The value systems of the profession have swung toward rewarding effort and success in teaching. The new emphasis upon teaching should not be a surprise. Of foremost concern to faculty has always been how students learn. Virtually all members of our profession are open to new ideas and are quick to consider the usefulness of new methodologies as soon as they appear. With computerization has come the opportunity to use very different teaching methods.
Degrees have freedom have been radically expanded.
Suddenly, the profession has received a massive shipment of new gardening tools. Being a curious lot, and wanting the best growth possible, professors everywhere are experimenting. Coupled with adventuresome curiosity is a conservative concern that experiments be structured in a way that no crop is killed off. In the end, we can expect that the old reliable tools will be the mainstays of the garden but that the most successful gardeners will be selectively using the new tools. It is neither necessary nor wise to mandate the adoption in all disciplines by all professors for all students the use of still yet barely tested techniques.