There is an extraordinary but largely unnoticed phenomenon in higher education: by and large, students persevere and complete their studies. How should we interpret this tendency? Students are living in uncertain times and often experience anxiety, and yet they continue to press forward with their studies. The argument here is that we should understand this propensity on the part of students to persist through a will to learn. This book examines the structure of what it is to have a will to learn. Here, a language of being, becoming, authenticity, dispositions, voice, air, spirit, inspiration and care is drawn on.As such, this book offers an idea of student development that challenges the dominant views of our age, of curricula understood largely in terms of skill or even of knowledge, and pedagogy understood as bringing off pre-specified 'outcomes'. The will to learn, though, can be fragile. This is of crucial importance, for if the will to learn dissolves, the student's commitment may falter. Accordingly, more than encouraging an interest in the student's subject or in the acquiring of skills, the primary responsibility of teachers in higher education is to sustain and develop the student's will to learn. This is a radical thesis, for it implies a transformation in how we understand the nature of teaching in higher education.
Review "The single best one-volume reference on British Educational awards in print." Synopsis
"British Qualifications" is the definitive one-volume guide to every recognized qualification on offer in the United Kingdom. With full details of all institutions and organizations involved in the provision of further and higher education, this publication is an important reference source for careers advisers, students and employers. It also includes a comprehensive and up-to-date description of the structure of further and higher education in the UK.
Active Learning in Higher Education is an international, refereed publication for all those who teach and support learning in Higher Education and those who undertake or use research into effective learning, teaching and assessment in universities and colleges. The journal has an objective of improving the status of teaching and learning support as professional activity and embraces academic practice across all curriculum areas in higher education.
There is an increasing pressure on teachers in further and higher education to provide assessment systems that are fair, valid, reliable, efficient and effective. Funding bodies demand higher quality, students themselves have sharpening expectations. Traditionally, assessment of students’ work has caused teachers more difficulties than any other area, yet the growing number of students and severe financial restraints mean that even existing standards are difficult to maintain.
