From: eng10039@nusunix1.nus.sg (CHEW KOK CHOR)
Subject: Re: Lecturing Lecturers
Organization: National University of Singapore
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 04:05:52 GMT

I. AMI (an1975@anon.penet.fi) wrote:
: sa2263263@v9000 (ROLAND U) writes:
: 
: 
: > has to go for "teaching lesson". Some of the lecturers and tutors here have
:                                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: > truely horrendous teaching habits. It's quite common over here as SAS,NTU
:   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
: The same applies to the students too. 
: 
: > to have horror stories of lousy lecturers who would use the entire hour
: > to explain something only to go " Errr..I think I made a mistake up there "
: > at the last minute. What's worse, they love to use chicken scrawl and talk
: > with such thick accents its almost impossible to make out what they're saying.
: 
: Heard of ``oar see ng chuch lai tei ngang''.   I thought only American
: kids complain about thick accent!.  I had a wide range of lecturers
: when I was a student but I never had problem getting what they say.
: The problem  must be with the listener then? Talk to them, stop them and you
: will learn more that way. Not writing to a newsgroup with world wide
: distribution and complaining behind their backs.

	I will like to add something as regards to the part about
writing to a newsgroup with world wide distribution.  I am sure that the
problem of less than commendable lecturers is a phenomenon that is
present in tertiary educational institutions WORLD wide.  I don't really
see that there is anything wrong with being a bit less satisfied with the
teaching of some local lecturers and voicing that dissatisfaction.

	The important thing is whether if anything is being done to
improve the condition.  I am glad that at least in Singapore that
something is at least being done, recognising the fact that there is
always room for improvement and that there is really no reason why
lecturers in tertiary educational institutes do not need to take any
course in teaching before actual employment (unlike teachers of lower
educational levels).  To quote someone (I can't remember who): why must
the lecturers go about learning how to teach by TRIAL and ERROR ? (not
exact quote).

: 
: > Fortunately, we also have such great lecturers that explain everything with
: > absolute clarity. We should commend these lecturers and condemn the former.
: 
: ....aka the spoon feeders.   Remember you control your destiny and
: they are there to guide/help you.  It is also ``lonely'' up there.
: 

	I think it is very wrong to brand lecturers that EXPLAIN
everything with absolute clarity as spoon feeders.  If the lecturers do
not explain the concepts properly, what may I ask (if crudely I suppose)
are we paying (the government, and my parents) them for ?  If
they just come to the lecture by flashing transparencies, outlining what
is required of the syllabus, go through the concepts vaguely, dish out
piles of lecture notes and tutorials and references to look up, and
leave the rest to us, then isn't that spoon feeding ?  What is the
benefit of having that kind of lecturer ?  So that he could give us
references and tell us what to study ?  Sounds more like the
receptionist at the information counter to me.......
  
: However I don't mean to say that lecturers should not improve 
: their teaching skills but just remember that it takes two.
: 

	Agreed.  But remember, the students are not the only
'uncooperating' half, and I think that is the whole point of this issue.


 
: I. AMI
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Organization: Freshman, MCS general, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA