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Just to clarify The information from Budd Hall is not just a student movement it involves whole university systems and it is a development that has been happening for several years world wide. I strongly encourage you to inquire into this very significant paradigmatic shift, that will indeed recognise the philosophical imperatives that you discuss Graham, within the very real demands of living systems in which communities are embedded and indeed, to which they are morally accountable. Kind regards Susan On 14/11/11 6:25 AM, "Graham Trevor Myers" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Aga, > > I donıt know if I should be answering this but I need to clear these ideas up > for a paper I must write on this so here are the incomplete ideas that are > going around in my mind. > > The knowledge that we deal with seems to be in three worlds. The first of > these worlds is the one dimensional knowledge that we carry over to > undergraduates. It is the factual knowledge that we find in all those first > year text books that the students have to put to memory. The second world is > the world of the science in which we find the connections between the various > constructs that we drilled in to the heads of the student in world 1. This > usually starts in the pre-masterıs phase and is perfected in the masterıs > phase. The third world is the level of the meta-science (above science) in > which we start to link all the findings of the second world of knowledge in to > one unified theory or model. > > The administrators donıt seem to have had the privilege of learning more than > that which is taught in the first world so that is where they try to keep you. > In a Marxian way we become tied to a quality system which deals with the > quantitative measures that can be recorded and understood. These are such > things as periods you stand in front of the class and the pass rates and the > cost per unit of production. The fact that you may educate the students > rather than teach them is immaterial. This started with Nixonıs managerial > ism where it was required of you, the academic to give account of your work. > If you said that you had developed three students to be able to think and act > in the second world of knowledge it would not be understood. To do this you > would have to sit and debate/argue/ direct etc and this is not measureable > until you give a cost accountant those tools to measure your output in this > world. > > So were are we? Trapped in an economic biased educational system where the > core value is not education but immediate financial viability (not > sustainability of the economy). > > Our output is millions of students who are capable of textbook knowledge and > nothing else. > > So where do I start? I focus on the individual and the need of the > individual and teach in a manner that allows the text book knowledge to be > transferred in a more economical way so that I can focus on the ³higher order² > skills. Why not use third years to mentor second years and those can mentor > first years and you can teach the relationships between planning, monitoring > and success through two sided debate rather than through one dimensional > instruction. > > Youıre opening up a huge debate on how I can be economically more efficient as > an academic and focus on my core business. > > Susan Goff has sent you an interesting reading which indicates what students > are looking for in this higher learning but have not yet identified it. > Another interesting reading is that of Gene Glass on Primary, Secondary and > Meta-analysis of research. > > Happy reading. (And I hope thinking and debating) > > > Graham Myers > Senior Lecturer > Department of Auditing and Taxation > Durban University of Technology > Tel +27+31+3735380 > > > > > From: Practitioner-Researcher [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > On Behalf Of aga yamin > Sent: 12 November 2011 09:35 PM > To: [log in to unmask] > Subject: Re: How can we improve universities' business performance? > > > Dear All > > We are suffering from financial crises and are uncertain about the economy. > This provides us with a base to rethink sustainably by introducing a mechanism > that enhances the business performance of a higher education organisation like > university. > > How universities can improve their business performance? Any suggestions: > > Regards > > Aga > > > "This e-mail is subject to our Disclaimer, to view click > http://www.dut.ac.za/pages/22414" >