Learning to teach and learn

To support the realisation of a knowledge economy through education, creativity and innovation is it not timely for a review of the core activity of teaching and learning at third level education? This is, to insure that all our lecturers and tutors are equipped with contemporary knowledge of teaching and learning theory and practice.

Currently, it is estimated that less than 20% of third level academic teaching staff have any recognised qualification in Teaching & Learning, Theory and Practice.

Without a knowledge of teaching and learning theory and practice it is difficult to see how our third level educators can support students learning how to learn, so as to enable the students to become independent life long learners, knowing how to go about up-skilling or reskilling and how to go about revitalising their knowledge capital to meet the challenges of a changing national and international workplace?

We need to insure that our graduates are equipped with the skills for lifelong learning, for research, for communicating, that they have developed enquiring, inventive, adaptive minds and have an understanding of how innovation and creativity happen. Without this joined up, constructive alignment of process we are not doing our best for our academics, our learners and our graduates to face the current and future, national and global, social and economic challenges.