Bulletin Special Supplement Jun 1965

( b) to stimulate and inspire students (especially by showing how the lecturer himself grapples w i th his problems), (c) to present up-to-date material (especially when it is scattered in different journals), ( d ) to comment on , discuss and evaluate the contents of assigned readings, and (e) to illustrate methods of dealing w i th a subject. 2. For most departments the lecture is the most important method of teaching. Often lectures are linked up w i th assigned reading and discussion in group afterwards, and students ar e given advice about preparatory reading and taking notes . Diametrically opposed views are held about the giving out of summaries and checking up on students' notetaking; some teachers dictate or give summaries and some check up on students' notes occasionally, while others on principle leave it entirely in the students' own hands. It is generally agreed that lectures should not necessarily attempt to cover the whole syllabus and that questions should be set on topics that have not been dealt w i th in lectures. But in some departments, especially in the Social and Natural Sciences, the lack of the necessary textbooks and periodicals means that the whole syllabus must be covered in lectures. 3. A few departments make the small discussion group their main instrument of teaching, but most use it only to follow up a lecture. Some experiments are being made in the use of these and of seminar groups especially in senior years . 4. Except for the English Department o f one college, which streams its students into three groups according to their ability and deals w i th each group in different ways, little i s done to vary methods of supervision and teaching according to the ability and standard of students on entry, except that nearly all departments give extra time to weaker students and closer supervision to new students in the f o rm of scheduled interviews and follow-up of examination results (see 7 below). 5. Except for the occasional use of films and slides and for the routine use of tapes in the language laboratories, few departments make any use of audio-visual or other aids for teaching. P ART II. STAFF 6. Most staff take a wide view of their responsibilities towards the students. They regard it as part of their dut y not only to supervise the academic progress of their pupils and give them what assistance they can but also to take an interest in their life outside teaching hours and to be at their disposal for consultation, advice and help. I n all colleges indeed staff are expected to keep a certain numbe r of 'office hours' when students know they can find the m in and ready to listen. But there is a widespread feeling among members of staff that they just do not have time even to discharge their f u ll responsibilities toward s students, let alone to give systematic though t to the improvement of their teaching methods. There seems to be a good deal of informal discussion and exchange of information about teaching methods, but onl y one or two departments discuss them regularly in staff meetings. Most new demonstrators and tutors are, however, given some advice about preparing for laboratories, etc. 7. As far as the organization of teaching is concerned, members of each department share the teaching load equally. The only differentiation made is that it is the usual practice for more experienced teachers to take the first-year students. 8. T he work of some departments, especially in the Natural Sciences, has been hampered through posts being unfilled. T he only measure that can be taken to overcome this is to use parttime, local lecturers, tutors/demonstrators and visitors f r om overseas. PART I I I . S TUDENTS 9. Most staff are o f the opinion that students should be permitted to change their department at the end of thei r first year without having to take an extra year. Changes later than that will, of course, necessitate a fifth year. Some department s emphasised that failure in one departmen t may be due not to lack of ability but to an unwise choice of subject and that no penalty (e.g. loss of grant) should be inflicted on the student who does change for the latter reason. 10. Staff do not feel tha t the students' teaching load is excessive under present circumstances but that, w i th improved facilities and better quality of students, formal instruction may be cut down w i th advantage. 11. New students are given some instruction on methods of study (note-taking, use of books and journals, etc.), and information on such matters is passed on in the course of teaching, but few departments do this methodically (see also 14 , below). 12. Some departments encourage their students to pursue their studies during vacatio n by giving them programmes of reading or other work and some even give tests on this work, but many departments hold firmly that students should be left alone during vacation and others tha t they should do some non-academic work for at least some of the time. 16