Issue50 我的第一篇issue

200704051036UID: 2751416

50"In order to improve the quality of instruction at the college and university level, all faculty should be required to spend time working outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses they teach."

Admittedly, requiring faculties at the college and university level to spend time working outside the academic world in professions relevant to the courses they teach can be beneficial to both the students and themselves. However, we cannot neglect that without careful arrangement it can be detrimental to the quality of instruction.

Requiring faculties to work in their teaching field can be an efficient way to keep them engaged in the ever-changing world and consistently enhance their scientific attainments which will bring about a better acknowledgment of how the society really is and what they really need. Those can directly help them better instructing their students. Some first handed cases can be used to illustrate concepts and theories in the textbook. Some discussions can be centered on real problems appeared in the real world.

Students can get better instruction from a professor who have real connection and working experience in the real world. For those who want to quest further in the academic domain, the working experiment of the faculty can show them some directions of further research by revealing the trends or some request in the real world. And for those who want to get a job and work out side of the ivory tower after graduation, faculties can share some insight on the career and help them contemplate their career earlier.

People should be aware of that it is not the only way to improve the quality of instruction, and not all faculties have to be required to do so in the same level. Take the Sanskritists for a rather extreme example, even the best of them will possibly never find a job outside the academic world yet relevent to their research. They have to take other measures to improve their instruction. While some other professors say those who in the public relation domain, their working experiences is crucial to their teaching. What is more, the ratio of the time teaching and researching to the time working should be comprehensively measured and arranged. A certain balance has to be reached in order to ensure that the faculty is making real contribution to the working position and the education not been disturbed.

In conclusion, requiring faculty to work outside the academic world is a good idea to improve the quality of instruction at college or university level, it can be a perfect win-win situation if only we carefully arrange it and clear out all the possible negative factors.