I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Alexandra Mihai, Assistant Professor of Innovation in Higher Education at Maastricht University, for my podcast. We tackled some pressing issues around boosting student engagement and reimagining learning spaces in a post-pandemic context.
The pandemic has clearly exacerbated ongoing attendance and participation challenges. Today's students are accustomed to remote, on-demand learning after two years of disruption. Many seemed to have lost their appetite for in-person activities. So how can we incentivize them to keep showing up? As Alexandra explained, we need to completely rethink what happens during class time to showcase the unique value of face-to-face instruction. That means replacing passive lecturing with truly interactive discussions, debates, simulations and other activities that fully leverage the assets of having teacher and peers physically present. This transforms the instructor from a broadcaster to an active learning facilitator.
However, these more engaging sessions require much more advanced preparation compared to lectures. Alexandra stressed that most faculty simply don't have the time for full course redesigns alongside their research and other commitments. There is also a general lack of pedagogical training and support roles in higher education to help instructors enhance their teaching methods. So while the constraints are real, investing in better learning experiences is essential to counter slipping attendance trends.
An overdependence on charismatic teaching was called out as another barrier. We all admire talented lecturers who combine subject mastery with stage presence to capture student imagination. Yet this masks significant inconsistencies in educational quality across less extroverted personalities. Alexandra argued for formalizing instructional best practices to raise the bar for everyone rather than relying on the passion of a few superstars. This comes back to designing activities that work on their own merits, although charisma certainly has its place for bringing color and connection to the classroom.
On a more systemic level, research-intensive universities typically prioritize studies over teaching excellence when making tenure and promotion decisions. Younger academics in particular can feel discouraged from trying innovative new formats if student ratings carry too much weight. So better evaluating teaching itself, rather than learner satisfaction alone, would reduce this innovator's dilemma. Institutions are slowly expanding development programs for faculty, but support remains patchy, especially outside hotspots like medical, technology and business schools. Centralizing these resources can ensure parity of access.
Talking to students more and sharing stories with teaching peers emerged as pragmatic starting points on the innovation journey that Dr. Mihai has focused on facilitating. If an instructor manages to captivate their class through some creative new activity, others often seek them out to learn their secrets. This organic diffusion helps good ideas spread, although learning experts still have a role formalizing these approaches.
Ultimately, Alexandra contends that today's students need to gain adaptable learning skills before job-specific knowledge. With careers spanning many industries and roles, what matters most is nurturing that self-motivation to continually upskill. So student feedback should assess enduring capabilities not just module content. Our measure of success is learners still learning twenty years from now.
My fascinating conversation with Dr. Mihai reaffirmed the urgent need to empower both students and faculty in these disruptive times. I truly appreciate her insightful perspectives on the constraints and opportunities. There is clearly growing momentum around upgrading teaching support infrastructure, so I remain cautiously optimistic our education systems can meet these connectivity challenges. Please do explore Alexandra's excellent newsletter The Educationalist for more of her incisive commentary.
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