According to the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), the number of professors who have received lecture counseling has nearly doubled in the past 4 years - 55 in 2006, 58 in 2007, 78 in 2008 and 92 in 2009. Even if we exclude the professors applying for tenure from the engineering college who are obligated to undergo the counseling ever since the requirement took effect in 2006, the numbers have been increasing every year - 33 in 2006, 35 in 2007, 65 in 2008, and 81 in 2009. The reason for this increase, in the view of the Center, is that professors need an effective lecture technique due to the various levels of learning ability among students these days, having been chosen from a larger and more diverse pool of applicants using broader admission methods.
Before beginning their consultations at the Center, professors must watch video footage of themselves lecturing and make a self-assessment of their own lecture. By examining the results of surveys answered by the students taking their class, the professors were able to recognize the areas that were pointed out by others as weaknesses. Based on the compiled data, the professors found ways to improve through meetings with a teaching method expert.
SNU's administration is planning to introduce a teaching evaluation system that emphasizes excellence in teaching rather than research results in order to appraise the efforts of professors to teach better.
PARK Myung-Jin, Vice President of Education, stated in an earlier press conference,"Although the research-oriented result evaluation has contributed to the development of this university, there are concerns over losing interest in education. We are examining an autonomous result evaluation method that places emphasis on the education of students."
Nov. 17, 2010
Written by YOO MinSeok, SNU English Editor