2011年2月28日 星期一

轉載: 倫敦大學學院UCL校長:一流大學需學術自由和自治

倫敦大學學院校長:一流大學需學術自由和自治

2011年02月28日 14:00 來源:深圳特區報 張興文 范京蓉 王敏


 學校簡介

  倫敦大學學院(University College London,簡稱UCL)創建於1826年,是繼牛津大學與康橋大學之後英國最古老的大學,也是英格蘭第一所為不同宗教信仰和社會背景的人提供高等教育 的大學。UCL是英格蘭第一所將英語、法語、德語、義大利語、地理等設立為專業的大學,也是第一所提供工程、醫藥、法律系統教育的大學。一直以來,它與牛 津大學、康橋大學、帝國理工學院和倫敦政經學院一起並稱為“G5超級精英大學”。在全球各大重要世界大學排名中,UCL長期穩居世界前25位。在2010 年QS世界大學排名榜中,UCL名列第4。

  倫敦大學學院(UCL)的主校區位於倫敦市中心的高爾街上,附近就是著名的大英博物館與大英圖書館,該校區因此有世界上最昂貴的校園之稱。19 世紀由英國國家美術館的設計師威廉·衛金斯設計的主教學樓是其標誌性建築,像羅馬神殿般巍峨而端莊,令人肅然起敬。而街對面不遠,是由UCL醫學院開辦的 醫院、牙科診所和癌症中心等,在近兩個世紀的時間長河裏造福了無數倫敦市民。

  不久前的一個寒冷冬日,UCL校長麥克姆·格蘭特與負責中國事務的副校長郭正曉博士一起,在寬大而簡樸的校長辦公室裏熱情接受了深圳特區報記者的採訪,暢談創建世界一流名校的經驗、高等教育面臨的挑戰以及深圳發展高等教育的路徑建議等,並對深港教育合作寄予厚望。

  多學科交叉激發學生創新潛力

  記者:UCL是世界知名學府,共培養出21位諾貝爾獎獲得者。而中國著名科學家錢學森曾提出“中國為何培養不出傑出人才”,在國內引起強烈反響,請問能否分享一下UCL在培養傑出人才方面的成功經驗?

  格蘭特:傑出人才的培養是個複雜的問題。但簡單來說,其中有三方面因素。首先,一所知名的大學建成需要長時間的努力,需要時間的積澱。建設名 校,僅對大樓、圖書館、教學設備等硬體投資是不夠的,最重要的是培養一種追求知識、追求智慧的文化,形成一種良好的教學與科研的氛圍。教育是面對人的事 業,所以要著眼長遠,要從長計議。其次,一流大學必須要建立一流的教師團體,有了一流的師資水準才能提升學生的學習能力。第三,學校要注重培養學生分析、 質詢、判斷的能力,不斷提升他們分析問題、解決問題的能力,並從這些能力中培養學生的創新能力。

  記者:那麼,UCL是如何培養學生的創新能力的?

  格蘭特:這是個很好的問題。首先,學校要招好的學生。什麼是好學生?好學生不僅僅是指他的考試分數高,學術表現好,我們要特別留意他們除了學習 之外還做了什麼?有什麼興趣愛好?第二,教育面對的是一個個獨特的個體,好的教育意味著老師是否能激發學生的想法,提高他們分析問題、解決問題的能力。教 育不是教給學生死記硬背,掌握一些已經成為事實的知識點,而是通過各種方法激發他的思考能力,改善他們的思維方法。其實每個學生都是有創新潛力的,作為教 育者來說,就是要激發這種潛力。創造性對各個學科來說都是非常重要的。不論是建築還是藝術、美術等,都需要創新能力,因為創造代表著一種智慧。

  郭正曉:創造性在某些學科中體現更強一點,比如自然科學領域。UCL的特色是強調通過多學科的交叉,把一個人的創造力更好地激發出來。

  記者:UCL的多學科交叉有哪些特色?

  郭正曉:UCL成立了許多跨學科的研究中心,促使某個領域的新見解向其他領域的應用、發展,其結果不僅推動其他領域的創新,還可能導致一個全新 領域的出現。在UCL,我們大力推動不同學科領域之間的高跨度、實質性合作,儘量讓文科和理科交叉,比如說物理科學與社會科學交叉,而不僅是以前的文科和 文科、理科和理科的交叉。

  格蘭特:為了讓我們的學生為多學科交叉研究做好準備,我們在本科階段就為他們打下基礎。我們最近的一個舉措是引進類似美國通識教育的做法,即在 自然科學的本科生階段引進人文教育課程,在入學的第一年要求他們文理兼修,同時還必須學習第二門現代外語,以此擴大學生的知識面,提高學生的個人修養和思 考能力。今後這樣的做法還將擴大到文科的各專業。通識教育有助於培養學生更廣的認識能力,而不是像英國傳統院校的那樣一開始就培養學生向縱深方向發展。

  一流大學要直面世界性重大課題挑戰

  記者:UCL的未來發展戰略是什麼?有哪些可供中國的高校借鑒?

  格蘭特:一流大學要直面當今世介面臨的挑戰。我們認為,UCL在科研上要應對人類面臨的四個大挑戰,一是世界性的健康問題;第二個是可持續的城 市發展,這對中國也很重要;三是跨文化的交融;四是人的身心健康。應對這些問題不光是一個學科的責任,也不僅僅是依靠某一個領域研究人員能夠做到的,要把 人文、醫學、自然科學等多學科的人才集中起來,通過多學科交叉研究解決這些問題,這樣才能培養出創造性的前瞻性的科學家來。

  最後一個大挑戰就是世界一流學校的強強合作。例如,UCL和耶魯大學近期有一個醫學方面的合作計劃,通過這個合作來創造新的學科教研環境。這種 跨越大西洋的合作,可以綜合兩所名校的學科優勢,同時也帶動相鄰學科的合作。名校之間的合作也是挑戰,因為每個大學都有自己的優勢,實質性的強強合作才能 真正解決具有挑戰性的問題。

  我們立足於世界一流大學之列,要繼續在人才和實驗室建設方面做更多的投入,另外還要發展優勢前沿學科,比如說神經科學,我們大學的神經科學可以 和哈佛大學的神經科學相比;再比如醫學,UCL的醫學特別強,英國的醫學創新發展中心就設在UCL,為此UCL獲得了大概6億英鎊的科研資金;此外,還有 前面說的跨學科創新研究。

  外國學生可以享受“一流軟體”

  記者:到UCL讀書是許多中國學生夢寐以求的,對他們有什麼期望?

  格蘭特:當然是努力學習了(笑)。現在我們這兒有很多中國學生,有1200多名來自中國大陸學生,還有400名香港學生。中國學生很有才華,有 著良好的學習習慣,我們很歡迎中國學生來學校。UCL是一個多元化的學校,現在已經有140多個國家的學生,歡迎不同文化背景的人前來學習。

  記者:UCL目前與中國高校的合作進展如何?

  格蘭特:UCL與中國高校有40多個合作項目,包括研究和教育方面的合作。其中一個長期合作項目是與北大的考古學合作,已經有10多年的歷史 了。我們與上海交大合作進行研究生的培訓,還有一些合作得到了企業界的資助,例如在電子、生物技術、奈米技術、工程等方面的科研合作,尤其是遠洋工程、採 油等等方面我們也有很強的實力。

  記者:UCL目前有無與國內大學聯合辦學並授予文憑的形式?

  郭正曉:目前還沒有。一般情況下,我們認為最好的教育還是到倫敦來,到學校本部來。正如格蘭特校長剛才所說,教育不僅是傳授知識,更多體現這種 文化,和一流的教師和學生在一起,享受一流資源、一流的“軟體”,在這種環境中才能培養出一流的人才來。所以我們對和國內學校聯合教學不是特別感興趣,我 們認為這樣不如在本校發展好。

  海外分校專業設置以地區需要為重

  記者:UCL去年宣佈在澳大利亞建立了一個分校區,現在進展如何?你們如何確保在異地教學的教學品質?

  格蘭特:澳大利亞的校園是一年前開辦的,目前進展順利,也很成功。這個項目是由行業和政府共同投資的,主要研究方向是能源和資源,而且是針對碩 士以上的研究性課程。UCL與當地政府合作,並不是與當地高校聯合辦學,UCL保證派出自己的教職員工教學,各個方面都和UCL本校是一樣的,可以視為是 UCL的一個科系、部門。

  記者:有些香港高校將在深圳設立分校,你們的經驗或許深圳可以借鑒。

  格蘭特:我們還將在中東和哈薩克開展碩士以上教育,在不同國家建立分校區不是把整個大學都建到當地,而是針對不同地區的需要,和各個地方政府合 作,UCL則負責提供高品質的教學和科研隊伍,既傳授知識也帶去UCL的文化。雖然我們鼓勵學生到校本部來,但在分校區也可以保證向學生提供UCL一流的 學習和科研體驗。我們也希望能夠結合中國的需要,到中國去開設分校,把UCL高品質的教學帶到中國。

  一流大學需要學術自由學術自治

  記者:深圳正在籌建南方科技大學,並希望儘快建成世界一流的研究性大學,對此有何建議?

  格蘭特:要在短時間內建設世界一流的大學是比較困難的任務,但也有例外,比如香港科技大學,他們只有25年的歷史就很成功。如果一所大學要在短 期內獲得世界的認同,也許可以從一些重點的科研項目上取得突破。要建設一流的大學,首先要從招聘好的師資隊伍開始,因為教育是關於人的學問,教師是否能激 發學生的潛力是非常重要的。

  另外一個很重要的方面就是大學要有自治的能力。對於政府來說,它應該對大學投資,因為資金對於一流大學的建設是很重要的;但是,另外一個方面, 政府應該相信學校的自我管理的能力,給予學校學術自由,放手讓學校根據自己的情況制定短期、中期、長期的規劃,不能借投資限制學校的發展。學術自由、學術 自治,是一流大學成長起來的根本條件。

  記者:深圳今年8月份將舉辦世界大學生運動會,你們會鼓勵學生到深圳來參加比賽嗎?

  格蘭特:我們是通過你們才知道大運會的,如果有學生被邀請參加,我們會支援的。UCL是英國第一個學生會的創始地,一向鼓勵學生積極參加體育運動。大運會的組織機構也應該感謝你們,你們為大運會做了很好的宣傳。

  記者手記

  引進名校劍指多贏

  “我上周還去過香港,可以問你們一個問題嗎?”在我們的採訪過程中,格蘭特校長突然“反客為主”,對前往採訪的深圳特區報記者發問。

  他關心的問題是香港中文大學在深圳設校區一事進展如何。格蘭特校長對深港教育合作發展高度關注,一方面固然與他作為香港大學教育資助委員會成員的身份有關,另一方面也與UCL積極的國際化戰略有關。

  去年,UCL在澳大利亞成功設立分校區,UCL負責國際事務的副校長邁克·沃頓(Michael Worton)曾對澳大利亞一家媒體表示,在海外開設分校區是UCL國際化戰略的一部分,而在海外擴張的地區選擇上則需考慮對英國乃至UCL都具備重點戰略意義的國家。

  在專業設置上,UCL的海外分校區也有自己獨特的考量。例如,澳大利亞分校區只有能源和資源專業,而即將建立的卡達校區將從事人類學、保護和博 物館研究。格蘭特校長在採訪中對深圳特區報記者表示,UCL有意在哈薩克、中國、印度等地擴大教育合作,而如何成功異地辦學,關鍵是規模不能貪大,專業選 擇要符合所在地的經濟發展需要,並且主要是培養碩士以上精英人才。

  目前,香港中文大學、香港大學等即將前來深圳開辦分校區,像UCL這樣的世界一流名校也躍躍欲試。對於在高等教育上要奮起直追的深圳而言,如何在名校的國際化擴張浪潮中通過國際合作實現高品質的發展?記者認為,UCL的海外分校戰略與實踐經驗非常值得我們學習借鑒。

  如格蘭特校長所言,UCL澳大利亞分校獲得了當地政府和企業的支援,與UCL一起共同出資辦學。分校設置的能源與資源專業符合地方政府的可持續 發展戰略,同時為企業提供科研支援,而UCL則可以實現教學資源輸出。而在學校的管理上,則由UCL全權負責:派遣教師、評估教學品質、頒發文憑等等,提 供與本校一致的教學與科研水準。

  由此,在與世界級著名高校合作時,我們也應當針對深圳及華南地區的經濟發展需要、結合名校的科研資源,選取符合地方政府、區域經濟及高校三方利益最大化的專業研究方向設置學科,建設既區分于校本部又有鮮明名校特色的深圳校區。

  校長名片

  麥克姆·格蘭特(Malcolm Grant)

  高級律師、環境律師、學者和公務員,于2003年起任UCL校長。格蘭特1947年出生於紐西蘭,獲紐西蘭奧塔哥大學法律博士學位。他曾在南安普頓大學、UCL、康橋大學等任法學教授,2002至2003年任康橋大學副校長。他是康橋克萊爾學院的終身教授。

  由於他在法律和地方政府規劃方面的傑出成就,格蘭特于2003年被授予英國皇家爵士(CBE)。他曾在多個公共服務機構任職,目前擔任的職責包括英國商業大使、英國高等教育基金會(HEFCE)成員、香港大學教育資助委員會成員等等。

  郭正曉(副校長)

  1983年獲東北大學學士學位;1985年和1988年分別獲曼徹斯特大學碩士和博士學位。1988至1995年先後任職于 Strathclyde大學和牛津大學;1995年被聘為倫敦大學(瑪麗皇后學院材料係)講師,2000年晉陞為教授(英國第一位華人材料學教授)。 2006-2007年任倫敦清潔能源中心主任。2007年被聘為UCL大學(倫敦大學學院)教授,在化學系及倫敦奈米中心工作;2008年被聘為UCL大 學副校長,主管中國事務。2009年被聘為英國商業創新技能部——英中奈米材料聚焦合作負責人。(記者 張興文 范京蓉 王敏)

2011年2月27日 星期日

中國來的學生一樣本

月前有學生逛書店 人間副刊的楊澤 請賴校長寫寫中國來的學生
我當時了解他們來台的經濟負擔
才知道來的都是"財務健全"的家庭....


他今天交卷了

--

陸生在台灣

  • 2011-02-28
  • 中國時報
  • 【?賴鼎銘】

 突破數十年的障礙,陸生終於來台就學。雖然剛開始只是一個學期的學習,但破冰之旅已屬不易。作為這方面領先的學校,世新大學累積了不少交流的經驗。身為校長,雖然沒有在第一線教過這些陸生,但與他們爬山、座談及教師的反應中,我自己有著很深很深的感觸。

 三個學期來,我們共接待了四百多位陸生。這些學生來自四面八方,包括西北、東北、北京、華中到華南都有,學校包括延安大學、西北大學、西華師範大學、遼寧大學、東北財經大學、中國傳媒大學、南京審計學院、中國人民大學、浙江理工大學、浙江傳媒學院、廈門大學、福建師範大學等等。

 好不容易抵達台灣的這批陸生,在台灣的適應上並非相當順遂。因為是第一次接觸,台灣學生與陸生之間的誤解在所難免。陸生就跟我抱怨過,想融入台灣的學習生活中, 似乎有點困難。更何況,台生與陸生之間,存在著相當的刻版印象。例如,有不少台生認為大陸是相當落後的社會,還問陸生大陸有沒有紅綠燈?這讓大陸的學生啼 笑皆非。部份陸生則感覺在學校有被忽視的感覺;開學時老師會介紹外籍生及僑生,卻把他們晾在一邊,讓想融入課堂的陸生,相當尷尬。

 三個學期與陸生的初遇,讓我見證兩岸學生的交流,從剛開始的猜疑,慢慢走向拉近差距。我守護神的學生漢森曼,主動告訴我,未接觸前,他對 大陸女生的印象並不好。但自從交上來自西華師範大學的川姑娘,他對大陸女生的想像,已經完全不一樣。我告訴陸生,他們是第一批交流的學生,責任很重大;兩 岸未來的發展,他們扮演很重要的角色。

 等待十年來台圓夢

 能夠來台的陸生,在家世上都不差。他們能來,都帶著對台灣的想像。這些想像,從小時讀的台灣作家的書,到流行歌手(如小虎隊)、綜藝節目,都是種子。

 最具代表性的例子,就是第一批來自大陸,就讀於中國傳媒大學的孫琳,在來台的心得中,以「台北:最想你的時候」為名,寫下讓我感動不已的句子:「愛上一個城市,通常只是一個無關緊要的人。愛上一座島嶼,需要的是十年來漫長的等待,」「十年來你費盡心力,從一個大雪封山的小村莊,一步一步走到首都繁華似錦的國際化大都市,然後在物質流轉中左顧右盼,焦灼不安。每日閱讀的,是海峽另一邊的作家的暢銷書,每日聽的,也是那邊的流行歌手;電腦打開儲存的全是綜藝節目,枕邊永遠有一張全島地圖。」

 她以優雅的文筆訴說來台後的百感交集:

 這是2009年的冬天,台灣以一個恭候多時的姿態,等待我的到來。我終於在潮濕的夜風中熱淚盈眶到不能自已,我看見十年來貧困的、幼稚 的、純真的自己,守著心中小小的夢想,願意為夢想實現做任何赴湯蹈火的付出。我也看見,在初二時那個殘陽如血的黃昏你被班裡同學集體嘲笑,他們丟棄你那個 心愛的本子上沾滿了泥水,也沾滿了哭腫雙眼的淚痕,沒人相信你有朝一日能夠走在繁華的台北街頭。十年以來,所有的委屈、疼痛、不安,在我轉身那一刻定格, 靜止不語,站成了夜風中永恆的寂寞如雪。

 因為這些想像,這也難怪,陸生來台灣的時候,所要求的第一件事,就是幫他們安排參加電視台的錄影節目。尤其「大學生了沒」、「康熙來了」 更是他們的最愛。他們有些還是追星族,一有機會一定會想親炙明星的風采。大陸太大了,他們不見得有這種機會;但在台灣,就連有名的政治人物,都覺得近在天 邊!在大陸,公安是無法讓他們如此接近這些名人的。

 追求知識充滿熱情

 一般來說,台灣學生與陸生在世新展現出來的是二種不同社會的世代。台灣的學生活潑有創意;陸生就當面告訴我,他無法想像在公關課程中,台灣女生竟然可以把胸罩拿出來當道具!陸生則展現艱難來台的珍惜之心、嚴肅的求學態度。他們常常是班上認真、表現不俗的學生。

 彭懷恩院長告訴我,他班上近一百名學生,八個陸生中,有四個名列三、四、五及第六名。通識中心的陳兆禎老師,為這些陸生組織了讀書會,她 每次都盛讚這些學生的投入程度;孫琳的文章就是讀書會所繳交的成果。余副校長告訴我,他的公共行政概論課程,二位陸生比較會舉手發問。通識中心的李功勤老 師也讚許陸生的認真、負責,他的上課經驗中,發覺陸生深具追求知識的熱情。

 王可是一個很好的例子。她來自浙江理工大學,二個月內找了我三次;要不就是要我推薦好的片子,要不然就是要我推薦好書。我因此告訴她很多 我從網路抓的影片,如家(Home)、魚線的盡頭(The end of the lines),不願面對的真相(Inconvenient Truth)等等環保有關的教育片。我最後還將老友張宏輝整理的百頁社會學書目,全部電郵給她;我並不認為她有功力看遍這些書,但看她的誠心、看她如海綿 般想吸盡一切的心思,任人都想盡力幫忙。

 陸鼎是另一個例子。他來自南京審計學院,表現出來的就是嚴謹的態度。溫文儒雅,對老師畢恭畢敬;任何課,他都是準時到場。他回大陸前,竟 然要求我教他太極拳!跟著我在景美堤外便道練了一、二個禮拜,看他勉力學習的樣子,令人難忘。他有著很明確的未來規劃,一畢業,就準備到英國讀書!

 扛著背包玩遍全台

 他們的才藝更令人驚豔!今年世新舉辦的才藝大賞,歌唱冠軍就由來自中國傳媒大學的馬詩漫獲得,聽說她也是大陸的「超女」。離台前,她還送了一張碟片給我。英語演講比賽,則由中國傳媒大學的李源溪得到第一名。這些大陸的尖子生,已經開始在台灣發出光芒。

 他們的會玩,也令人佩服。來台一學期,他們打定著主意,一定要玩遍大街小巷。據我所了解,他們的足跡,可以從台北、台中、台南、殺到墾丁,日月潭、阿里山及花蓮更常看到他們的身影。

 他們在台灣的旅行並非都是那麼順利。去年暑假,大雨侵襲東部,造成蘇花公路嚴重傷亡慘劇幾天前,他們包著遊覽車到花蓮。看到大雨警報,我 打電話追蹤他們的行程。還好,他們在大雨來臨前,已先行回到台北,但已經歷了一次驚心動魄的旅行。另外有幾個陸生,從高雄包著計程車到墾丁,每個人被海削 了台幣1,200元!回來時,台灣同學說被坑了,他們才如夢初醒!

 他們的充份利用時間,可以從王可的安排看得出來。離開台灣前,她說尚未去過台南,於是特意搭著半夜十二點的國光號,打算天亮到台南,好好 玩一天再回學校打包回大陸。去台南前,我交待她一定要去吃度小月,還有買黑橋牌香腸,但我看她們的主要興趣還是在赤崁樓;他們書本提過的歷史遺蹟。我問過 一位陸生,還有沒有那個地方沒去過?他竟然告訴我,他已幾乎逛遍台灣大部份地方!我問他如何達到的!他回答說,只要一到周末,他一定背著背包,往各地跑!

 來台學習收穫多

 與他們的接觸中,發現大陸學生對台灣的私立大學有著很深的誤解。他們以為台灣的私立大學就像大陸的民辦學校,只為了賺錢而且快要關門!因 為這樣的誤解,我最近接受大陸央視、人民日報、新華社、鳳凰衛視、廈門衛視及廈門日報訪問時,一直央請大陸記者一定要幫台灣的私立大學澄清:台灣的私立大 學是財團法人,不以賺錢為目的,而且多半帶有美國文理學院(Liberal Arts College),對於教育的崇高理想。

 談到他們在台的收獲,福建師範大學的林艷,就在座談中說出她到台灣學習的心得:

 昨天整理自己這一學期做的作品,才發覺自己原來完成了這麼多的事,包括一週一種報告、採訪專題等等,覺得學到和成長很多。來台前真的有掙扎過是否該來,但來了之後才發現收穫很大。來世新一年,可以超過我在大陸大學三年所學。

 其實,陸生對世新大學的肯定有幾個方面。第一,他們最稱讚世新大學的高水平師資, 不管是海外歸國還是本土的教師;第二,相對於大陸的大班授課,台灣的小班制,讓他們多了很多與老師互動的機會。再者,老師的教法活潑,對學生也比較關心。 另外,相較於大陸的理論課,他們喜歡世新大學許多實踐的課程,尤其那麼多傳播業界的資深教師,讓他們收獲良多。當然,台灣的分組訓練方式,也讓他們學會團 隊精神的培養。

 寶島濃厚人情味

 來台一學期,他們嚐遍台灣小吃,最喜歡的當然是珍珠奶茶、炸雞排、大腸包小腸、蚵仔煎及臭豆腐。他們上課時,會在學校的餐廳用餐;但來自 北方的同學,則抱怨台灣的菜餚口味不夠重,更不喜歡台菜的甜味。他們要求學校為未來的學生準備一、二道重口味的菜餚,甚或準備一些辣椒或辣椒醬,刺激刺激 他們的味蕾。

 他們的穿著,與台灣的學生已無差別。對於化妝,他們則一致認為台灣的學生比較厲害!陸生也常是百貨公司週年慶的常客,離台前,他們要求學校幫忙解決行李寄送的問題。我好奇地問,到底多了什麼東西?回答竟然是:不方便講!

 就生活面來講,潮濕的台灣冬天,因為沒有暖氣,讓他們感覺比大陸北方更冷!有的更抱怨台灣的被子太短、太薄了一點!

 但一方面他們也深深喜歡台灣的人情味,及社會的安全性。那一天在山西刀削麵,我請馬詩漫及樊彥妤吃飯,他們細數著台灣令他們深刻體會的一 些瑣事。他們說,在北京,連他們都不敢隨便問路;但在台灣,他們感受不少濃濃的人情味:縱然像台北,預想中應該是充滿冷漠的國際大都會,沒想到,他們得到 很多不預期的熱情協助。對於台北人不絕於耳的「謝謝」與「對不起」,他們印象非常深刻。

 他們告訴我,就都市發展,台灣的很多城市比不過大陸。但台灣的文化,台灣的軟實力,卻不是當前的大陸所可以趕上的。這也是她們覺得台灣及台北,令人著迷的主要原因。

2011年2月25日 星期五

The Experimental College (Alexander Meiklejohn)

The Experimental College (Alexander Meiklejohn)

The Experimental College - Google 圖書結果

Alexander Meiklejohn, Roland L. Guyotte - 2001 - Education - 421 頁
This edition brings back into print Meiklejohn's original, unabridged text.


The Experimental College
Alexander Meiklejohn
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY ROLAND L. GUYOTTE


A classic in the history of American higher education

First published in 1932, The Experimental College is the record of a radical experiment in university education. Established at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in 1927 by innovative educational theorist Alexander Meiklejohn, the "Experimental College" itself was to be a small, intensive, residence-based program within the larger university that provided a core curriculum of liberal education for the first two years of college.

Aimed at finding a method of teaching whereby students would gain "intelligence in the conduct of their own lives," the Experimental College gave students unprecedented freedom. Discarding major requirements, exams, lectures, and mandatory attendance, the program reshaped the student-professor relationship, abolished conventional subject divisions, and attempted to find a new curriculum that moved away from training students in crafts, trades, professions, and traditional scholarship. Meiklejohn and his colleagues attempted instead to broadly connect the democratic ideals and thinking of classical Athens with the dilemmas of daily life in modern industrial America.

The experiment became increasingly controversial within the university, perhaps for reasons related less to pedagogy than to personalities, money, and the bureaucratic realities of a large state university. Meiklejohn's program closed its doors after only five years, but this book, his final report on the experiment, examines both its failures and its triumphs. This edition brings back into print Meiklejohn's original, unabridged text, supplemented with a new introduction by Roland L. Guyotte. In an age of increasing fragmentation and specialization of academic studies, The Experimental College remains a useful tool in any examination of the purposes of higher education.

"Alexander Meiklejohn's significance in the history of American education stems largely from his willingness to put ideas into action. He tested abstract philosophical theories in concrete institutional practice. The Experimental College reveals the dreams as well as the defeats of a deeply idealistic reformer. By asking sharp questions about enduring purposes of liberal democratic education, Meiklejohn presents a message that is meaningful and useful in any age."—Adam Nelson author of Education and Democracy: The Meaning of Alexander Meiklejohn

A reprint of the unabridged, original 1932 edition. Published in partnership with the University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries

Alexander Meiklejohn (1872–1964) was the author of many articles and books, including Free Speech and Its Relation to Self-Government. Educated in philosophy at Brown and Cornell universities, he became a dean at Brown and then president of Amherst College. In 1925, he was invited by Glenn Frank, president of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, to establish the Experimental College. Meiklejohn later founded the San Francisco School of Social Studies, a pioneering adult education program. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963 for his activities in defense of First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, and assembly during the McCarthy era.

cover is a retro collage of sepia photo of Meiklejohn and some green pillar like things.

April 2001
454 pp. 6 x 9
1 b/w photo
ISBN 978-0-299-17244-2
Paper $26.95 s



Experimental College (movement)

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The Experimental College Movement (also referred to as EXCO or EC) has taken several forms historically, but is generally a school within a school, based out of a college or university, that offers classes taught by not just traditional professors, but students and community members as well (often without grades and often free of charge or in some way associated with social or curricular change).

In the 1960s the idea took the form of a movement, with Experimental Colleges arising at Tufts University[1] and the University of California, Davis, in 1966,[2] and the University of Washington[3] and Oberlin College in 1968,.[4] In addition to these projects, which still exist today, some Experimental Colleges came in and out of existence, such as the Tussman Experimental College at the University of California, Berkley, and at the University of Southern California.[5] These projects reflect different approaches to the concept: some hold fast to the principle of cost-free courses, some offer courses for credit, some emphasize a community focus. More recently established Experimental Colleges exist at Haverford[6] and in the Twin Cities.[7]

And while EXCOs draw upon a long history of many radical community movements including Popular Education, Free Schools, Freedom Schools, Work Peoples' Colleges, etc, the original concept is often attributed to Alexander Meiklejohn, who spearheaded such a project at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and authored a book about the experience, The Experimental College, in 1932.[8]

2011年2月18日 星期五

"數學與語言"

數學與語言的關係是個老問題
皮亞傑提出"守恆"觀念時
許多人即認為這是提問時的語言問題

反過來說 "數學與語言"個別領域上的"創造"
可能是互不相關的


STUDIES FIND LANGUAGE IS KEY TO LEARNING MATH
New research shows a lack of language skills can hamstring a student’s ability to understand the most fundamental concepts in mathematics. A series of studies led by Susan Goldin-Meadow, a psychology professor at the University of Chicago, found that profoundly deaf adults in Nicaragua who had not learned a formal sign language could not accurately describe or understand numbers greater than three. While hearing adults and those who used formal sign language easily counted and distinguished groups of objects, those who used only self-created “homesigning” gestures could not consistently extend the proper number of fingers to count more than three objects at a time, nor could they match the number of objects in one set to those in another set. The study, while not conducted on children, offers new insight into the link between language and mathematics development in children, because it focuses on adults who have grown up without language and numeracy, said Laura-Ann Petitto, a professor of cognitive neuroscience and the director of the Genes, Mind and fNIRS [Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy] Brain Imaging Laboratory for Language, Bilingualism, and Child Development at the University of Toronto, St. George. Such populations are difficult to find in modern society. The article is in Education Week. Subscription is required for full access.

2011年2月15日 星期二

Singing fosters intelligence, improves health


Music | 13.01.2011

Singing fosters intelligence, improves health, study shows

Whether in tune or not, singing cultivates human development, with kids profitting most from the activity. Those who sing also get sick less soften, a study shows.

They've played, painted pictures and had breakfast. Now it's time for their favorite stuffed animal to wake up. So the children in this German and French-language pre-school in the western German city of Wuppertal wrap frog Noah up in a blue cloth and begin to rock him. They quietly sing a French song and their singing slowly gets louder as the kids begin to shake the cloth - until the frog begins to hop around.

"He's finally awake now!" a few of the kids yell and intone their favorite song: "Frere Jacques." The kids hug and kiss the cute little stuffed frog as it wanders from child to child, and they decide - without fighting - who gets to hold it longer on this particular day before it goes down for a nap again. This ritual is repeated nearly every day and is accompanied by music.

Learning a language through music

Director Holland drumming with kids in pre-schoolBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Holland also drums with the kids during jam sessions

"We sing a lot in French," says teacher Francoise Ruel. "The kids get to know the language in a playful way, and get a sense for proper pronunciation." But more than anything, the children have a lot of fun, the French native stresses, since the singing always goes hand-in-hand with games and movement. Along with another French-speaking colleague, Ruel is responsible for teaching the children the foreign language. The rest of the time, she and her four other colleagues speak and sing in German.

"Singing is extremely important for language development because it fosters expression," said Heike Holland, director of the German-French pre-school. It also helps to improve memory since a melody helps people memorize texts and lyrics, she added. The kids in her school have not only learned French very quickly, they've also improved their German - an important aspect since many of the children come from families with an immigrant background. In addition to German, some of the pre-schoolers speak Turkish, Spanish, Italian or Portuguese at home.

Singing prepares kids for school

While this kind of multilingualism may be rare in German pre-schools, more and more of the kids who attend are growing up bilingually. That's reflected in the pre-schools' musical repertoire, Holland said. She often visits other pre-schools to train teachers in early childhood development and educational methods.

Sheet musicBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Kids don't have to read music to sing

"Many of the children whose parents are immigrants or have an immigrant background bring their Oriental-influenced music with them into the schools," she said. The kids also often like to sing songs they hear on the radio or television, and many of them are in English.

Sociologist Thomas Blank of the University of Muenster encourages teachers and parents to expose children to music as much as possible, especially the music the kids prefer. In a study of 500 pre-school kids, Blank found that kids who sing a lot are much better prepared for school than children who sing only seldom. "They can express themselves better, empathize more easily with others and get sick with colds or the flu less often."

Singing connects logic and emotions

Blank is not surprised by the results of his study. "The connection between the left and right brain hemispheres - between logic and feeling - can be fostered and shaped particularly well between the ages of one and six," and that's exactly what happens when people sing, the sociologist stressed.

Hitting the right note or sounding good while singing isn't important, he said. On the contrary: Children should not be pressured to perform and sing well, Blank suggests. "Kids should have fun and be allowed to experiment," he said, and that's when singing is a really healthy activity. "Singing reduces stress and aggression and encourages a sense of community."

Author: Sabine Damaschke / als
Editor: Kate Bowen

2011年2月13日 星期日

研究所的目的和制度/創新等議題更為重要

談台灣的研究所考試
台灣的研究所考試從40年前就很困難 現在的名額暴增 不過"需求"也跟著增
研究所考試 攸關錄影的研究生的某些"品質"
"再者"研究所考試的報名費收入可觀

弄成"碩士以上的學位"是好的職場投資的"誤導"


換句話說 研究所的目的和制度/創新等議題更為重要

所以台灣自然會演變成"研究所考試綁架了大學生 " (這也是有點誇大的說法)
我認為這些是次要的雜音




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研究所考試綁架了大學生 2011-02-14中國時報【吳瑞北】

 今年許多大學研究所入學考試日期創下最早記錄,寒假剛結束就考,不少考生來不及準備;而且台、清、交、成等大學紛紛撞期,也造成考生選擇機會大輻減少,顯然是各大學有意造成。

 每年大學或高中聯考都吸引很多媒體報導,研究所入學考相對比較不受注意。其實研究所入學考的競爭程度不下於大學指考,而且許多科技業研發人員多鎖定碩士畢業生,因此如果真要說「一試定終生」,那研究所入學考對終生的影響程度絕對不低於大學指考。

 研究所考試是各校自行命題,不是全國聯招。過去多在四、五月考,一方面需來得及銜接秋季開學前招生準備,另方面也顧慮到大四下考比較能考出實力,也比較不會影響大學最後一年的教學成效;同時,有的學校甚至會盡可能錯開考期,以使考生有最大的選擇機會。

 近年來研究所考試日期逐漸往前移,今年更是離譜,台大選擇在二月十八及十九日考,原意是希望盡量不要與他校撞期,以免影響考生權益。但提前考試日期的後遺症,大四下所念的就不考了,而且不少同學為準備考研究所,已實質影響了大四上的求學效果。

 沒想到台大公布後,集合陽明、中央、清華、交通四校的台聯大,一些領域也故意選在同一天考試,有的甚至在台大還沒公布考試日期前網站上註明:考試日期與台大同一天,擺明的就是想來台聯大就不可以報考台大,但台聯大錄取名額總數多,錄取機會大,因此聰明的就不要去考台大。結果是台、成大報名人數驟降,同一天考試形同綁架,逼得同學只能選擇一所報考,如果選擇策略失當或臨考失常,那就要等明年了,對考生權益的影響相當大。

 大學,「在明明德、在親民、在止於至善」。教育的目的就在培育人才,能把學生教好素質提昇,這才是辦學的宗旨。可惜現在教育部主政下,為爭取五年五百億,各校競爭白熱化,教育部比較各大學績效是以成果論英雄,研究論文多寡成為主要指標,因此如何爭取到好學生,以獲得好的辦學成績,已經成為大學的最高指導原則。台大想的是如何讓愈多學生來報考,可以從更多人中選擇最好的,因此最好與其他學校撞期愈少愈好;而台聯大想的是如何讓聯大錄取的學生不會在台大錄取,因此最好是與台大完全撞期。

 問題是,當各主要大學都專注到如何爭取到好學生,甚至無所不用其極,而辦學把有教無類,因材施教,以人才培育為重的教育理念放在其次,這樣的大學還能稱為大學嗎?

 (作者為台灣大學電機系教授)

2011年2月12日 星期六

一篇2002年的牛津大學的"教學研究"的報導: You can teach an old don new tricks

讀過 "The Oxford Tutorial in the Context of Theory on Student Learning:

‘Knowledge is a wild thing, and must be hunted before it can be tamed’" 知道作者和其職務:Suzanne Shale, MA, Director, Institute for the Advancement of UniversityLearning, University of Oxford, and Fellow in Law, New College


再找一篇2002年的牛津大學的"教學研究"的報導

You can teach an old don new tricks

22 March 2002

Pat Leon

Far from resisting efforts to examine their teaching, Oxford academics are excited by a new institute helping them to do just that, writes Pat Leon.

Given Oxford's reputation in teaching and research, it was always going to be tricky for a "newcomer" to try to influence the powerful colleges' student-learning strategies. But the Institute for the Advancement of University Learning claims to be doing just that.

The institute could be seen as a model for all research-led universities that have been accused of neglecting teaching. Working out of a modern office block in the heart of the old town, a small team is steadfastly building contacts with colleges to establish the institute's research and training credentials, working to disprove the belief that research-led universities put little effort into investigating their teaching. Launched in 2000-01 under a motto bowdlerised from Henry Adams: "Teachers affect eternity; they can never tell where their influence stops", the institute reports to the pro vice-chancellor (academic) and the educational policy and standards committee.

Director Suzanne Shale, a fellow and law tutor at New College, sees its task as introducing ideas to an academic community that lacks the language - and the space - to discuss teaching, however much individuals like or dislike it. "Teaching is a very immediate experience. No session is ever the same. There is a tendency to focus on practical issues and dilemmas, but teaching is also an emotional experience. It is about building a relationship with students. It is hard not to be involved."

Shale believes that good teaching rests on powerful ways of thinking about learning. "We expect that academics who get their hands (and minds) on these ideas will start to work with students in infinitely more appropriate, creative and exciting ways than we could ever invent," she says.

To that end, the institute hosts a variety of activities, including seminars on tutoring and class teaching, colloquia and one-to-one consultations. There are also a visiting fellows programme, a newsletter, liaison with Ivy League institutions and a postgraduate diploma programme, newly accredited by the Institute for Learning and Teaching.

More controversially, Keith Trigwell and Paul Ashwin have official sanction for a research project looking at how Oxford is seen by its students and recent graduates. They hope their research will cast light on why degree classifications can vary so much between firsts and thirds when students all come in with high entry qualifications.

The three-year project, involving student focus groups, interviews and questionnaires, is in its second phase. But the process entails delicate negotiation with heads of colleges, senior tutors and junior common rooms to get access to students and their opinions about workload, assessment and tutorials. On a smaller scale, the institute, which is funded by the university and the national Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund, provides academics with assistance, including funding of up to £4,000 and staff support, for research projects.

Mark Maloney, a chemist from St Peter's College, for example, is investigating how students' problem-solving strategies in learning chemistry change over their first year. The department of politics and international relations is examining the undergraduate curriculum. This emphasis on scholarly research is evident in the postgraduate diploma course the institute offers.

In addition to the equivalent of nine days of seminars, fortnightly meetings with mentors/supervisors and an optional reading group, those on the institute's diploma course have to produce a 12,000 to 15,000-word portfolio of three to six items. The portfolio is examined by two specialists, one an educationist, the other a subject specialist. Examples of Michaelmas-term submissions include one on medical-student admissions and problem-based learning; one on archaeology, web use and tutorials; and another on forestry, tutorials and large classes.

Shale has been surprised by the uptake. "At the outset, we thought we would attract new or relatively inexperienced academics. We hadn't anticipated how attractive the course would be to more experienced colleagues."

One such is Sarah Wood, a member of the English faculty at Mansfield College who has 12 years of teaching experience. She says: "There is an increasing tendency to split teaching from research as if teaching were a kind of housework and research a kind of individualistic, entrepreneurial thing. That weakens academics politically by dividing us and mechanising the relations we have with students."

Few divisions are evident in the diploma classes, which have almost a club atmosphere, participants say. The reason for this easy-going enthusiasm may be that the diploma course offers a chance to talk about the teaching process, says Anna Holland, lecturer in French at St Edmund Hall. Despite the very social nature of the Oxford colleges, teaching is little discussed - most tutors are expected to follow the example of their superiors, Holland says.

Everyone on the course is allocated a supervisor or mentor. Andrew Martin, a lecturer in software engineering and continuing education, says his relationship with his mentor/supervisor is like the relationship he has with many of his students - "in itself it is a valuable opportunity to reflect on the challenges they encounter in part-time study".

Shale says the one-to-one work is particularly challenging for the institute's staff and supervisors. "At the outset, people tend to ask us for advice about what to do in their teaching. But if we give advice and it doesn't chime with their experience, it's useless. So we try to spend time exploring what they think about their dilemmas and how they are handling them, and encourage them to create their own solutions."

She relates her own experience of lecturing in law. The first year did not go so well, the second was better and by the third "I got applause". When she looked back years later, she could see how her thinking had changed. "I had started with pedagogy and the law running along parallel lines. With experience they meshed."

Teaching is a little like cooking, she says. "You may have a recipe book, but the more you know about the kitchen, the utensils and how your oven works, the better the results."

Details: www.learning.ox.ac.uk


2011年2月11日 星期五

牛津導師制:“謝謝導師教會我如何去思考”

The Oxford Tutorial: "Thanks, You Taught Me How to Think,


高等教育何以为“高” :牛津导师制教学反思
【作 者】:(英)大卫·帕尔菲曼(David Palpreyman)主编 ; 冯青来译
【出版社】:北京大学出版社
【出版日期】:2011.01

對我而言 此中文書只是資訊 方便

牛津大學此一"高教政策研究中心"很值得過去研究 下載其資源
http://oxcheps.new.ox.ac.uk/


Palfreyman, David, ed. The Oxford Tutorial: "Thanks, You Taught Me How to Think,
" 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, 2008.
免費下載
[PDF]

THE OXFORD TUTORIAL: 'Thanks, you taught me how to think'

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檔案類型: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - 快速檢視
由 R Mash 著作 - 相關文章
of our initial meeting and the boy who said 'thank you, you taught me how to think.' I couldn't agree more. The Oxford tutorial system… was without question ...
oxcheps.new.ox.ac.uk/Publications/.../OxCHEPS_OP1_08.pdf - 類似內容
[DOC]

OxCHEPS_OP1.doc - THE OXFORD TUTORIAL:

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由 R Mash 著作 - 相關文章
Education. Policy. Studies, at New College, Oxford, OX1 3BN, UK (www.new ...
oxcheps.new.ox.ac.uk/Publications/Resources/OxCHEPS_OP1.doc - 類似內容

2011年2月10日 星期四

多運動 數學或會好一點點

STUDY FINDS EXERCISING HELPS MATH SKILLS
Regular exercise in an after-school program helped sedentary, overweight Augusta children perform better on goal-oriented tasks, according to a study from the Georgia Prevention Institute at Georgia Health Sciences University. The exercise also seemed to improve math skills, an area of great concern for U.S. educators. In the study, published online in the journal Health Psychology, Augusta children ages 7 to 11 were assigned to a group that got 20 minutes of aerobic exercise in an after-school program at the institute, one that got 40 minutes of exercise in a similar program or a group that had no exercise program. Increasing amounts of exercise seemed to have an increasing effect on "executive function," the ability to achieve goals and exercise things such as self-control, the study found. The article is in the Augusta Chronicle.

2011年2月3日 星期四

教育家應該多看小說/在小說裏認識人生

教育家應該多看小說/在小說裏認識人生

1961年4月7日
胡適送基督山恩仇記 給來訪的楊亮功夫婦
"這是世界有名的小說
你如不看這部小說
你不能成為一個教育家
教育家應該多看小說"

胡適跟胡頌平說
要他的孩子多看小說
讓他們在小說裏認識人生

2011年2月2日 星期三

哈佛大學的"不該人人都讀大學"報告

哈佛大學的這份"不該人人都讀大學"報告
說的道理很平常
更值得台灣的高大學入學率的現象參考


HARVARD REPORT QUESTIONS VALUE OF COLLEGE FOR ALL
By concentrating too much on classroom-based academics with four-year college as a goal, the nation’s education system has failed vast numbers of students, who instead need solid preparation for careers requiring less than a bachelor’s degree, Harvard scholars say in a report issued today. Leaders of the “Pathways to Prosperity” project at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education argue for an education system that clearly articulates students’ career options as early as middle school and defines the coursework and training required, so young people can chart an informed course toward work, whether as an electrician or a college professor. Their report arrives as experts are trying to define what skills are necessary for work and for higher learning. The article is in Education Week.

2011年2月1日 星期二

學風/ETHOS MATTERS

エートス【(ギリシャ)ēthos】
《「エトス」とも》 1 アリストテレス倫理学で、人間が行為の反復によって獲得する持続的な性格・習性。⇔パトス。 2 一般に、ある社会集団・民族を支配する倫理的な心的態度。

ETHOS MATTERS
SAN FRANCISCO – The best policies on promoting teaching may not change the way faculty members view institutional priorities, according to research presented here at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The findings point to the challenge of supporting teaching, especially at research universities, according to the researchers. "I was naïve enough to think that institutions’ policies and money would influence" the way faculty view their institutions, said Brad Cox, assistant professor of higher education at Florida State University. But it turns out that they don’t, he added. The article is in Inside Higher Ed.