Resources

America is being held back by the quality and quantity of learning in college. This is a true educational emergency! Many college graduates cannot think critically, write effectively, solve problems, understand complex issues, or meet employers' expectations. We are losing our minds—and endangering our social, economic, and scientific leadership. Critics say higher education costs too much and should be more efficient. But the real problem is value, not cost; financial 'solutions' alone won't work. In this book, Keeling and Hersh argue that the only solution - making learning the highest priority in college - demands fundamental change throughout higher education. (From the Publisher)

Engages a topic of pressing concern for government, business, and education leaders around the world: the race to establish 'world-class' universities. Some herald the globalization of higher education as the key to a dynamic and productive 'knowledge society.' Others worry that modern universities have come to resemble multinational corporations. (From the Publisher)

Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age is for all those interested in considering the impact of emerging digital technologies on teaching and learning. It explores the concept of a digital age and perspectives of knowledge, pedagogy and practice within a digital context. By examining teaching with digital technologies through new learning theories cognisant of the digital age, it aims to both advance thinking and offer strategies for teaching technology-savvy students that will enable meaningful learning experiences. Illustrated throughout with case studies from across the subjects and the age range, key issues considered include: • how young people create and share knowledge both in and beyond the classroom and how current and new pedagogies can support this level of achievement • the use of complexity theory as a framework to explore teaching in the digital age • the way learning occurs – one way exchanges, online and face-to-face interactions, learning within a framework of constructivism, and in communities • what we mean by critical thinking, why it is important in a digital age, and how this can occur in the context of learning • how students can create knowledge through a variety of teaching and learning activities, and how the knowledge being created can be shared, critiqued and evaluated. With an emphasis throughout on what it means for practice, this book aims to improve understanding of how learning theories currently work and can evolve in the future to promote truly effective learning in the digital age. It is essential reading for all teachers, student teachers, school leaders, those engaged in Masters’ Level work, as well as students on Education Studies courses. (From the Publisher)

No other book exists that assists academics in learning how to use social media to benefit their teaching and research.  - the editor has an extensive background in social media teaching, consulting, research, and everyday use  - all the contributors come to the book with a common goal, from various expertise areas and perspectives This book provides an overview of social media technologies in the context of practical implementation for academics, guided by applied research findings, current best practices, and the author’s successful experiences with using social media in academic settings. It also provides academics with sensible and easy strategies for implementing a wide spectrum of social media and related technologies - such as blogs, wikis, Facebook, and various Google tools for professional, teaching, and research endeavours. Readership: Academics and academic librarians with professional, teaching and research responsibilities in all fields who are interested in learning more about using social media in the context of their careers, will find this book invaluable. (From the Publisher)

Until very recently, American universities were led mainly by their faculties, which viewed intellectual production and pedagogy as the core missions of higher education. Today, as Benjamin Ginsberg warns in this eye-opening, controversial book, "deanlets"--administrators and staffers often without serious academic backgrounds or experience--are setting the educational agenda. The Fall of the Faculty examines the fallout of rampant administrative blight that now plagues the nation's universities. In the past decade, universities have added layers of administrators and staffers to their payrolls every year even while laying off full-time faculty in increasing numbers--ostensibly because of budget cuts. In a further irony, many of the newly minted--and non-academic--administrators are career managers who downplay the importance of teaching and research, as evidenced by their tireless advocacy for a banal "life skills" curriculum. Consequently, students are denied a more enriching educational experience--one defined by intellectual rigor. Ginsberg also reveals how the legitimate grievances of minority groups and liberal activists, which were traditionally championed by faculty members, have, in the hands of administrators, been reduced to chess pieces in a game of power politics. By embracing initiatives such as affirmative action, the administration gained favor with these groups and legitimized a thinly cloaked gambit to bolster their power over the faculty. As troubling as this trend has become, there are ways to reverse it. The Fall of the Faculty outlines how we can revamp the system so that real educators can regain their voice in curriculum policy. Features • Powerful and stinging critique of one of the most powerful trends in academia: the shift in power to non-academic administrators • Exceptionally well written polemic that will stir controversy at universities across the country • The author is well known throughout academia, and has coauthored one of the bestselling textbooks on American government in recent history (From the Publisher)