ISSUE 50求很批

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"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."


The author claims that colleges and universities should enforce every faculty to take professional jobs outside their academic world relevant to their majors, for improving the quality of instruction. In my point of view, however, I disagree with the speaker for the categorical conclusion which all faculties have the necessity to work outside and would gain considerable benefits to their instruction.

Granted, it is true that accompanied with rapid development, knowledge in every discipline has been waxing and updating, leads to the consequence that the knowledge in textbook lags behind in contemporary time. Students in universities and colleges always gain obsolete information, therefore, cannot be competent in many jobs after their graduation. In order to enhance employment rate, teachers should acquaint themselves with the need of employment in society and up-to-date information, then they can impart more practical knowledge and useful skills and provide some precious guidance to their students. Therefore, working experience in relevant professions, especially for those practical disciplines, will undoubtedly brings great benefit for the quality of instruction.

However, when it comes to some theoretical or fundamental disciplines, those non-academic job experiences of teachers play a trivial role in improving the quality of education. As knowledge in these majors is just for research, but has little to do with industrial production, daily life and business, working outside the academic world most of the time means wasting time and acquiring nothing. For example, would you believe that an outside working experience will benefit a professor whose major is studying relativity theory?

To judge and weigh the value of faculties’ outside work, disadvantages it would bring about should be also considered. Redundant time faculty spent on working outside the academic world certainly affect the teaching quality and academic research. It is entirely possible that some professors in order to angle for their own benefits, ignore their duty as teachers and researchers, as a consequence the original purpose of outside work changes.

To sum up, practical working experience is suitable for those faculties working in practical disciplines, but brings little advantage to those engaged in theoretical discipline. Additionally, the time spent on outside work must be limited because these faculties should focus their energy on teaching and research but not for making money.