[Civsoc-mw] [HigherEdMalawi] Training of University Lecturers

Fri Jan 13 22:27:47 CAT 2017

A growing trend nowadays is for universities to establish programmes, centres or units that provide training on university teaching. You find names for such initiatives as Centre for Academic Development (University of Botswana and a number of South African universities), Centre for Teaching and Learning (South Africa, Canada), Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Communities of Practice, Teaching Commons, etc. Others use their "quality assurance" programmes to achieve the same purpose.

As Foster Gondwe has put it (looking forward to the results of your study!), many masters and PhD programmes in the US use Teaching Assistants, or Graduate Instructors, who teach undergraduates while being mentored by an experienced colleague. Some universities require TAs or GIs to take a course in teaching in the particular discipline as a pre-requisite to teach undergraduates. Hopefully this discussion can move us in the direction of making this training a core aspect of Malawi's higher ed system.

Steve

> On 13 Jan 2017, at 1:12 PM, Limbani Nsapato <lnsapato at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for the feedback so far,
> It looks we have different approaches depending on the institutions-
> no training at all, some on the job training/mentor-ship. Having gone
> through the university colleges in Malawi and Zambia, i have noticed
> that there are some lecturers who really approach the lectures
> enthusiastically, while others take them casually; some who have
> solely used teacher-centred methodology, while others have adopted
> active learning and student centered methodology; yet others have no
> methodology at all. Furthermore, i noticed variations on masterly over
> the subject matter, particularly in research methodology. How to
> tackle literature review section, research philosophy and research
> methodology (link between design and philosophy, and data collection
> and analysis tools, testing of hypothesis. A number of lecturers
> simply referred students to read books (Creswell, Saunders et al)
> without going into details and establishing whether students have
> understood or not. I also observed that often the junior(Associate)
> lecturers were left to do more work, which was really a big challenge
> for some. These are the issues that made me to ask whether there is a
> mechanism of training lecturers to be more professional. I am sure
> that with more feedback and reflection, we could come up with
> recommendations, on how this issue could best be address especially at
> home based on best practices.
> 
> Limbani
> 
> 
>> On 1/13/17, Roy Hauya <royhauya at yahoo.com> wrote:
>> 
>> interesting issue you raise - training university lecturers to become
>> university teachers.
>> 
>> well i have had some experience. i had the priviledge of taking lecturers
>> from two higher education institutions through instructional methods from
>> preparing for lectures (goal, objectives, approaches) to delivery and
>> management of the process of teaching and learning (class management,
>> learner participation and motivation) to assessment of learning (in-class
>> and out-of-class). we had lots issues to discuss around learning styles,
>> individual differences and  attitudes to education in today's
>> techno-generation.
>> 
>> from what feedback i got, the sessions were an invaluable investment. i am
>> still in contact from the mentoring perspective. all indications are that
>> lecturers need training for instruction, they need mentoring over time and
>> it decisively improves learner performance.
>> 
>> roy
>> 
>> 
>> --------------------------------------------
>> On Fri, 1/13/17, Levi Manda <admanda2002 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> Subject: Re: [HigherEdMalawi] Training of University Lecturers
>> To: "Limbani Nsapato" <lnsapato at gmail.com>
>> Cc: "HigherEdMalawi" <higheredmalawi at googlegroups.com>,
>> "bwalo-la-aphunzitsi at googlegroups.com"
>> <bwalo-la-aphunzitsi at googlegroups.com>, "civisoc" <civisoc at sdnp.org.mw>
>> Date: Friday, January 13, 2017, 11:21 AM
>> 
>> In the
>> public and private universities/colleges that I know,
>> lecturers are hired based on their performance as students
>> or experience in teaching elsewhere.Their mandate is  to
>> divulge knowledge to students, assess them using set
>> criteria.  Some mark and give grades;others don't marksi
>> but still give grades
>>  In
>> the UNIMA (+ LUANAR) of  yester years, cub lecturers
>> (assistants, associates, instructors (too?) were trained in
>> teaching methods and assessment  through CUTL and
>> faculty/departmental mentorship programmes.
>> Mentorship responsibility was one of the
>> main motivations  behind  the short-lived requirements to
>> have  seniors (Senior Lecturer-Professors) as heads and
>> deans.
>> 
>> Today, even a staff associate can be
>> voted into departmental headship and be expected to mentor
>> others?
>> 
>> On Fri, Jan 13, 2017 at
>> 10:46 AM, Limbani Nsapato <lnsapato at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> Colleagues,
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Does anyone have information about an institution which
>> trains
>> 
>> lecturers for our university colleges? I am aware of
>> existence of
>> 
>> Degree programmes at Chanco, Domasi but these mainly prepare
>> teachers
>> 
>> of secondary schools.
>> 
>> For those who know the training institutions (for Lecturers)
>> which
>> 
>> courses are included in the curriculum? How are they
>> assessed? How is
>> 
>> quality guaranteed?
>> 
>> If there is no such training, how are university lecturers
>> prepared
>> 
>> for their job? How does this affect delivery of quality
>> university
>> 
>> education? Are there lessons we can learn from other
>> countries?
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Regards,
>> 
>> Limbani
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> Limbani Eliya Nsapato,
>> 
>> Area 49, New Gulliver, Lilongwe, Malawi.
>> 
>> Mobile: +265 88 00 25
>> 678
>> 
>> Whatsapp: +260 9 775
>> 11250
>> 
>> Email: lnsapato at gmail.com
>> 
>> Skype: limbani.nsapato
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the
>> Google Groups "HigherEdMalawi" group.
>> 
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails
>> from it, send an email to higheredmalawi+unsubscribe@
>> googlegroups.com.
>> 
>> To post to this group, send email to higheredmalawi at googlegroups.
>> com.
>> 
>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/
>> group/higheredmalawi.
>> 
>> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/
>> msgid/higheredmalawi/ CAC1gTROif01dnCZzVWjJ5uOBqYORn
>> v74q9V-gBcS5TkxPjSMeA%40mail. gmail.com.
>> 
>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/
>> optout.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> Levi Zeleza Manda,
>> PhD | Communication
>> Specialist
>> 
>> RAP Implementation Project
>> MCA-Malawi
>> 
>> SMEC International Pty
>> Ltd
>> 
>> Area 6/131 P.O. Box 30348,
>> Lilongwe 3, Malawi
>> 
>> Tel: +265 (0) 1
>> 772 824 | M +265 (0) 888 851
>> 486 | +265 (0) 999 661 156
>> 
>> admanda2002 at gmail.com or zeleza.manda at smec.com
>> | www.smec.com_________________________________SMEC SNOWY MOUNTAINS
>> ENGINEERING
>> CORPORATION  High Quality Consulting and
>> Development SolutionsDisclaimer: The information
>> contained in this e-mail and any attached file is
>> confidential. It is intended solely for the addressee, and
>> may not be used, reproduced, disclosed or distributed
>> without SMEC’s permission. SMEC accepts no liability for
>> loss or damage (whether caused by negligence or not)
>> resulting from the use of any attached files. Please consider
>> the environment before printing this e-mail.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> 
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the
>> Google Groups "HigherEdMalawi" group.
>> 
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails
>> from it, send an email to higheredmalawi+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
>> 
>> To post to this group, send email to higheredmalawi at googlegroups.com.
>> 
>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/higheredmalawi.
>> 
>> To view this discussion on the web visit
>> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/higheredmalawi/CAOf2ozTD9hkr0wnZp_iCU21BeECKOiD1jJySPJiXkMWs-xhYwQ%40mail.gmail.com.
>> 
>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Limbani Eliya Nsapato,
> Area 49, New Gulliver, Lilongwe, Malawi.
> Mobile: +265 88 00 25 678
> Whatsapp: +260 9 775 11250
> Email: lnsapato at gmail.com
> Skype: limbani.nsapato
> 
> -- 
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "HigherEdMalawi" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to higheredmalawi+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
> To post to this group, send email to higheredmalawi at googlegroups.com.
> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/higheredmalawi.
> To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/higheredmalawi/CAC1gTRM22q2esn%3D7nhj9DQFUf6%2BR5U1YHfSzbo2GEbWg4-H%2B2A%40mail.gmail.com.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.