to you to do the rest!
Pule' Carmel
Jun 16th 2010, 18:03
In my opinion a student deciding to attend University should weigh up the meaning of a UniversityEducation. Unlike primary , secondary, 6th form students, a university student should need to consider how to generate that component which enables him to develop his own ideas of tackling various unknown problems.Not all students can do that, and many students prefer to be led by others all the time,learn by rote, and repeat the learned information at an examination.
If I had my way I would prepare a curiculum for a particular profession and the student must tackle all read information on his own. I would often meet the students during practical sessions and open discussions and debates. Read/ memorised information would be the student's responsibiliy.
Many great Universities in the world are great because as a retireing professor once told me, " the students bring in so much new knowledge with them!" In Malta we must learn the difference between teaching memorised knowledge in schools and setting our own unpaved paths in new directions. That applies to both students and lecturers at any University. Asan Engineer, the Technology I learnt at university 40 years ago has been renovated often, through self learning..
Louise Cassar
Jun 16th 2010, 22:37
You're right, and you're wrong.
I studied in the UK, in one of the top Universities in the UK actually, and true, we did the reading ourselves and discussed everything during the lectures, however lecturers were still always very interesting and their seminars and lecturing methods were very informative and interesting. Even in Malta, I do the reading before the lectures, but irrispective of how informed I am, I still find it boring when the lecturer is not into it.
Pule' Carmel
Jun 17th 2010, 14:32
Many tricks, skills, ideas of a trade or professionare not written as a visual copy on any page or screen, but are briefly discussed and implimented amongst experienced people and sketched on notepads, and in the sand or on a packet of cigarettes, or on a wall, which the sea, the wind and the elements slowly erase. A good University Tutor ( not a teacher/lecturer please note) is the only living memory of all those special moments when an idea flits through the mind, to solve an unknown problem at an instant, a solution which is hardly ever written for posterity. Hence no teacher/lecturer, no book, no written or read information can ever replace an experiencedTUTOR or just aFRIEND.
It is due to the communication between friends that this unique experiences can be transferred from one human to another to the benefit of mankind.Unfortunately animals have not developed the art of communicating their experiences and they only rely on evolved instinct and own experiences.While all teachers and lecturers should learn to communicate to becomeTUTORS capable of transferring their hard gained experiences to others,allUniversity students should learn to keep quiet and listen, without disturbing others, through colourful attire worn, and baddeportment.,
Pule' Carmel
Jun 16th 2010, 17:37
Here is an interesting Dilemma, and a bit of a paradox to solve.
Some time ago I was responsible for selecting lecturers to teach Microwave Transmission, to Foreign Students. One of my chosen lecturers once came to me and told me that he had some problems with some of the students. They had told him, " Teacher, you are not a good teacher because we cannot understand what you say!" Not being very experienced in Diplomatic matters, as head of department, I decided to approach the students myself. In my presence, one criticised most of my lecturers. Eventually I told him, " look there are two possibilities in this manner, it could be that the lecturers are not good lecturers and so the students cannot understand, but there is also the possibility that the students are not of the right calibre/ preparation for what the lecturer is presenting."As he happened to be the son of
Billionair, the head ofCollage sent for me immediately, and told me, " Carmel, it is a situation where the student can tell us that our lecturers are inferior, but we cannot reciprocate the compliment, you see they are very rich!!!! just drop standard,keep them happy!!!"
Louise Cassar
Jun 16th 2010, 13:09
Even TEFL teachers are taught the best ways to teach and to be accessible to students, why is it taken so seriously only when clients with money are involved?
It's true, all of my lecturers over the past four years had a very good grasp of the subject, but some of them were so boring that they've actually put me to sleep, which is a pity because the subjects were always interesting!
Can't two-day conferences or a crash course, or anything of the same sort be offered once every Summer for lecturers? I think lecturers would benefit from it, as would students.
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 16th 2010, 18:16
There is a very traditional perception of University education. It mainly concerns the classical theoretical and ideals of intelligentsia. Times have moved on. The pure classical aspects, although still valid, have to somewhat change to a more contemporary modern application which relates to a "value added" of some sort. University education is not "pure and ideal" any more. It produces the future professionals, if these professionals do have the right formation, it may lead to an ineffective outcome. With all due respect to University Lecturers and accademics, but aren't they University Graduates also ??
vICTOR vELLA
Jun 16th 2010, 09:52
While we talk of competion we have only one university where our children willy-nilly have to go. This monopoly in our education is rendering the tax payers to pay university lecturers that our students are saying they are not impressed by the skills of our lecturers. Education is not free. Nothing is free is this world and every thing comes to a cost that the tax payers have to pay. How come that lecturers who are over 65 years are still lecturing our students? How come that ministers, parlamentary secretaries and former presidents are lecturing our students? Possible there are no younger academic staff to teach our students? Our university is based on nepotism, and friends of friends. How many hours university lectureres spend with our children after delivering the lecturers? How many times the lecturers absent themselves because they have other work to do? Is it a university of part-time lecturers when some lecturers are paid as full time lecturers? We have a university of text books, unnecessary subjects that make no sense to some disciplines, leaving our students exhausted , demorlised and without creativity to create a better world.
A. Zammit
Jun 16th 2010, 08:02
I agree with many comments which have been shared by some students. Being a student myself who had participated for a Diploma Course in Managament and quitted after the second semester, all lectures are mainly a cut and paste lecture. Some of the lecturers are not punctual, and I had discovered that they lack teaching skills. A particular case was a lecturer in Communication Studies which did not have any idea how to communicate imagine she has to teach communication! Some of the lecturers although they are proficient in their area, have great difficulties to share their knowledge with others.
M. Tabone
Jun 16th 2010, 07:57
I am a health care student with the University of Malta. This past year we had a particular subject were the lecturer, just wrote a bunch of numbers on the board and never really explained anything. He was a good guy, don't take me wrong but he just did not know how to teach. We had another subject were the lecturer was going so fast that we could not manage to take notes, and it was not an easy subject!! Thus, at one time the student had to, understand, take notes and continue following what the lecturer was saying. People sometimes does not see the difference between Lecturing and Teaching! Lecturing is when a person just blabbers on the mike, not knowing if students present are understanding or not and does not give out notes. Teaching is when one speaks clearly and slowly, and checks every now and then if the students are following.
Carmel J. Caruana
Jun 16th 2010, 07:24
The pedagogical skills of university lecturers will only develop when universities start valuing them in real terms as much as they do expertise in the particular discipline of the lecturer . At the moment most universities in the world do not. Research articles in education specific to the discipline of the individual lecturer are given less weighting in applications for promotion than research papers in the discipline itself. There is therefore very little incentive to carry out educational research and the pedagogical expertise of the lecturer does not develop. Universities must remember that they are intrinsically both research AND EDUCATIONAL Institutions.
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 15th 2010, 13:24
There are people who wanted to give their own best to others. They may have indeed very good competence in their subject areas but it may also happen that their own humanity "fails" them too, in some respects. Teachers or lectureres who have potential should be supported in the best way possible, even at a personal level if required, they are also human beings afterall.
Denis Degabriele
Jun 15th 2010, 09:39
How about notes copied exactly from the Internet, or lectures delivered exactly word by word, example by example, from a book no longer in use? Such a shame!
Leann Balzan
Jun 15th 2010, 10:07
It's true.... too many lecturers just copy and paste material found on the internet but what makes it worse is the fact that they do not read the material to see whether certain information is relevent, or even understandable
marlene bonnici
Jun 15th 2010, 08:57
Most lecturers know their subject pretty well yes!!!! But very few of them know how to deliver lectures! To be a lecturer one has to be a teacher first!! He has to be able to 'entertain' his audience!! Most of the lecturers i encountered at university, seemed to be talking to the wall!! Apart from that, voice projection had to be good! Some lecturers are not even heard when using a mic!!!
Jonathan McBee
Jun 15th 2010, 02:16
"Only 18 months had passed"?
That is over a year, meaning that for an entire academical year nothing has improved. Had I said something like that when I was at University, my had would've been on a silver platter served right back to me before I could say, "Collective ag-".
In four years spent there, I found a handful of lecturers who went well past the extra mile. Those are the people who I've always respected and admired. People who still talk to you when they see you, though it's been 4 years since my graduation. Every other lecturer was mostly in love with the sound of their voice and expected us to take notes like sheep. This is a far cry from the kind of citizen our highest institution of education is meant to shape. I certainly have much fonder memories of my time at Junior College, where lecturers were far more approachable and interested in helping you out.
Patrick Sacco
Jun 15th 2010, 01:54
Nothing has changed since I was a student there. I have no nostalgia whatsoever of University life!
Pule' Carmel
Jun 15th 2010, 01:01
What a coincidence, this is what I contributed yesterday, in Education!
Comments
Pule' Carmel(1 day, 1 hour ago)There are so many types of education systems other than classes, schools and universities. If I had to decide which is the best , I would select an APPRENTICESHIP where relevent practical work is continuously supported by theoretical components, modelled through the conception of mathematics, simulated through software on modern computors, and a good amount of training in debating in two or three languages, public speaking, social ethics, the importance of law and order.
Class education is the cheapest and the simplest and the worse education technique one may use. My experience shows that it is favoured by the "quiet" students and many "teachers" for convenience but the higher spirited students need other components to develop all their potential. Roaming in the real world is the best " class " a good teacher and an intelligent student could wish for.
D Bonello
Jun 15th 2010, 13:31
Some material that needs to be taken into consideration!!! pls refer to http://bloggingheads.tv/diavlogs/28683
APPRENTICESHIP is effective system. It leads people to learn in a holistic manner (i.e. applying theory into practice or vice-versa). However one must be sure that whilst a person is on an APPRENTICESHIP s/he would be given the appropriate monitoring for the knowledge and training provided. Obviously one must never put aside creativity & entrepreneurship together with issues that trigger R&D. QA measures needs to be implemented adequately and asap. Everyone has the right to learn!! We learn in a different manners. QA will provide the appropriate support to all those that mean well!! Our country needs to be aggressive in providing the best education (at all levels) to the learning community. Education should be lifelong and life-wide process (where in simple words we can learn from everyone and everywhere)!!!
Let us all remain focused and be self reflective in finding the appropriate solutions that will render a better knowledge economy that can compete within the global village.... as Plato use to say the enlightened should go back into the cave a lead other people to be enlightened.
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 15th 2010, 22:49
Dear D.Bonello.
I am in agreement with your point concerning monitoring within apprenticeship schemes. Indeed, the level and quality of the practical training has to coincide with what is thought in the class room at the very least. This way, students can naturally progress independent from company specific "undeclared politics" which might be present. Unfortunately, this is also a reality in industry. I have experienced this personally, outside Malta but within the EU.
Education is there for all and should be independent from commercial and political interests.
Furthermore, apprenticeship schemes usually have compulsary IQ tests that are carried out during the selective process. I tend to think that these should be carried out in accordance with Maltese National Standards and not according to company specific standards. Malta has its own unique culture, educational and psychological make up and as such, it makes complete scientific sense.
Norbert Bugeja
Jun 15th 2010, 00:26
These results come as no surprise. There have been recent instances in which the university employed full-time lecturers with no teaching experience at postgraduate level, no research and publication record, no doctoral degree. The relationship between these and the ability to teach is not arbitrary: a full-time PhD at an institution of repute abroad affords one the experience of postgraduate teaching, courses in teaching methodology and participation in a postgraduate community, apart from the research. These are foundational skills. The "rotten apples" employed by the university, who lack the skills and the basic qualifications to lecture at a university (a doctorate: standard practice at any reputable institution) are damaging its product and profile locally and within the international network. That's the opportunity cost of handing out jobs for life: while many academics do live up to the demands of the profession, there are those few whose permanent-job status means carte blanche for them to put down their research pen. This a small university: available posts are few and crucial to its reputation - candidates should be properly screened before being handed posts that could have been offered to better-placed candidates. Let's hope past blunders will not be repeated.
J. Azzopardi
Jun 15th 2010, 17:44
Norbert, I've seen professors with doctorates give extremely boring lectures, and I've also seen people with masters credentials give stimulating lectures.
Another thing I don't like is the power point presentations used in CS courses, and having the lecturer read from the slide. Our best lecturer never uses slides, writes on the board with a marker, and more importantly, engages the students in the lecture.
To any lecturers reading this post : If you see that we students are nodding off, don't keep droning on, but try and liven up the lecture.
Pule' Carmel
Jun 15th 2010, 23:23
To Mr Azzopardi. That is not the way I know it. My version is as follows," Lecturers who are boring in class, should stop drilling!"
As far as engineering is concerned, I find that the best transfer of knowledge to students, is in a laboratory or a workshop, where after a "class lesson/session" within the same laboratory, all that was said and written on the board, with eye contact on each student, the function is implimented by the students and shown working. During such "lessons" the lecturer talks to EVERY student.
Within the atmosphere of a workshop/laboratory/class all students are catered for, including those who are more visual than others, and practical and philosophical. The beauty of workshops and laboratories changes the statement I made above to, " students and lecturer can bore and drill together to any depth till they find the precious oil they need" All lecturers in a class, stand IN FRONT AND BEFORE the students, in laboratories and workshops; lecturers stand BESIDE each student.
Recently I had an interesting experience, Students who failed and are/to repeat and resit examinations, REFUSED assistance, indicating that whatever youdo, some students do not really want to belong to our university.
M Bugeja
Jun 14th 2010, 19:57
As a current student, I find it beyond ridiculous that many of us (in various courses) have to resort to youtube for lectures, in order to understand what exactly was going on in class. More often than not, someone with too much spare time on his hands is to be thanked for our academic success. Also, as someone stated below, when students are disruptive, it usually is because the lecture is so abysmally boring that it's not worth attending in the first place. Of course, there are some people who have no idea how to even spell "manners". Again, it is sad to find that most people just purchase note sets rather than attending lectures. Unfortunately, most lecturers opt to cease handing out said notes, rather than going to the root of the problem and seeing WHY people don't turn up. Another thing most of us have a major issue with is when lectures are cancelled on the day. It seems like Uni administration expects all of us to have 24/7 access to the internet. This is ridiculous, especially for people who have considerable travel times (I myself have 90mins either way by bus).
Ellul. J
Jun 15th 2010, 03:46
Agree with you... About a month ago.. we had a lecture at 4 till 6 and they send an email at 3 that the lecture was cancelled :S...
Joseph Ellul - Sydney
Jun 15th 2010, 06:20
@MBugeja. What you are experiencing is happening all over the world. My daughter had the same problems when she attended the University of Western Sydney. Most of the time she was on the internet to access information. One particular female lecturer almost never showed up and sent the students links. Of course she had a very good paying private job.
My daughter did not recieve a stipend. She had to work nights, Saturdas and Sundays at Target and the 2 year course cost over 20000Au.
How lucky you are.
CILIBERTI David
Jun 14th 2010, 17:02
First and foremost, well done to KSU for conducting such a survey. This is KSU's true role as a students union/council. Secondly, a link in the Times article to the study would help. Thirdly, it would be interesting to evaluate the results by adopting a faculty by faculty approach. Needless to say, faculties made up by full-timers is completely different from a faculty largely made-up of part-times. Hence, faculties which in the past were largely made up of part-timers but which is now employing full-timers should, logically, record a marked improvement. Hence, it would be interesting to interprete such a survey in light of this factor. Well done to KSU for stimulating such a debate. Keep it up
Gerard Cassar
Jun 14th 2010, 15:50
Teaching or lecturing is to go down to the level of the students and not just show ones erudite knowledge. Big talk may only show the erudition of the lecturer, who should remember that he has got students who want to learn and not just to appreciate his oratory style.
Simplicity is not a defect on the contrary it shows the grasp of the subject. Big words will be explained separately.
A high percentage of students disrupt the lectures at the university, particularly by their chattering. This has been written by more than one contributor, lecturers or students. It is presumed that this same percentage does not follow the lectures 100 %. However what is outstanding is the same high percentage of those who graduate. Is there something to investigate? Perhaps those who disrupt lectures are confined to certain subject only; M.D. LL.D or A & C.E. courses excluded.
Jesmond Micallef
Jun 14th 2010, 11:47
University education is one which should promote innovative thinking, hence innovative methods.
When I was at MCAST, I had experimented abit with how to present the material but also on how to gain the students attention and understanding to the fullest. I concentrated on handing out very good illustrations of the subject matter without or minimal descriptive text. The method worked quite well, as students where presented with detailed illustration, which excited their curiosity through visual means. I did explain all the illustrative material but left the students to write their own notes in their own way. The method positively secured the students attention as they had to understand what they were looking at. I had no professional pedagogical training whatsoever but do feel that this visual "Illustrative priority" in this regard worked quite well. The students undertook their own understanding with "no spoon feeding" whatsoever. I just illustrated how things look, but excited in them the question "Why do things look that way ?".
What I have just described may have its limitations, of course, and all depends upon the specific subject areas in question, but adding the visual dimension helps people relate theory to actual reality and practice.
Eman Pulis
Jun 14th 2010, 11:25
The university is finally moving in the right direction. However, class content, particularly at undergraduate level is still very theoretical. Students at this level should come out of university equipped to face challenges provided at work and in real life.
Rote learning indeed provides the easiest mode of assessment, and this is perhaps the reason why lecturers to date rely on theoretical work - it's easy to assess summatively. However, students are more likely to learn if classes involve a practical element that encourages students to carry out internships and take initiatives outside university campus. A recent initiative, DegreePlus, is a step forward, but still a far cry from the ideal. Formative assessments should replace the more summative type, thus providing a university that caters for the holistic development of every tertiary student.
Glenn Travers
Jun 14th 2010, 11:20
Teaching is a skill and a seperate subject. It stands to reason that if you have a science related degree, you will know about that subject but you will not know about how people learn. You may know how you learn but does everyone learn in the same way. The answer is NO by the way. In the UK, teachers in post - compulsory education must have a Level 4 teaching qualification as well as their specialist subject, this gives them the tools to be able to impart information effectively. I would urge everyone reading this to take the learning styles questionnaire at www.vark-learn.com and find out how you learn best. You may be surprised; you may discover why your child is doing well / not so well at school / college too.
M Vassallo
Jun 14th 2010, 11:06
I have been teaching students at University and higher level courses for quite some time now. The problem at university is that they are interested in recruiting people as lecturers who have got First Class in their university days rather than whether they can teach or not. The difference between a first class and a second upper student is very minimal but their ability to teach can be on two extremes.
T Camilleri
Jun 14th 2010, 11:05
Well, what about a lecturer now a professor who used to refer to the LOCKERBERRIE incident?
Mark Seychell
Jun 14th 2010, 11:01
There are a few (not all) lecturers are only their to receive their daily bread, though. My course had a unit this year which was two hours a week. the lecturer normally arrived 45 minutes late, took 5 minutes to take the register (most other lecturers hand it around for people to sign, so as not to wast time), and let us go half an hour later (45 minutes early). Thus, on a good day, our lecture only lasted 35 minutes from two hours, and we, the students, would have no idea what the lecturer would want from us in our examination.
RMallia
Jun 14th 2010, 10:59
The reason why private institutes are getting bigger such as STC, St,Martins, Computer Domain and others are growing fast. They are offering an alternative to the University which is probably better.
A. Attard
Jun 14th 2010, 10:56
punctuality!!!! oh my...some lecturers need to be given a watch when they sign the contract to lecture at the university...who knows...maybe like that they will arrive on time!!
Matthew Montebello
Jun 14th 2010, 10:54
I perfectly agree that lecturers should be trained on how to deliver and how to optimise the use of pedagogical technology. I strongly feel that my education background and training helps me and makes a massive difference in the way i give a lecture and reach out to my students. Having said this, its not excluded that there is no room for improvement and for this reason i continously seek to improve my lectures and faciitate the teaching/learning process. Finally i would like to comment that no survey was required to reach such conclusions ...
Mark Seychell
Jun 14th 2010, 11:20
This wasn't a survey, this is student feedback for every lecture (or most). Supposedly to weed out the crap lectures, but unfortunately, we were wrong.
Matthew Montebello
Jun 14th 2010, 11:44
I think you mean 'crap lecturers' .... and how come you say it wasn't a survey? How do you know? You mean to say that the headline is wrong as well?
Mark Seychell
Jun 14th 2010, 13:03
Because this is given to all students as lecturer feedback after every semester with the same exact questions as stated here.
Yes, I did mean crap lecturers, pardon the typo
Moses Mula
Jun 14th 2010, 10:40
I have never studied at Malta University so I do not have an opinion on the lecturers at Malta University, but I have studied at Uppsala University in Sweden and even if it is one of the most renowned Universities in Europe, and I dare say the world, its lecturers and their abilities vary. You find those who have all the tools needed to be a good lecturer, like communication skills, humour, passion and such, and then you find those that are ill at ease when finding themselves speaking in front of a group of students. I have even had lecturers who had many of their papers published and were extremely knowlegable about their subject but still their lectures were just an alternative to sleeping pills. Some lecturers are better left to do research work and write than giving lectures. On the other hand when it comes to punctuality I never had any problem. So I guess my point is that in all universities, much like any other form of school, you will always find some adequate , some brilliant and some poor lecturers, no matter which country you are in. As a student, you just have to accept it.
R. Borg Ellul Vincenti
Jun 14th 2010, 10:38
The focus of both lecturers as well as that of students is that of "teaching". Some people need to learn the difference between teaching and lecturing.
James Muscat
Jun 14th 2010, 10:27
@ J Portelli:
"Students in Malta, feel they have a right to talk in class, and be disruptive. Not a week goes by that I don’t have to tell someone in my class to shut up! It is disgraceful that the tax payer subsidies students with free education and stipends, yet students feel a right to be disruptive. I’ve heard instructors say that teaching at the university is similar to teaching form 5 students. Also visiting lecturers, I’m told consistently complain about talking in class.
Talking in class in unheard of, at universities in other countries."
Agree 110%. I also teach over 16+ students and I must say that at least 75% of them are disruptive, and attend school mostly to receive the stipend. In my opinion, the solution is simple: remove the stipends and make students pay a nominal fee (say €1 per school day). After all most of them pay €5/hour or more for private lessons for several subjects. Also quite a few teachers give private lessons to their own students! If that's not unethical/illegal, I don't know what is. What is the Education Department doing about this? Absolutely nothing!
Nicky Azzopardi
Jun 14th 2010, 12:08
So because you don't want to be bothered with silencing students and moving on with your JOB, you want students to have no stipend and pay 1 euro a day? 250 euros a year? Why? To offer more sick leave for lecturers?
JOHN O SCERRI
Jun 14th 2010, 10:23
Lecturing skills are of utmost importance .
Students gain very very much when they are in the presence of someone who can transmit to them the knowledge they need in a user friendly manner .
I might be an expert in my field but I might not be able to communicate my knowledge to others in a proper manner because I might lack the ability and skill to do so. One can learn lecturng skills.
This survey did not distinguish which courses were most effected by lack of lecturing skills .
Had this been done one would have a better and more clear picture where potential improvement is needed.
Students sometimes resort to recording lectures and listening to them over and over again at home. This must not be the case.
Lecturers should make whole use of Technological working aids .
Long monologues with students jotting down notes is not the way lectures should be done.
As for punctuality, I find it diffcult to understand why this is still a recurring problem. I believe that students wish to have lecturers who have their university job as their primary work and not as a means to earn an extra Euro.
JF Grech
Jun 14th 2010, 09:46
Having spent five years myself as a university lecturer in North Africa I can well concur with the fact that many professors are completely unprepared for the art of teaching. I was fortunate as my degree background was in Education. I was continually surprised by the basic lack of skills in terms of pedagogy that my colleges had. This is not so difficult to remedy especially when in fact you are dealing with men and women competent in their given fields. They simply lack tools and some framework of knowledge to perhaps communicate what they know more effectively. Honestly, some workshops in teaching instruction would do wonders for many professors and would cause them little pain. They would benefit as would the student. I would think that any professional would welcome such workshops as proper development of their skills.
J Portelli
Jun 14th 2010, 09:35
How about conducting a survey which measures the quality of our students. As one who lecturers at the university, let me say, I have on many occasions considered quitting. Teaching at the university is highly overrated. I am very enthusiastic about my subject, and really enjoy teaching; however I find the students taken as a whole to be highly demoralizing.
Students in Malta, feel they have a right to talk in class, and be disruptive. Not a week goes by that I don’t have to tell someone in my class to shut up! It is disgraceful that the tax payer subsidies students with free education and stipends, yet students feel a right to be disruptive. I’ve heard instructors say that teaching at the university is similar to teaching form 5 students. Also visiting lecturers, I’m told consistently complain about talking in class.
Talking in class in unheard of, at universities in other countries. Also as for class participation, although I enthusiastically encourage it, it is quite rare to get students to participate. For the record there are many fine and cooperative university students, but as a whole, I find the entire process increasingly disheartening.
C. Falzon
Jun 14th 2010, 09:57
There is a huge difference between a 15 yr old student and a 20 yr old student. I used to attend the university, as a student of course. I must agree with Mr. Portelli, there are students who simply have no idea of dignity and respect. It seems that some students are to be forced to attend classes such as 'behavioural skills-101' in order to learn the proper mannerisms.
The university is an institute of higher education, even though this can only be said for some lecturers. The rest its, just either another day at work.....or else its another at school and time jsut wont fly.
KM Vella
Jun 14th 2010, 10:02
Such comments cause a rift between lecturers and students and help to abolish any hope of a collaborative environment. In my many years as a student, I can assure you that such behaviour can almost always be traced back to ineffective lecturing skills, unsuitable room conditions or even (in some rare cases) the direct result of crass lecturer bigotry.
You should seriously rethink your statements.
John Borg
Jun 14th 2010, 10:37
I think it is the system which is wrong. It is not the students' fault. We, the adults, and those who are in education and supposedly know better, with spoon-feeding, etc..., are not turning out good students. And then, such students go to Uni and what do they find? Equally nauseating lecturers who think that, since they teach at Tal-Qroqq, they are untouchable, and fully protected by the Institution. So, dear Mr Portelli, it takes one to know another. We all know what is going on at Tal-Qroqq but nobody has the balls to do anything about it. Not even the Rector, who works alone in this, without the backing of anyone. A few years ago, the new agreement with Uni acad. staff was signed. But what came out of it? How many Professors, lecturers etc... are accountable?
C. Falzon
Jun 14th 2010, 09:32
" "When you speak to international students here on an exchange they are all impressed by the accessibility of lecturers," he said."
Well...apparently he also forgot to say that their educational system is very different from ours.....in short......he doesnt see the two sides of the stroy. He stated only that which looks and sounds best to please a couple of people.
Mark-Anthony Falzon
Jun 14th 2010, 09:19
Student feedback is important and most of us take it very seriously, but it is only one of many measures of a University's worth. One would also have to look at the quality of research, the networks of international scholarly collaborations, the employment prospects of students, and the success of UoM graduates following post-graduate degrees at prestigious institutions abroad.
Louise Cassar
Jun 16th 2010, 13:04
Don't worry Mark-Anthony, if you are the same Mark-Anthony Falzon who writes for The Times, I only heard good comments about your lectures from your students!
Geoffrey Mifsud Farrugia
Jun 14th 2010, 08:50
As always Gorg Mallia hit the nail on the head when stating that many lecturers, especially those who were trained not as teachers but as professionals, were very knowledgeable about their subjects but lacked the skill of teaching. This is the key to the issue and have experienced it myself during my years at University.
As for puncuality, I suggest a thesis should be written on the subject - quite a lot to write about!