Are our students fit for purpose?

I have come to realise that teaching within Higher Education provides a huge challenge in ensuring that we provide our students with the tools that will allow them to adapt to the ever changing professional environment into which they are about to step. Understanding the current needs of employers whilst predicting future requirements has to be part of the higher education lecturer remit. I have found recently that a number of students underestimate the technical training required to successfully enter their chosen industry. Undertaking a student online questionnaire during tutorials highlighted that 80% of current sports management students have not worked in an appropriate industry environment and do not hold a required technical qualification.

This along with broad tutorial discussions and a recent course trip to Cardiff, has reshaped my strategy for the current programme. It has encouraged me to think about providing more industry specific experiences for students at all levels running alongside traditional theory based lectures. Exposing students to in class discussions and images has more impact if we can then follow it up with a real life experience - allowing students to understand the atmosphere, noise, and practical decision making issues.  Engaging them in an environment that is dynamic,  and inspiring will give them an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge with skills and technical abilities that will support their long term development.

Challenge of tutorials

The start of a new academic year at Swansea Metropolitan University has also seen the beginning of a new faculty. The faculty of Business and Management has begun its life having recently completing a successful validation of its undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The essential theme running through all the programmes is the opportunity for lecturers to strike a balance between large scale lectures and small personal tutorial sessions to reinforce learning.

Tutorials are presenting an opportunity for both lecturer and students to engage and discuss ideas. Some(students and lecturers) are thriving in this environment, whilst it would seem others feel exposed. The challenge is to create an environment that  maximises a creative and supportive interaction, that meets the needs of all participants involved. Within my own delivery I have been experimenting with tasks, debates and case studies. I have moved students from class rooms, to social learning environments and plan to take students into the field.

What I have observed to date is a willingness by students to engage in tasks if they see the relevance and obvious learning objectives. As a year tutor I have also observed a steady decline in attendance to tutorial sessions across the board as students find them selves waiting around between sessions with little motivation to continue their self directed learning. My own experiences have produced positive sessions especially in relaxed non traditional class room environments.

I am definitely an advocate for the use of tutorials however I feel that teams need to work together to offer creative solutions for this tutorial time and not simply accept a rigid time table of learning in uninspiring environments. The challenge we face as lecturers is to continue to stimulate and motivate learners within these personal sessions whilst allowing constructive use of our time.