Bulletin Special Supplement Jun 1965

different members of a Department should not be isolated f r om one another behind the walls of their particular subjects. L5.25 Finally, we consider it highl y desirable that all suitable staff should be involve d in this work, regardless of seniority. T r a i n i ng the beginner's m i nd is in many ways the most crucial par t of undergraduate teaching; it is certainly not th e least honourable. For many centuries it has been the practice in Scotland for the Head of the Department to address himself principally to first-year and to fina l year students. On the success or otherwise of first-year teaching, in particular, depends the quality of work in subsequent years, as well as the satisfaction that comes of teaching a responsive and keen class of students. I f this principle is accepted, then we see no reason why any member of the academic staff need be concerned at any one time w i th the small-group teaching of more than 15 students in the first and second years together. T he average over all teacher s in the University w i ll of course be lower. Only in quit e exceptional circumstances should the University and the Colleges allow the figure to rise above 15, and then only as a temporary measure. L5.26 I n concluding this chapter, we feel it is appropriate to speak once more of a topic whose importance to our argument will already have been detected: namely, the private work done by students. I t appears that in none of the Colleges is it possible to give a very clear picture of the situation. We have been made aware of the background difficulties of some students; we have been informed of the habits of others for whom College lecture rooms are left open un t il late into the night for private work. The position is complicated by the differences that presumably exist between the life of a student living at home and one housed in a dormitory. I n countries where extensive and repeated surveys have been conducted to find out, among other things, private study habits, use of leisure, habits of buying books, personal budget, use of vacations or other routine sociological data, the results have in many cases proved o f great value to University authorities. They may o n occasion confirm commonsense beliefs or assumptions; they may also correct or even refute them. It would be of use in framing policy on teaching and other matters, and perhaps also of general interest to educationalists, if it were possible to acquire f i r m and precise information on some of the points just enumerated. It would be for the University to consider whether, and how, such an enquiry should be made, and whether for example an existing Department or future Institute could undertake it. A t all events, something more thorough and therefore more objective than the impressions of even experienced university staff would be of great assistance, if the University wished to give systematic and continuing attention to the problems of teaching methods. Se c t i on 6: E x am i n a t i o ns L6 .1 A discussion of teaching method s is liable to he seriously incomplete if no mention is made of examinations; for the relations between a student's work and the tests that are made o f it at various stages are plain for all to see. A degree is not normally awarded by a Universit y unless its recipient has first given satisfactory evidence of fitness through an examination. We regard examinations as an essential part of the undergraduate courses in the University. They serve two primary purposes: (a) They cause the student to carry out an intellectual "stock taking" and they enable both him and his teachers to assess the effectiveness of the study (of various kinds) that he is undertaking; and at the same time they enable teachers to fin d out what progress each student is making both in learnin g and in intellectual development; (b) Th ey provide a test of the value of the end product of the course on a basis that assures the worth in comparison w i th those of other Universities of any qualification awarded. A l l students are to some extent influenced in thei r attitude to teaching by the ver y practical wish to pass examinations �一 or at least not to fail them — in order to gain eventually a degree. Syllabus requirements are often expressed in terms of topics that will b e examined on. Above all, the character of an examination can have a very marked effect — for goo d or for evil — on the character of teaching and o n its success. L6.2 Ta k i ng the last point first, we can exemplify It in five ways. (i) I f an examination paper, year after year, is known to be likel y to contain mainly questions which require nothing but purely factual answers, diligent candidates w i ll learn many facts which they hope w i ll be asked for, but they will disregard a teacher's encouragement to think critically or constructively in the subject. ( i i ) I f the text contains mainly questions which demand critical or constructive treatment, diligent candidates will, on the other hand, be more ready to respond to encouragement to approach their course- work in this way. (iii) I f an examination paper contain s only questions which can be answered by candidates who hav e memorised their lecture-notes the students will be apt to be content w i th memorised lecture notes. (iv) If, on the other hand, examinations are known to contain compulsor y questions on topics strictly within the syllabus, but if at the same time the lecture- course is known not to cover the whole syllabus but only, say, the greater part of it, then a proportion of students w i ll (given the time and the means) prepare themselves unaided on material in the remaining part of the course; and if it is par t of the intention of the 37