Learning Through Innovation

Beyond Transmission: Innovations in University Teaching responds to the challenges to higher education by championing a shift to a constructivist approach. The contributors, from five continents and reflecting ten national mindsets, represent a broad cross-section of educational disciplines. They argue that innovatory teaching approaches are essential if teachers are to appeal to the mindsets of people entering higher education today and present detailed examples of new ways of instilling in students a love of and ability for learning. Beyond Transmission: Innovations in University Teaching states that any innovatory teaching approach that goes beyond transmission requires consideration of three essential factors: vision, process and practice. The anthology's contributions are organised around each of these imperatives in turn. The vision for higher education is one in which teachers develop their students as producers rather than as customers. Discussion of process explores the use of online tools for collecting and storing evidence of students' learning, but these are found to be even more valuable in fostering learning development. Teaching practice is addressed in the final chapters, which emphasise the way in which innovative practices have achieved improved outcomes and give examples of achieving results through practical tools and techniques. Beyond Transmission: Innovations in University Teaching, which has been produced by the International Academic Association for Enhancement of Learning in Higher Education (LIHE; www.lihe.info), shows that across the world an increasing number of faculty members are actively concerned with innovating in their own educational practice. It highlights that, although technology has an important role to play in innovation, technology is not a sine qua non and presents some valuable pointers to the future of learning in higher education