I. Summary (40%)
Read the following text, an article and a transcript from a lecture. Summarize the points made in the lecture and make sure to explain how they challenge specific arguments made in the article. Write about 200 words on this task.
Article There are different types of universities. Some universities focus almost completely on research. These universities reward professors for doing research. They hire professors that are dedicated to discovering new things and publishing their findings. Other universities focus more on teaching. These universities hire professors that are able to explain concepts to their students clearly. Some universities have tried to blend both approaches and focus on both research and quality teaching, which is problematic.
First, both doing research and teaching take time, and having a dual focus will distract professors from being adequately prepared for their classes. Doing research can often be a messy, complex process, and they may end up spending so much time doing research that they don't have time to prepare their lectures or exams. When professors are not adequately prepared for classes, students may struggle more to understand the concepts and do well in class. If professors are expected to both teach and research, they will not have time for both.
Also, there is no real benefit researchers bring to the classroom if they lack teaching skills. Many researchers who teach as professors have had limited teacher training. They have extensive knowledge of their field, but do not know how to manage a classroom, write a reliable assessment, or scaffold student learning. Students are very frustrated by professors who lack these teaching skills. Teaching skills are necessary in order to help students learn； thus, experts without formal teacher training don't have a clear advantage.
Finally, by choosing one focus, professors can become more skilled in what they choose to do. If they choose to be a researcher, they can make a name for themselves in research because they can devote all of their time to research. If they choose to be a teacher, they can gain the teaching skills they need to be an excellent teacher, rather than trying to make time to research as well.
Transcript from a lectureProfessor: Well, as you know from the article, there are some reasonable concerns about universities that blend teaching and research. You will find some people, especially in this area, are passionate about this topic.
There are some points I want to make today during our class that weren't included in your reading. I think that it's important to understand both sides of this issue.
Something that people don't always think about is how researching can make planning lessons easier. If you have a teacher who is a teacher and a researcher, they are very up-to-date in their field, so they don't have to spend the same amount of time preparing for classes. Their research is their preparation.
Rather than waiting for other researchers to investigate questions and publish their findings, researching professors are on the cutting edge of their field. They attend conferences and find out what other researchers are doing as they are doing it. The time they spend at these conferences is time well spent to prepare them for their teaching assignments.
While it is true that researching professors may not have the practical teaching skills that other teachers have, they are passionate about their subject because what they research is what they chose to pursue for their career.
One of my colleagues here in the department is famous for staying late to work on a presentation for class the next day because he is so excited to share his latest discovery with his students. His students love his lectures because they can tell how much the topic interests him, and they enjoy seeing the results of his research.
A final point I'll mention on this topic is that by only focusing on one thing, professors often get stuck. Teachers who don't do research tend to use the same books and go over the same material year after year. Teachers who research are able to continue growing because of their involvement in the field.
Researchers can also get stuck in a rut without the fresh perspective that teaching can bring.
Source:
https://open.byu.edu/academic_a_writing/toefl_writing_inte
阿摩線上測驗
登入