Developing Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (review)

The purpose of this book is to provide new college or university teaching faculty with the opportunity to reflect upon their teaching and academic experiences in a way that enhances and possibly changes teaching and learning environments. The author focuses on teaching, learning, and practice as a complementary set of ideals, aspirations, or outcomes that include student learning outcomes, and the advancement of knowledge from one generation to the next. Nicholls integrates theory and practice somewhat convincingly in a pragmatic way. This is also a guide for new teachers in higher education and is written from the point of view of the British education system (which has long been centered on lecturing as the main method of information transmission).

This book is the result of many conversations and teaching sessions the author had with colleagues and new lecturers; Nicholls is a Professor of Education and Director of the Institute for Learning and Teaching at King's College, the University of London. Developing Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is part of an untitled series written to recognize the demands and needs of the Institute for Learning and Teaching (ILT) and aims to guide the lecturer through the process of reflection and development required to become a member of the ILT. The key areas of the ILT are planning and preparation, conducting teaching and learning sessions, assessment and evaluation, revising and improving teaching, leadership management and administration, and continual professional development. Prior to the Dearing Report (NCIH, 1997), teaching skills were assumed to be conferred on lecturers as a postgraduate gift (the knowledge and privilege to be a lecturer) in many British universities, according to the author.

The primary strength of Developing Teaching and Learning in Higher Education is its ability to provide new lecturers with an easy and accessible guide to planning and preparation of teaching sessions, teaching of a diverse student population, and assessing students' progress and achievement. Additional pages offer help with the creation of a portfolio for the teacher to include his or her own intellectual works. As a result of higher education facing increasing demands for teaching excellence, new lecturers are now expected to have had training and introduction to teaching and learning strategies in both Great Britain and the United States.

Lecturing is arguably the oldest teaching method and remains the most common form of instruction despite the fact that some research has shown lecture is ineffective unless it is combined with some alternative style of teaching. Lectures are nevertheless a fast, efficient means of conveying a body of information, especially when there is either too much or too little printed information available. The instructor needs to determine if the lecture approach is the best method of teaching for the achievement of the instructional goals of the class.

Nicholls also explores how teaching is understood and recognizes that pedagogical relationships practiced may be different across subject areas. She gives an outline of core knowledge and what are the professional values to be conveyed as a lecturer. This book is written as an outlined style guide to planning, preparing, and evaluating teaching sessions for lecturers and includes illustrations, figures, and tables, which can stand alone in explaining the text.

References to other works on this subject would improve the structure of this book. For example, the ideas of Beard and Hartley (1984) in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education are very relevant. This is a classic British handbook that discusses the topics of lecturing, discussion techniques, lab work, and also includes chapters on motivating and counseling students and developing their study skills. The book includes more than just a list of tips for teachers, but also a discussion of underlying principles and relevant research on teaching effectiveness. Another helpful incorporation would be the works of McKeachie from Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and...