Do Universities Teach Their

Students?

At its very core, the basic philosophy of AOL is that employers

now look for certain qualities in young graduates in addition to the diploma they carry
with credentials of knowledge in a specialized area of education. These are leadership,
communication, empathy, teamwork, reflective ability and multiculturalism.
by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne
( April 8, 2015, Montreal, Sri Lanka Guardian) The latest issue of The Economist
points to the fact that most of us regard the gold standard for a university to be the
Oxbridge model combined with a gravitas on research. This is the American model. At
the present time the perceived value of a university degree is more based on which
university one graduates from rather than the quality of education a university
dispenses. In other words, the university brand plays a significant role in the

graduates procuring a job upon graduation, and for that purpose the student buys
his degree. Admission to such a university is more valuable than graduating from it.
Since the essential goal of in obtaining tenure track for a teacher is research, many
professors now leave teaching to the more junior non tenure track teachers while
they (the seniors) conduct research with a view to obtaining rich grants attracted by
their published research.
At the other end of the spectrum are the non universities or MOOCs (Massive Open
Online Courses) which provide the student with e-courses which can, according to
some academics, eminently replicate the face to face courses offered by prestigious
universities. The Economist states: William G. Bowen, a former president of
Princeton University, tested such courses at several universities and found that
students learned as much with conventional teaching in three-quarters of the time,
with cost reductions of 19% to 57%. Carol Twigg, president of the National Centre for
Academic Transformation, tested similar methods in 156 projects, with similar
results.
In the western world, there are two conundrums: university education is expensive and
iniquitous; and there is no assurance of learning. Tied to this is the question as to
whether universities should be development institutions, and if so, what sort of
development are we talking about?
There is a growing trend in the university educational process in North America
towards a shift of focus in evaluating the effectiveness of education. This is called
assurance of learning (AOL). This shift is from the traditional mode of measuring the
success of teaching techniques per se to the level of assurance a university has that the
student has learnt what was expected before that student graduates and seeks
employment and, more importantly, the graduate is able to demonstrate the right
attitude toward the work place and her colleagues. Basically, the university attains this
objective by using well documented systematic processes to develop, monitor, evaluate
and revise the substance and delivery of the curricula of degree programs and to assess
the impact of the curricula on learning. In turn, this process of evaluation requires the
university or faculty concerned to develop a systematic process for curriculum
management; a systematic process for assuring learning; and a process to include the
universitys stakeholders in the evaluation process. Major determinants in AOL are
communication, ethics, analytical skills, and the ability to use information technology,
multiculturalism and reflective thinking.
At its very core, the basic philosophy of AOL is that employers now look for certain
qualities in young graduates in addition to the diploma they carry with credentials of

knowledge in a specialized area of education. These are leadership, communication,

empathy, teamwork, reflective ability and multiculturalism.
The American vision for undergraduate learning goals is to adapt expectations to the
schools mission and cultural circumstances by specifying learning goals and
demonstrating achievement of learning goals for key management-specific and or
appropriate discipline-specific knowledge and skills that its students achieve in each
undergraduate degree program. In other words, the bachelors or undergraduate level
degree programs must provide sufficient time, coverage, student efforts and studentfaculty interaction to assure that the learning goals are accomplished. At the masters
level, the Faculty should adapt expectations to the universitys mission and cultural
circumstances, and specify learning goals and demonstrates masters level
achievement of learning goals for key management specific knowledge and skills in
each masters level general management program. The AOL approach ensures that
there are general management learning goals that are calculated to ensure that the
graduate fits into an employment situation well and performs well in the workforce.
General management learning goals are: leadership in organizational situations;
application of knowledge in novel circumstances; and adaptation and innovation to
solve problems, cope with unanticipated events and manage unpredictable
environment. The masters degree program must also, as in the bachelors program,
provide sufficient time, coverage, student efforts and student-faculty interaction to
assure that the learning goals are accomplished. In addition to the abovementioned
general management learning goals, the successful masters graduate should be
capable of critical analysis and questioning of knowledge claims. At the doctoral level,
students must demonstrate the ability to create knowledge through original research in
their areas of specialization. Doctoral programs must include: acquisition of advanced
knowledge in specialization; development of advanced theoretical and practical skills;
specialization in managerial and organizational contexts; preparation for teaching; and
dissertation demonstrating integration and original work.
AOL involves assessment by the faculty, which is essentially an ongoing process aimed
at understanding and improving student learning. Assessment is the systematic
collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for
the purpose of improving student learning and development. It involves making the
expectations of faculty explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high
standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing and interpreting
evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and
standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain and improve
performance. Above all, assessment can help focus our collective attention, examine
our assumptions and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and

improving the quality of higher education.

Many North American universities use Blooms Taxonomy, which is a very effective
tool for developing learning objectives. Blooms Taxonomy classifies forms and levels
of learning and identifies three learning domains: cognitive which involves
knowledge and intellectual skills; Affective which involves values and attitudes; and
Psycho-motor which involves motor skills. Levels in each domain are sequential.
Cognitive or knowledge based learning involves the ability to recall or recognize facts,
procedures, patterns or concepts and the development of intellectual abilities and
skills. Affective learning is concerned with emotions and feelings, values, appreciation,
enthusiasm and motivation and psychomotor abilities involve physical movement,
coordination and motor skills.
Another dimension of the use of Blooms Taxonomy is its enabling quality of helping
students with their team building skills and collaborative behaviors in the
accomplishment of group tasks. It also enables students to recognize and analyze
ethical dilemmas and propose resolutions for practical business solutions. The overall
end result is that the graduate is able to adapt to new situations and become selfdirected learners. In other words, AOL could well develop the quintessentially
employable graduate, and, that is what the universities of the 21st Century must
produce a well rounded intellectual with knowledge, affective skills and psychomotor
skills.
A final word about teaching and research. Any good university must combine teaching
and research, not make them mutually exclusive. In other words, teachers must
educate through research. This not only provides the student with superior knowledge
and analytical skills, but also enables him to learn the value of research as a continuum
in his professional life.
The author is a visiting professor of air law and policy at McGill University.
Posted by Thavam