Learning to Teach in Higher Education [Hardcover]

Paul Ramsden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0415064147 | ISBN-13: 978-0415064149

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Everyone who teaches in higher education should read this book ... it is sparkling with insight ... is accessible and interesting.' - Journal of Further & Higher Education

'Ramsden's book should interest and enlighten anyone involved in teaching and learning in higher education.' - The New Academic

'Paul Ramsden does us all a great service ... eminently readable, and should draw in anyone who is at all interested in how to improve their capacity to influence student learning.' - The Higher

'I found the book compelling, challenging and informative. It is very well written, free from the excesses of education jargon ... provides an excellent summary of the research into learning and teaching.' - Australian Campus Review

'It's readable, scholarly, stimulating and rewarding ... if you are a seeker of 'tips' and 'solutions' then this is the book for you ... His work deserves to be widely read. What he has to say is important' - The Oxford Internship Model

'It's readable, scholarly, stimulating, and rewarding ... His work deserves to be widely read. What he has to say is important.' - Peter Lucas, The Oxford Internship Model

'The author has provided us with an important guide to the art of teaching in the new era. All educationists should have a copy, which will be well-thumbed.' - Journal of Osteopathic Education

'With teaching quality high on the political agenda, Paul Ramsden's book makes a timely appearance in addressing the problem of how best to evaluate and improve the standard of teaching in higher education in a cliimate of accountability and appraisal ... it develops a model of learning and teaching (and professional development) which has significant implications for practice and which adds a valuable contribution to --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Paul Ramsden is Senior Lecturer at the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (December 5, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415064147
• ISBN-13: 978-0415064149
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,040,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learning to teach in higher education, September 26, 2007

By 

John C. Grech "techno hobo" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Learning to Teach in Higher Education (Paperback)

This is an excellent text for those wishing to either embark on a career in higher education / adult education or for those wishing to develop their skills in this area.

The book is divided into three major sections: learning and teaching in higher education, design for teaching and evaluating and improving quality.

The first section, learning and teaching in higher education, includes chapters that introduces readers to what is teaching from an adult perspective, how students learn, student centric versus teacher centric learning, and the practice and philosophical approaches to teaching and learning from a higher education perspective.

The second section, design for teaching, covers topics such as course goals and objectives, teaching strategies, and assessment.

The third section, evaluating and improving quality, provides an overview of evaluation and improvement in higher education.

The text book is easy to read, limits the use of jargon, and does not assume that the reader is either a novice or a highly experienced practitioner.

The use of case studies and examples from a number of universities across the world provides the reader with an insight into the issues that face educators in a variety of teaching contexts and across different specializations. My own teaching includes delivering programs in both Australia and China, and even though the student learning styles are diagrammatically opposite, there are methods and strategies within the text that can still be applied in both of these environments.

The book does not provide a prescriptive description of how teaching should be conducted, but it causes the reader to reflect on their own teaching practice and identify alternative options and strategies.

The author, Paul Ramsden, acknowledges that education contexts, environments and cultures do vary, and he provides guidance and advice that can be applied in a multitude of teaching and delivery scenarios.

Overall, I would highly recommend this text to anyone wishing to develop their skills in this area, and to provide it as a useful resource for departments looking at developing professional development for their own faculty.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for teachers, November 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Learning to Teach in Higher Education (Paperback)

The book contains a number of points to improve the quality of teaching. It is specifically useful for the PhD students who assist in teaching and the teachers at universities who have 1-3 years experiences in teaching. If the book was written more concisely, it could have got the highest rank in my view.

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic text book by Paul Ramsden, August 8, 2011

By 

Jorma Nevaranta (Finland) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Learning to Teach in Higher Education (Paperback)

Learning to teach in higher education by Ramsden is a very good overview to the teaching strategies in the universities. "Teaching is to make students' learning possible" tells quite a lot about this book.