Learning to Teach in Higher Education

This study addresses the problem of how best to evaluate and improve the standard of higher education teaching in a climate of accountability and appraisal. It links educational theory and the practical realities of teaching. Designed for the use of practising lecturers, it argues that becoming a good teacher in higher education involves listening to one's students and changing one's understanding of teaching. The author argues for a more professional approach to university teaching. The first part of the book provides an outline of the experience of learning from the student's point of view, out of which grows a set of principles for effective teaching in higher education. Part 2 shows how these ideas can enhance educational standards, looking in particular at four problems facing every teacher in higher education: organizing the content of undergraduate courses, selecting teaching methods, assessing student learning and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching.