Must-have book for academics launched
- By Vivienne Rowland
A pioneering book which led to an invitation to contribute to a special edition of the international Higher Education journal for the editors was launched at Wits on 10 October 2013.
The book, shaping up to be a must-have item for all academics, was edited by Wits academics Dr David J. Hornsby, Professor Ruksana Osman, and Dr Jacqueline De Matos-Ala and is titled Large-Class Pedagogy: Interdisciplinary perspectives for quality higher education. Osman is the Dean of the Wits Faculty of Humanities and Hornsby and De Matos-Ala are both senior lecturers in the Department of International Relations.
The launch was attended by academics, postgraduate students and book contributors, and addressed by Professor Andrew Crouch, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic.
Springing from a symposium in November 2011 on teaching large classes, the authors conceptualised this book “mostly for academics teaching large classes, policy makers, and those who are interested in higher education as a development tool.”
“The problem we are facing is what we refer to as the massification of education, which translates into large classes. The authors of the book have taken it upon themselves to bring a group of colleagues together, invite them to contribute, and we are very proud of the academics who have participated in this venture,” said Crouch.
The book, the only one of its kind and a world-first, has three parts and covers topics such as The Lecture and Large Classes; Evidence and Case Studies of Large-Class Teaching; and Supporting Large-Class Teaching. Within these headings various aspects of lecturer-student interaction are covered. The book considers these learning contexts and offers conceptual and practical considerations on how to ensure quality higher education is preserved from a range of disciplinary backgrounds.
“This is a great book because this is where education is heading. Our government wants to make education more accessible and get more people involved, which is the trend internationally. Large classes will be with us even more and the challenge is how to manage it and teach it well,” said De Matos-Ala.
Osman said she is very excited because the book is ground breaking in its area. “The book supports teaching in higher education both conceptually and theoretically, and is inter-disciplinary driven. This is a pressing issue for academics across the world.”
Hornsby said that the second edition is already underway. “We are already discussing and working on a second edition, which will be in collaboration with a colleague from Sydney, Australia. It is very likely that we will arrange another symposium on this topic as well,” said Hornsby.
The book is available from www.sun-e-shop.co.za or email info@sunmediametro.co.za for more information. The special edition of the Higher Education journal is due to be released in early 2014.