Chapter 10: Teaching in Higher Education: International Initiatives Promoting Quality and Value

In the past few decades we have witnessed fundamental change patterns in postsecondary systems worldwide. Changes include the shift from elite to mass education, the explosion of knowledge fields and specialties, reduced public funding, and the restructuring of universities (Blackburn & Lawrence, 1995; Clark, 1996; Ducharme, 1996; Everett & Entrekin, 1994; Fisher, 1994; Karpiak, 1997; Ramsden, 1998a; Thorsen, 1996). Of these factors, perhaps none have had as big an impact on the quality of teaching and learning as the phenomenal rate of increase in enrollments in postsecondary systems.

High enrollments have meant wider access and a greater diversity in student populations, hence a greater variation in intellectual abilities, motivation, learning styles and other factors known to be predictors of academic achievement (see e.g., Weiner, 1986). The preparation and goals that enabled students to succeed even in the worst teaching situations in the past are not sufficient for successful functioning in universities today. Moreover, expectations of employers from their educated employees have changed. Reasoning, problem-solving, and in general, the ability to learn new skills and content on demand have become more essential requirements than specialized knowledge for employment worldwide, particularly in knowledge-driven economies (Salmi, 2001).