Las reformas universitarias que en los últimos años han tenido lugar en muchos países europeos están poniendo de manifiesto muchas cosas. A tenor de la calidad, la excelencia, y de todo lo que conecta con los argumentos que justifican la existencia de la universidad, no lo olvidemos, institución vieja con 8 siglos de existencia, destacan sus profundos problemas vinculados a la capacidad profesionalizadora, la pérdida de su rumbo en torno a su misión cultural y su débil posicionamiento como institución creadora de nuevo conocimiento, en alusión a su capacidad investigadora.
Uno de estos elementos, ya mencionado, es considerar a la universidad como una institución que fracasa de continuo cuando uno de sus fines esenciales, enseñar una profesión a sus estudiantes, se presenta con tal fragilidad que asusta pensar en situaciones como las que siguen: abogados que no conocen bien su profesión hasta que en el trabajo la aprenden una vez acaban sus estudios de grado, jueces que tienen que aprender su oficio fuera de la universidad, arquitectos que no saber resolver determinados problemas prácticos cuando de lo que se trata es de diseñar una vivienda completamente hasta que no asuma el rodaje de varios años haciendo lo mismo, maestros cuyo título no implica que sepan enseñar, etc.
Al mismo tiempo que esto se da la paradoja de haber considerado la universidad como una «alta escuela de oficios” y haber actuado como en consecuencia.
Esta situación, en muchos casos alarmante, nos lleva a tener muchas dudas sobre la capacidad profesionalizadora de la universidad, sobre todo porque unimos este problema a otras crisis reales que se manifiestan en la misma, cuya realidad ha empujado, no cabe duda, la reforma universitaria más importante de los últimos tiempos, la que se desarrolla a tenor del Proceso de Bolonia, una reforma para un nuevo renacimiento universitario, se nos ha dicho.
Mil preguntas puede tener la sociedad, para cuyos miembros está pensada la universidad. ¿Qué clase de profesión está enseñando la universidad? ¿Tantos años y qué aprenden realmente nuestros jóvenes? ¿Qué se busca realmente con la universidad? ¿Es un problema relativo a las prácticas, a los enfoques docentes, a qué se entiende por aprender, al currículum existente? ¿Se resolverá el problema con la adopción del enfoque por competencias?
Una mirada al exterior nos puede ayudar al análisis. Ron Dearing (1998), responsable del Informe sobre Educación Superior en el Reino Unido (Dearing Report), entiende que los egresados de toda universidad han de tener buenos conocimientos en matemáticas y aritmética, ser competentes en el uso de las tecnologías de la información, tener buenas técnicas de comunicación, debe ponerse mucho más énfasis en la gramática y en la dicción, también es importante una mínima experiencia laboral (prácticas) y de trabajo en grupo. Se trata, en esencia, del compendio de los resultados de aprendizaje de una universidad. Para Dearing, si esto es bien entendido, no es necesario ni una palabra de todo lo demás.
Advierte por otro lado Ronald Barnett (2001) que un programa específico de estudios no es estático. Su posición en el esquema del currículo cambia a través del tiempo y se va haciendo diferente a medida que cambian la posición en el mercado y la misión de la Universidad. Como una ameba, el currículo va modificando su forma y alterando el equilibro entre los elementos que lo constituyen. Es posible que en un momento el currículo se mida en términos de las habilidades específicas que requiere una disciplina, mientras que en otro (por ejemplo, debido a la influencia del Council for National Academic Awards inglés), se preste mayor atención consciente a las capacidades educativas generales. En un tercer momento, ese mismo currículo puede dedicar más atención a las habilidades transferibles, que son un valor de cambio en el mercado de trabajo (el Dearing Report apuntaba en esta línea).
Antes de avanzar más podremos posicionar bien esta idea: flexibilidad y posibilidad de cambio, adaptación, aportación genuina, etc. Pero, ¿es esto posible en una institución que guarda con fidelidad su no-flexilidad, su visible anquilosamiento, su distanciamiento vital de todo aquello que le circunda, como una especie de tendencia que dura ya desde la Edad Media?
El panorama inglés nos permite entender que el currículo es, por lo tanto, el resultado de cada momento de una negociación entre los intereses de los distintos constituyentes. En qué medida se inserta en cada uno de los cuadrantes del esquema será un comentario revelador del peso o la influencia de los distintos intereses (la disciplina, la educación, la profesión, el mercado de trabajo) que intervienen en su constitución, en cualquier momento en una institución particular.
Como la Universidad ahora forma parte de la sociedad, en el sentido de que ha pasado de ser una institución en la sociedad a ser una institución completamente incorporada a los aparatos de la sociedad, el currículum de la misma está experimentando un movimiento de gran interés (Barnett, 2001, p. 101):
«De los currículos basados en los intereses específicos de una disciplina al interés de la promoción de las habilidades transferibles que tienen valor en el mercado de trabajo».
Siendo éste el último de los movimientos, todavía queda por asegurar que esto no signifique «vender el alma universitaria” a los colegios profesionales y sus intereses, a una idea de competencia (como competitividad) derivada de la cosmovisión neoliberal, capitalista o de otro signo. Avanzamos, pero ¿a dónde?
Referencias
Barnett, R. (2001). Los límites de la competencia. El conocimiento, la educación superior y la sociedad. Barcelona: Gedisa.
Bautista Vallejo, J.M. (2000). Universidad y Espacio Europeo en la encrucijada de la calidad. Huelva: Hergué.
Dearing, R. (1998). Entrevista. El País, 26 de mayo, 35.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Dearing
It is shocking that nowadays, once you received a degree from university, you are not fully trained, nor ready to work in a proper job. At universities, as far as I am concerned, we are mainly being taught the theoretical aspects, and only little practical aspects. And sometimes it is difficult to learn theoretics, without knowing how to apply them. Therefore students revise a lot for exams, not to truly understand what they learn, but only to pass the exams. Short time after the exam, they often do not even remember, what they actually learned. We call it „Bulimielernen“ – bulimia learning: Learning a lot and ‚puking’ it out after the exam. Isn’t it shocking, how things have changed? People say it is because of the pressure that we nowadays have. I remember that in the time, when our parents went to university, it didn’t matter in which period of time they finished their studies, but about fully understanding it. I see the fact that this has changed as one of the biggest problem for todays universities.
The biggest problem in the universities that in generally the professors can’t pay attention for every students separately, sithence in one course attend a lot of students. In my home university in Hungary i have classes when 100-150 students attend in the same time, moreover i have classes which take 3 hour long, and usually we have just one short (10-15 minutes) break, which means we have to listen for the professor 1,5 hour long, and it is impossible.. Besides this they want to teach us too much things, but we don’t have enough time for it, and sometimes they just mention cursory, or they think that everybody own the background information, and that’s why they don’t explain everything well.
The worst part of all this is that very often in universities, in most cases we learn something totally useful and adequate for our profession. We learn something on the exam, include it, and already five minutes later you do not want to have anything to do with this topic. Sentence egazminu, learning theory, or have different certificates does not mean that we have any idea about the topic in practice. In fact, our first and most important school is our first work in which we know what we know already after 3 years at the university. However, as in life, is not always as it should be, and sometimes life is more violent than we think;)
Having a degree today does not entail the benefits it would have done 10 years ago. It used to be the only route a child with good ability could go down. Now, the vast majority of students leaving schools with any qualifications can attend university or progress onto university at some point in their early life. The important thing to remember though is that even though you finish with a degree, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will find work as easily as you used to. There needs to be more focus on students gaining some working/practical experience so when they do obtain a degree they can merge the two and hopefully make the transition from university to full time employment more easily.
This is the problem that education system has in my country. We learn a lot of general information, but employers require specific abilities. We don’t have a lot of practise during the studies, or what we have is not enough for our future employers. If u want to be count in the job market you need to do a lot other practise by yourself, finding other possibilities for this. Studies not prepare you for work actually. Quite a pity, because we spend at least 5 years at university, and at the end our diploma, after hard years of work, don’t guarantee you nothing. The other problem is that, we need to choose what we want to study in age of 18 and a lof of people don’t know in what they are really interested or what interesting different carrier can offer. Of course we have high schools which offer classes with different profiles , but still despite courses you choose as main ones, you have too much general classes. I think we really need some changes because it seems that it can be only worse..
The ability to gain a degree has changed. It used to be that having a degree was a very prestigious achievement and secured you a job but nowadays a degree is something many people have and doesn’t mean you will get a job. Many people who finish university and gain a degree don’t always get a job, nowadays it is extremely hard to get a job even got very experienced people in the job sector. Even when a young person gains a job they aren’t fully prepared for it as most university course spend most of the time on theory work as opposed to practical work as it should as it will prepare students better. I agree with this blog as in my opinion many universities need to reform.
The easiest way for us students is to say: ‘ we will not get a job, because educational system is wrong and they didn’t prepare us for a real world’. In one hand, true. We really need reforms. Like everyone is saying, we need less theory and more of a practical part. We are living in a double world-if we need a job we need a degree. If you want to finish your collage in time, you have to study all time. And then companies want someone with experiences. So, in this case, true, university doesn’t help us to get a job. But on the other hand, no matter what kind of reform will be done, if students are not interested to put their best afford for their education, then they will just find another excuse. Today is just not satisfied anymore to be ‘good’. You need to be the best.
Universities all over the world are in need for reform. Courses teach the theory of subjects whereas there needs to be more practical work with more work experience involved in the courses to give students first hand experience in the sector they want to work in. It is not guaranteed to have a job when you get your degree as the work sector is getting more difficult. Students usually take courses they have interest in to begin a career they would like. E.g. there is teaching practice in most teaching courses to give students a sense of what teaching in a real life classroom is like. Theory in courses only takes the students so far they need to be given the chance to practice to gain experience making them more employable in the future.
However, these things can be learned in extra-curricular activities. Even in sports, you learn to build relationships with new people, you learn tactics, and you build on your communication skills. In societies, you can learn about project management, enterprise, networking, and much more. Not only that, but by getting involved in more and more things you can make your university experience even more worthwhile.
So I suppose the best way to answer the question of whether or not university prepares you for the working world is with a yes and a no. The ‘no’ refers to your degree. The ‘yes’ refers to the fact that what you get from university is what you put in. By building up your skillset through extra-curricular activities, employers will see your potential and your suitability for the working world.
When we finish an university or college, and start to looking for a job, every place ask for a few years of working experience. Thats of course nobody have, because we just graduated. But its just one problem, the universities really dont prepare us to the real world. Some schools dont even have practical lessons. When the students are there, they probably happy about it, becase the less we have to do in the semester. But in the long run its not good for us. I heard that in France, students have to do an interntship every semester. I wouldn’t be happy about it if i have to do it, but in the long run it would be good for me. At least they have the asked „work experience”. Maybe this is the part of the solution.
I certainly agree with changing the universities, though you’re so smart and you have an IQ which some might dream, this does not mean that you are suitable for each box. How much theory you can read and how much some people you can improve on the theory, the practical part of the course is just as important. Sometimes I find it amusing that when I did an internship assessment, there is a teacher who has never actually taught. You notice his way of responding that he / she has never been. An elementary school classroom He has prepared all the theory that I should improve, but the personal reasons for some actions he is less familiar with it, so that’s why the practice is just as important
Do we use all the knowledge which we learned in our whole education life ? Of course no. I know that every student say «When will I use this knowledge in my life?» Actually we don’t use almost any knowledge which we learned from high schools or universities. Because we learn theorotical knowledge which are useless for our careers. For finding a job, we are required to finish university. But who can find a job easily after graduation? For my country, even if you have a master degree, you can’t find a job easily. However, Vocational education known as career and technical education or technical and vocational education and training is education that prepares people for specific trades, crafts and careers at various levels. So, if every universitiy has this system, finding a job will be so easy. Because you will get the knowledge about what to do for your job. So, I totally support vocational education system.
In my experience I have found that more needs to be done with regards to relating the education of the degree into future employment. In my business degree, which is undertaken in the UK, I believe it is difficult for the university establishment to implement thing like work experience and individual role subjects due to the considerable number of students who have enrolled. Although I do believe that the education at university level could be more specific, it also allows for a wider range of future employment. Although the video shows that more students would interact if they found what they were studying was interesting, it could result in one particular subject being heavily weighted and therefore to much competition for one position. In my degree it is very general so therefore more options after graduation, but then again you may have sufficient expertise in one subject.
The most of students choose what to study, primarily on what they are interested in … they are not thinking to perspectives for employment. After studying are often left to their engagement, curiosity and resourcefulness. Additionally, the long-term, lifelong learning is becoming part of everyday life. In addition to the professional, now are becoming more and more important «soft skills», from how they find themselves in a stressful situation to how effectively manage time, or are capable of teamwork, and above all, how good knowledge of computer and other modern technologies. The fact is that the transition to the labor market for young people is often very stressful and competitive, and although their work is perceived as a dynamic and innovative, most within the first five years of work experienced major reorganization and redundancy.
This topic it’s really interesting, i think in most of the university the students learn only the teory of them future job. It’s a big mistake because most of the student are going to forget everything about the teory at the end of the university or maybe they will keep a vague idea about it, but when you learn how to practise you have less chance to forget it so it’s much more usefull so that’s why in some of the university the students need to do some scolarship and it’s really usefull because they will keep this knowledge and they also see if this job it’s for them or not. In my point of view after the university the future worker have a lot of problem for finding a job so to put more internship it’s maybe the best solution for resolve this problem.
The problem mentioned in the article is really painful. We often spend five or more years in the university, studying many theories, reading the materials provided, memorizing huge amounts of data before the exams… And a few weeks or months later we don´t remember most of it, maybe just some vague idea about the topic. Moreover, knowing the theory doesn´t really mean we know how to put it in practice. This has become a norm that most of the teachers (I don´t know about other professions) learn their job properly only when starting their first job, and this is a real ´school of life´´. We definitely need more possibilities to use the knowledge in practice, to learn from our own mistakes and experiences.
European universities have lost credibility but why is this? Because students have no interest as they did before, I think some universities that do not take into assistance student’s, the attendance is that most affect, if the student dont go to clase, the student lose knowledge that he/she would use, the student only goes to attend the day of the examen, the students lose knowledge are applied in real life, that is why it is also important that the student take a professional practice for when the student graduates have the skills to apply them to the workplace and deal with these problems and solve them. The old universities must be updated every day, as things are constantly changing, the knowledge are different every day, so labor demand is greater as time progresses. I think that universities must invest in research areas, and make a good study so that way the university would know what do their students needs today.
I think one of the biggest problem of universities is to raise unqualified teachers, engineers, etc. It is mostly because of lack of practical experience. So I think it is important experience knowledge in practical basis. As diversity is important ptractical experience should be get in another country. Theorotical education can be got in another country and we call it «Erasmus» it is widely used in most european countries. I am sure that there may be international internship programs but people should be motivated for these international practical experiences. So universities start to raise qualified people for each profession. In the vocational meaning there should be more production and less unemployment. production means money, money means new investment which means new employment opportunities.
The education system has changed in the last decades. Previously the most of people studied apprenticeships and only someone reached degree of graduation exam. The best of absolvents could go to study on university. Today almost everybody can go without problem there. There is a lot of faculties and every year high number of students graduate on each of them. Then is problem. There is a lot of students with degree, but a few working place for them. Also big problem is, that some absolvents from university haven´t practical experiences and abilities. In my opinion, nowadays there are bigger interest for practical jobs, such as electricians, locksmiths, plumbers, than bussinesmen, accountants, economists, who come from universities each year in high numbers.
It is true that education needs reform. Nowadays it is much easier to get to university than it was in the past. University shall take many students to get high grants from the state per student, while students are not enough interested or able a study field. In the Czech Republic there are many universities, humanities, where the bachelor courses have akrediatce only for 3-4 years, and in most cases, if students want to continue in a master cycle two years, the change study course or university. I do not think this is appropriate. It is good to create a curriculum based on the specific interests of support skills, because our skills, knowledge and ability to have a weight in the labor market. Education as a whole should be more focus on the practical skills of students. Engage in education more hours of practice in order to graduate of university could to act on the labor market as a professional and expert in in his field.
There are a lot of people who don’t really know what to study or do after school because nowadays there are so many perspectives. Because of that many of my friends chose the most popular field of study, and then they realized that it wasn’t a good choice. Very often they are complaining about lack of practical exercises. The problem with many universities is that they are giving us mostly theoretical knowledge, forgetting how important is the practical side. Theory is worthless if you don’t know how to use it for example in your work. In my opinion students need to be placed in a work environment, as soon as possible, so that they can put what they know into practice. This is very important thing, because we will need experience for our future job.
These days it it easier to pass your final exam and visit university after that.In austria the politicians didn´t made a reformation about the university system. So it is possible that there are more thann 400 stundents in one lecture.. maybe in a cinema beacuse the university is to small.the students put all the informations in their head bevor the exams and barf it out after that. Because they dont need it later…. These exams are only knock out exams.. It´s pity but at the first two years that´s how the university system works in austria! For me there should be a preexam for all studys. Nobody need so much Farmacies for example… The quality of our universitys would be much better. Now it is olny bad. nothing more!
I completely agree that universities are in need of a reform. In today’s society, having a university degree does not always guarantee a job at the end of the course. Throughout the years, universities have brainwashed people into believing that having a degree will secure a better future, in some aspects, yes it does. However, most businesses today require past experience from people. I have learnt that in Germany, there are courses where students will undertake 3/4 months of intensive lessons and the rest of the year spent in a company, working. I believe that this kind of method is such a valuable commodity for a student, as it provides them with the knowledge and the experience at the end of their course. It may even lead to permanent work opportunity. While it is great to have the knowledge and experience that can bring success to your future, one of the most disregarded aspect that people don’t take into account, is the current economy within the country. According to a friend in Slovakia, students with degrees cannot obtain jobs because organisations would much rather employ workers who has no knowledge and can be paid beyond the minimum wage. This clearly shows that going to University and having a degree is not always the best choice, depending on where you live.
One of the problems is a very large number of students in one faculty. If you want to get a job after graduation you can not be average, because it will be too much of such candidates. But unfortunately the teaching is too general, not supported by practice and universities do not give too many opportunities for practical training to the profession. The result is a huge number of graduates who walk out of schools without any experience. That’s why a lot of students in Poland, after bachelor degree, changed their mode of study for weekend college to work during the week and get more experience. Important thing is also doing various courses, which help us prepare to the profession, but unfortunately, universities rarely give such opportunities and often you have to do it on your own. However, if it can help stand out from other candidates for the same job, so it is still worth it.
Since the Bologna process the «study life» changed a lot.It is a positive aspect, that you can go easily in another country for an abroad semester or to graduate. On the other hand the change has for me negative aspects too. Because of the Bologna process, students have to improve their knowledge in a shorter time. The subjects are much more intensive and the majority of students only learn to pass the exam. For me it is the wrong way to learn only to pass an exam, because you Forget everything after. Students should learn, because they are interested in their studies and for their future job and life. The Bologna process also took students the chance to deppen into topics of their subjects, where they are really interested in, because next to the intensive master or bachelor studies, they have not enough time. Every teacher suggest many books about their subject, but when should students read it? It is difficult to organise it, if you also want freetime or have to work.
I think on of the main problems is that there are just too many students in one course and the information you get is too much.
For example, in universitites in Austria there are sometimes up to 200 people in my a university course and the course itself is about 2 or 3 hours long. People expect that students will remember so much but in reality it’s the opposite. I learned that the best way to absorb information is to hav 40minute lecture and then have a short break because afterwards the brain just doesn’t have the attention span anymore that it had before.
That’s the reason I love being a student in my university. Each year only about 200 students get in and my class has 20 people in it. It’s so much easier to communicate, learn and teach.
But I think it will take a while until the big universities will change some of their ways.
In my opinion,Vocational training is training for a specific career or trade, excluding the professions. Vocational training focuses on practical applications of skills learned, and is generally unconcerned with theory or traditional academic skills. A large part of the education in vocational schools is hands-on training. Vocational training thus provides a link between education and the working world.Vocational training offers training for specific jobs. Since vocational training often begins in high school, students can graduate prepared to take a high-paying, skilled job immediately. Graduates of trade or vocational schools have an advantage over informally trained job-seekers because an independent organization certifies that they have the skills needed to successfully perform a specific, skilled occupation.
I agree with the fact that universities need a reform, this blog clearly highlights the problems which universities have, due to the fact that a lot of universities base entry upon academia instead of skills and different abilities which sometimes are not necessarily academia, this separate people in an unfair way. A recent breakthrough within the UK education system is the use of BTEC qualifications, these types of qualifications are similar to A-levels the only difference is that they are more vocational based. Recently there was a breakthrough in somebody being accepted into Cambridge University with a BTEC qualification. Nowadays due to the crisis the best way to ensure that you will get a job after your degree in the UK is to choose to do a vocational degree such as a nurse or dentistry. These types of degrees give you more employability, not only do you learn in theory but also practice. Within my UK degree I believe I am very lucky, we have numerous modules that include compulsory work experience.
The current situation in Europe, and in particular the changes initiated by the Bologna Process, call upon HE institutions to re-assess their priorities and current practice in the field of language teaching. The move to a pragmatically driven and competancy based approach to language teaching is clearly necessary. This may, however, call for varying degrees of adaptation in pedagogical practice, depending on the pedagogical traditions of individual institutions or educational system. As a conclusion, for this process to be applied in right ways, universities must have the proper background and education strategies.
My university also started using the standards for Bologna Process but my opinion will not be about its content. My thoughts are on the profits of this new process.The Bologna Declaration is not only a formal agreement between countries in which they promise to tune their higher education to one an other. The Declaration has put into force a process of change in Higher Education. The changes are more then formal and structural adjustments, they go in line with a broader process of rethinking education and learning. Bologna is to compare with a worm virus; it intrudes the whole system and effects slowly all operations of higher education in Europe. The key question is how much the quality of the education is affected.
I personally think that the university can never give all the necessary skills to students to perform certain work.Other experiences and skills that are indispensable today and which are learned outside of schools are more important in my opinion. Bologna system is no good because with a little effort allows each one to finish first or second degree. The old system was definitely harder, master of science had real experts in their field, but today a lot of students has master’s degrees, as it is logical to continue their studies in the second stage. The criteria should be more stringent and study obligations different as they are currently prepared,because with a little effort and with the help of the Internet everyone can pass them.
I agree that Universities all over the world need to reform. In university they teach us the theory of our subject but they don’t explain how to do it when we get a job. In teaching we are taught the science behind teaching and certain topics in the subject we are going to teach but when we get into a school and are standing in front of a class it is totally different. The topics we are taught in university are useless when it comes to teaching in a school as none of the topics are on the curriculum. Universities need to help their students by teaching them the reality of their chosen degree and what it is like to work in it instead of idolising it and having us find something totally different when we eventually get a job. It makes us feel that we do not know anything about our degree even though we have just spent four years or more studying for it.
Universities and higher education institutions are so much more diverse in today’s society. Extensive research and course development nows allows students of all mental capacities to enrol in different degree courses. Gaining a degree certificate does not mean students are highly qualified and skilled in specific employment areas, it’s a certificate of proof that’s the student has a well adopted skill set. New fresh ideas and skills are exactly what companies strive for. Universities need to get students more involved with the practice side of degree courses. It’s important students have skills and relevant on job experience. The idea of implementing placement durning a degree is great, not only will the student learn and gain valuable experience, but the student has an opportunity to make an expression to the employer that ultimately could lead to a conditional job offer even before the degree is completed. This will benefit all side the employer, university and most importantly the Graduate.
Universities in my opinion are training people for unemployment in their working life. We all know people who have graduated from university with a Ba degree, an Ma degree and even a PhD in certain fields however in their working life they in a completely different field of employment. I think this is a fault within the university system and needs to be rectified sooner rather than later. A university degree thirty years ago was a prestigious accomplishment and very sought after by employers however nowadays with the quality and quantity of degrees offered, the piece of paper which says ‘graduate’ does not hold the same respect as it had previously. Take the United Kingdom as a example where some students can have five hours of class per week while others have twenty five hours plus per week, I feel this needs to be corrected so everyone is on a more equal footing.
I agree that a reform in education was needed. The Bologna process was implemented with the aim of crafting a European higher education area. For example, in Ireland in recent years, a number of independent private colleges and other institutions have been established. These colleges offer a range of courses complementing the existing provision in the higher education and training sector, some of which have submitted programmes for validation to HETAC (Higher Education and Training Awards Council). Ireland has a binary system of higher education, designed to ensure maximum flexibility and responsiveness to the needs of students and to the wide variety of social and economic requirements. However, within each sector, a diversity of institutions offers differing types and levels of programmes. The Universities are essentially concerned with undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, together with basic and applied research. The main work of the Institutes of Technology is in undergraduate programmes. In my case, I study at a University, where I study a four year undergraduate programme. In Ireland, the Bologna cycles reflect on the national framework of cycles, which reflects on what degree you will graduate with. In most courses you get a semester or a year of placement which you can put the theory you have learned into practice. I am lucky to have the option, but for most students they just go four years without practice and graduate into a sector, where later they may feel that it wasn’t meant to be. Experience is key to any degree you wish to encounter in. The more experience you have, the better it is in finding a job. In conclusion, my experience with systems elsewhere in the world, shows that Ireland is in an excellent position to benefit from its progress with the Bologna Process reforms not just in improving mobility (in and out) of graduates, making our training relevant to the needs of a rapidly changing knowledge based society, but also positioning us to make strategic international alliances.
In Ireland bachelor’s degrees are commonly three to four years in duration. Master’s and Doctoral degrees are broadly similar to those in the UK. Bachelor’s degrees are also first cycle qualifications. A master’s degree is always a postgraduate degree, either taught or by research. The Bologna Process also supports the modernisation of education and training systems to make sure these meet the needs of a changing labour market. This is important as the proportion of jobs requiring high skills grows, and the demand for innovation and entrepreneurship increases. This process contains a 3 educational cycle: a bachelor, a master and a doctorate which is seen in Ireland where I am from. In Ireland in present days you are not guaranteed a permanent job in some areas with just a bachelor degree. Many people have to go on to do masters and even phd doctorates to be able to secure a position in the job area they studied for. This is very unfair because education in Ireland is very expensive and a large number of students cannot afford to go on and do masters or doctorates because the government doesn’t give out grants for anything other than bachelors.
In my opinion , many people hold the opinion that university education is the most important factor of success in a person’s life. However , I can’t consent to this statement. I have my own reasons. To start with, although knowledge is vital to one’s success, yet specific knowledge can be learned outside universities. I think, people can just acquire professional knowledge without entering universities. Nowadays , the technology has been developing at an amazing rate, so that large amount of knowledge and information can be obtained through various ways. Especially on the website. Take some on-line educational institutes as an example. There are many resources of different subjects available on these on-line schools. People can just take some courses to meet their need. People can also learn by their own. When they are confronted with some problems they can’t figure out, they can simply solve this by searching for answers or asking for help on the internet.
Bologna process, all over Europe and in the academic field of higher education is a program created to develop standards.I think it is a pretty good program.I like that in my country in the field of education reforms secessionist.Because there are very lacking in the education system.
Only theoretical training is given.No application.So after graduating from college are having a hard time at work.Nowadays, not enough to be just graduated from college.Necessary to have experience. I think it should be both theoretical and practical training.Human knowing his work would not be good, would be perfect.
This article is very interesting because main problem of nowdays education is that knowledge what is given in University is more theoretical than practical. When students finish University and start to work in their field for them it is really hard to solve non-standard problems. They understand everythink from theoretical side and they dont know how to solve problems without expierence them in real life.
Nowdays, University offers new professions about diffrent fields but sometimes when students finish Universtity it is really hard to find appropriate job for them. I think that it is really important to research field what you want to study and estimate what job options you will have after graduation.
Por qué creemos que laas escuelas/las universidades son la uniqua manera de consequir buen educación? Eso es un gran misterio para mi, personalmente me siento que por ejemplo viajando aprendo mucho más que solo sentando en la biblioteca, intendando memorizar treinta páginas para el examen manana y depsues por fin, lo puedo olvidar otra vez porque ya pase el examen! Es una gran tontería pero desgraciadamente todavía vivimos en el mundo como lo conocemos y aún que no estamos satisfechos sequir así es más fácil, más comódo entonces la mayoría se pega a la famosa pena «qué yo solo podría cambiar? nada!» y quejando sige en la misma ruta. Personalmente creo que es porque la gente en general no se responde para su vida propia y el base de todo veo en la pereza de cada uno.
I agree with this article. The Bologna process was introduced with the aim of creating a European higher education area. The main component of the reform was the replacement of the existing national systems of higher education degrees with a homogeneous Bachelor-Master system. The idea was that the comparability of higher education degrees should improve student and labor force mobility. For example in Slovenia I saw a lot of disadvantages of Bologna process. My class on faculty was first in Bologna process in Slovenia. We had to study a lot in a really short time. And I also think that we did not have enough practical experiences. Because for me it is more useful practical experience than theory all the time. If you have just theory you know everything but it is hard to work, in my case with children, adolescents or adults. The most important is that you have abilities to choose the best option in a special position or in a special case. I also agree with this that curriculum based on specific interests of promoting skills, that have values in the labor market. We have to change this, curriculum has to be create in a different way. Teachers, children and parents have to create it. This is the only way.
I’m very happy that now days there are a lot of students that are investing in their future at colleges and universities. And that thanks to Bologna Process our diplomas are useful in not only our home countries but also in others. This opens a lot of doors, for example Spanish students that can’t find a job in Spain can go to other countries to start a good life, at least until there are more jobs created. But still I think the system in Belgium isn’t perfect, the education level is high but I miss more work experiences/internships. I think we should receive the same amount of hour’s theory as internship. Because if you apply for a job they ask experience, how can we as graduates apply for a job if we can’t offer what a lot of institutions ask, experience??
Universities have become a lot more diverse as there are so many different students and minds that they must cater to. Although having a degree is not going to make you the most skilled person within the workplace compared to perhaps someone who has worked there for 15 years. However a graduate can bring fresh new ideas which can make thing more relevant for a business.
Nonetheless universities need to incorporate on the job teaching to make graduates more attractive to an employer along with letting a student figure out what they want from a job, letting them make mistakes and learn from them. This way of teaching and learning quite a lot of the time gets graduates an offer for a job before they have even completed university, as they have conducted themselves well during their placement. This is therefore an advantage for graduates, universities and employers.
Universities are indeed much lately changing. Where I have been busy to make me the many studies that nowadays to follow. Basically, you can now study everything. And this is really necessary. Sometimes I hear from students a study which I can not even ask me. Existence for
I think this is because, in recent years have gotten more and more freedom, and there is a kind of competition has developed between universities. Wants to attract as many students as possible. Every university And how can you now do best? Precisely, by inventing much as possible. Attractive studies It is good that people here are aware of is that this is not the way. They want so many studies to reduce an acceptable amount. A study to be meaningful and useful, not just fun and meant to lure students.
It is true that in the past few years many universities made big and important changes. We can see how whole education changes. But I think there is still one thing left to change: universities should emphasise on practical knowledge. Although practical knowledge is absolutely essential, I still think that teorethical knowledge is very important. But both students/pupils and professors/teachers should realise that learning everything by heart just to write and pass exam and then forgetting this in few days is not the point of education…
I agree with comments here ,firs of all Some people think that to have a successful life you have to have university education, while others think it’s not that important. Discuss both views and give your opinion based on personal experience and knowledge.It is not uncommon for some youngsters to give up on university education due to either their preference to work or their incapability of affording the tuition of higher education. It is my view that young people should be encouraged to attend university if possible.The benefits that universıty education can yield for the young are truly overwhelming. The most significant one is that college students are able to acquire theoretical knowledge through taking a variety of lectures, which enables them to get a basic perspective of everything in life. This will be very helpful to youngsters’ future life.
University education in my country ( Turkey ) is teorict. Therefore, we know only a theoretical
and we’re so bad in and pratıct,When we graduated we experienced difficulties in working life. Unıversıty education very important ama pratıc and teorict must be with together
For me personally the problem about not getting enough practise before starting a work is huge. As a student in my last but one semester I know that I need to take care about gaining experience on my own. This is how most of the people (at least in my country) do it. Even not by the internship but by working on weekend or during summer works. The ideal model would be that if a student get the internship it is the straight path to work in the field of his study. However, the sad truth is that nowadays it’s common that many people do things not connected with their studies. This is the greatest fear of young people: what studies start ? Not only to like them but also to find work in that field which is not always that easy.
From my experience of studying in Poland, I can say that my university did not make any effort to reinvent curriculum and gain experience process during study. It’s no secret that the competences are given in the University in most cases do not meet the requirements of employers. Unfortunately, if a student wants to gain experience often has fend for yourself . And usually we do it. We apply for internships to get some career experience under our belts. Only this way we can explore new fields or the job market’s more competitive than usual, an internship could the answer to a lack of our experience or lack of our job opportunities. Whether the internship is paid or not, an internship should be an automatic entry on your resume, and depending on the opportunity, could be a way for us to get your foot in the door of your ideal position.
Morover internships may also serve the purpose of turning an intern off of a particular career, as we really don’t know whether I have a passion for a field of study before I get some experience in that field. Using internship I can make my resume impressive, but also consider the experience a try-out for I chosen field of study. As an internship is likely the first time I have exposed to my intended career in a professional setting rather than an academic capacity, I may find myself considering other options at the end of the experience. Explore other options with new internships, and consider it a blessing that I didn’t find out that I disliked a career choice as an entry-level employee in that field of study.
One the biggest problems most of the universities face today is the missing practical experience for students. The concentration on theoretical knowledge is in my opinion very often exaggerated. In many cases students have no actual idea of what the job looks like transferred to the actual labor market. That´s the reason why so many students graduating with a bachelor form university do not find an adequate job, only because they are lacking the experience. In Austria there are already more practical programs in place, called “Fachhochschulen”. These kinds of universities offer possibilities to gain working experience in the field and often even abroad. I am very happy to join such a practical oriented university since the chances of jobs in the field of studies are much better. Therefore I believe that the university system needs urgent adaptations to follow the needs and wants of the labor market nowadays.
Yes I believe that university is now a part of society, but society is not a part of university. Here we have the main problem. I also believe the idea that »university as an institution that fails» I study English Language Teaching for three years and I have one more year. The only experience that I have is an observation for 2 weeks in a Spanish school. Next year(last year of university) I will do practice in a school also. I have knowledge, I’ve learned many methods but why don’t I still feel comfortable when I’m standing in a class, why can not I apply what I know and why do I get nervous when I am talking in front of students?
We have all the informations and good professors, the wrong thing is we don’t have practice, real life experience. The system in our universities needs to be changed. The practice and the real life experiences must be integrated in our lessons for every grade, not once or twice in an educational life of a person.
Practice in the study, I think the most important thing. Personally, I learn the most of this.
At my school in the Netherlands, I’ve had a lot of practice. Each year at least two days a week, and four times a year throughout a practice week.
Besides practice, you also get a lot of theory. The question is; do you learn actually? Often you have to learn a whole book for an exam, during the test, you remember it, but then you often forget again.
Of course, theory is important, but not if it is a big commitment.
In addition, people choose their studies today, it’s very different than before.
Previously you chose what you liked. Nowadays you can also choose what you like, but you also have underlying ideas. For instance; is there much work in it?
There are many more things you need to think about.
Nowadays employers want to have young people with a university degree and a lot of working experience. But how should that work when you only have theoretical education in university? It`s more and more important to gather work experience, but when? As a student you only have the possibility to work during the holidays and even then it is very difficult to get a job that is suitable with your field of study. You could also work part time while you are studying but it will be nearly impossible to find a part-time job that suits to your field of study. So the best solution would be to integrate work experience to the university. That is exactly what I didn`t like when I started to study at the university. You don`t have any practical experience. Therefore I changed the university. Now at the University College for Teacher Education I have practice every Friday and I really like it. You learn so many things during your practical training and you can try out if things work in real life you learnt in university. It`s also very good because so you really get to know how your job will be and you really know if it is the right job for you. I know some people from Germany who go to a private university where they have lessons for about 3 months and then they have to work for 3 months. That`s a really good way to gain work experience. Later on when applying for jobs you already have a lot of practical experience as well as a university degree. I really like it. Universities really should integrate such practical trainings.
During the studies we are obligated to do an internship and/or practice. This idea is very good, we can develope ourselves. But the worst part is that we have to do it for free. Also we need to pick one company which will be more or less similar to our interestings. How can I pick what interests me the most, if schooling programm is so wrong, that I can’t remember any of what was on the first or even second years of studing? Some of classes I do remember, thanks to the engagement of a teacher, but let’s be hosnest. The chance to have a good proffesor is one of a million. We study, we learn a lot, but when we finish, and we are released to the real world, I believe 50% of students are lost. Isn’t it the goal of Universities, to prepare us to live in the real world ?
Universities are the key for all the students to learn some competences, but everyone knows that between courses in class at the university and work in a company will be not the same. I mean that all students need to learn theories but it’s not enough for being in a company! WE (students) need practices inside of companies, we need competences for our future employers.
From me, universites must have to be more flexible with the expectations of the students in front of employers and managers who wants more and more from employees.
Organize interships, forum and doing courses with real facts happened of companies;
And choose teachers coming from companies.
Nowadays, students choose not appropriate courses of study for which they can not find a job afterwards. However, if there should be such that it universities should create the best courses of study and educate in an appropriate and useful in the future direction? It is often said that the university student only should to to pay for education at university. Not important is the quality of education only if the student pays for education. Some teachers do not contribute to the well-educated students are not professors of the appointment. So why do students have to apply to study? State requires of us only that we pay for education, not thinking about the future productivity. I am hopeful that this will vary from year to year.
It’s no secret that the competences are given in the University in most cases do not meet the requirements of employers. In my opinion, to change this situation, we must adjust the educational programs with the help of managers of the leading companies in a particular area, organize internships for students, provide the students with places of possible future work, closely watch for the professionalism of the teachers, invite the leading specialists in the field of education. After all, who else can better teach how to work in a particular area, as not a man who ais working in it!?
Perhaps the main problem of the «University» connects with the understanding of it. Is the place, where people learn practically all areas of science, natural science and Humanities. While a student decides to link his future profession, for example, with the programming, the area in which he is interested, he can have an opportunity to learn all courses at the University of programming to achieve proficiency in this field. Alas, it won’t work, because the curriculum is made too generic and universal. They teach reading and writing, philosophy, and Economics, and sometimes even subjects that won’t be useful. And it would be better if at the University we could learn only several subjects but in depth and the rest by ourselves.
Nowadays, people change a lot of things through their life, every day fewer people live like our grand parents did, with the same job, in the same city and the same wife all their life. This means that our curriculums are bigger than before, and that we learn more through our life, and we also go more to universities, because we want or need to learn new things. Life is not static anymore. But we should also invest more time in learning by doing I think, like in an internship. To me, a half year of internship as more value than semester of studies. The ideas of flexibility, possibility of changes are more important today.
Vocational schools are a good way of learn and being prepared to professional life. For a long time – and still today for a lot of people – this kind of education was considered as a way of learning for people who didn’t fit for long studies in university. But students with this kind of education can make a better professional ascent because they are ready for working. Plus, they can make longer studies because, paradoxically, colleges prefer people with more experiment because of their skills to learn (at least in France).
Generally, after high school, you learn theoretical lessons and then, this is difficult to start a job because employers are searching for people with experience, and even with internship it is considered as not enough.
It is such a shame, that during the university studies, we just have to lie in the books and memorize everything. I am aware of necessity to know the knowledges first but the practical part of education is missing, which basically means that after the exam students forget everything or most of the information they memorized for the exam. On the other hand the students who are really intersted in their field of study already work during their studies or even have their own business. Nevertheless the universities should provide some practical knowledges too. Regardless of the fact, that universities produce countless number of people with university degree. It is good that education opportunities are not just matter of rich people, but the requirements should be set a little bit different.
In the United States they do one interesting thing at the Universities. The students can find out what they really want to do and how should it look like during their bachelor studies. They have to attend several subjects completely out of their field, so the student of physics can become a sociologist. Also the studies there are more practical, according to what I have read.
My friends who gratuated in law were all of hem very surprised when they started to work and discovered how it works in practice. Later they told me, that the university did not prepare them for the reality, since the real law ambient is changing (same as the market). So I think more practice to the universities, more self-education about real world for professors and no to old rigid data-memorizing system.
I think the system is not adepted for this days, which we have now. We need a specialists in a lot of branches, but the system is learning in general. They are creating mass of people, that after studies they dont now nothing about their future specialisation. They are completly usless. Thats why students after or in the study time, they need to make a lot of courses in their direction confirming their abilities for make theirsalves more respectable. For example when you want to be the most respectable doctor in the hospital, you need to make all courses after studying, more and more, when you are getting older. Also a lot of studies carrier are completly useless, they are producting completly redundand specialist in abstract branches.
It is logical that before taking a job, students should first have knowledge in their profession. However, it happens many times that after they graduated with high grades for all the theoretical courses but once the student begins working he is disappointed as he realizes that the job does not really fit to his practical skills. So, it is important to try a practical work experience much earlier, already during education. It is more valued for future job selection and for the best suited career if you have experience. I believe that the higher education system should offer as much realistic and practical knowledge as possible. Those skills are acquired on job through real contact with kids if you are a teacher or with clients if you are a business manager. It is not sufficient to know the mathematical rules for doing business or memorizing the list of methods of teaching. My idea is that Universities must revise their role in the society and adapt as much as possible to the real labor market, offering skills that matter. It is so frustrating to think that the years that we students put our effort in to do our best and pass all the exams will not be equally rewarded once we graduated. It is then when we realize that, what actually require the real jobs are more practical skills and experiences.
Studies themselves are very cool, nice and interesting, but should also prepare students for independent living profession. I believe that practice should be at the same level as the learning, or maybe on a bigger level, because without practice it is impossible to find a job .
However university should also be in constant contact and cooperate with various companies, businesses, factories. Should monitor, evaluate demand on the labor market and thus create new educational directions. Constantly evaluate what should be taught and what is most needed.
Without change, nothing will change.
The most important aspect in becoming experienced in any profession is practice:as much you practice as more experienced and confident you become. Theory is absolutely one of the most essential part of becoming proficient but without practice it doesn’t represent any value. At least for me it has always been in this way: the material I just learnt without having an idea how to apply it in real life, I always kept forgetting it. Consequently I wish schools to have more practical lessons or at least to think about opportunities of letting students to have more practice even during classes at university. For example, creating situations in which one of the students is a teacher and the rest are pupils and a real teacher could watch and evaluate student’s role of a teacher at the end pointing out positive and negative sides- what is better to do and what is not.
‘Of the curricula based on specific interests of a discipline to the interest of promoting transferable skills that have value in the labor market’. In my opinion, this would be the best way for universities. I don’t agree with Ron Dearing who thinks that all students who are graduated should have good knowledge about specific things; specific curriculum. I don’t agree with this because I think that we all can’t know the same, because every student is different and every student has different skills, different interests, different capaticity, different gifts/talents. If you are studying art and want to make paintings, do you have to be good in technology, communication skills, grammar and so on? I just absolutely don’t agree to this, because everyone is different. So I agree more to Ronald Barnett, that there are types/terms and stages of skills where you have to be able at after graduating. Lets stay in the example of studying art; for this study you need to have specific skills about art, but not about science or mathematics. In all kinds of studies you have to be aware of the general educational skills and in kind of studies transferable skills.
I think that it is very important, for every study, to have different internships or project at organisations or somewhere else in real life. Only in this way you learn the best, you will meet the real-life structures of working and you will built experiences, which are more and more important nowadays for getting a job; experience.
The university i am in is doing lots of practicum wich is, i think very important. The first year i have an internship of one a day a week. The second year 3 days a week and the 3th year also 3 days a week but with more hours and responsibilities. If i would not have had these internships i think i would totally not be prepared to go to work after my studies. Theory is ofcource important but you can choose yourself wether you want more knowlege about some subject so you can read books about it.
The practicum is not so easy to learn if you dont get the option of your university to spend your time thatway. Therefore internships are very important so you can actually see what you will be doing when you are done.
The things that you study at the university ana after life is totally different. I felt that on myself when I finished my first degree, I had to study and learn again and that were different things. And this feeling after graduating from university when you’re thinking about finding a good job but reality is that no one needs until you got some experience in your profession. That is frustrating reality and that means that we should change something in our education methods in the university. Learn something then learn how to use what you learned that is the better way then just leatning all the theory and going out in the world without experience.
Talking about the school system, nowadays focus is often laid on learning the facts about a subject. Often students have to read book after book without even reflecting on what they’ve actually learned from the context. It is not uncommon that the exams are designed only focusing on fact based questions. I believe that it is better to invite the student into a discussion, where their own reflections is in focus. I have experienced that many of my classmates that where striving for the highest grades usually tend to know all the facts (memorizing), but when it comes to practicing what you learned or drawing conclusions from the facts…then they often get lost.
I often say «You could read thousands of thousands of books about how to surf, but that doesn’t mean that you could actually do it. Instead it takes time and you need the practice to become a real champion». This is something that the school should take into account when designing the syllabus. I can honestly say that I personally really would have appreciated if my education had included more practical assignments, where live projects would have given me more confidence when it is time for me to search a job within my area of education.
Today we are more lured by the diploma by real knowledge that is supposed to bring us. There may be many factors that I think the real interest for the class is missing. This is why we seek to finally get a degree …
I can take my case as an example. I’m here in the third year of study. This is my last logically before joining the world of work. Only I specialize in the field of international trade. Here there is no course of international trade, however, if I passed my year, I have a title by which I can claim to join an international sector. What are my real skills in this area?
For me the internships are really important during the years of study. Have experience and knowledge is more important than a tittle.
the university is people prepared for the future housıng educatıon. ıt work to gaınıng requıred equıpment for people’s future plans for carryıng. just ıs not enough educatıon unıversıty for preparıng to the future. universities are ıncurred stops before laıd to lıfe.
universities don’t prepare exactly with classic memorizing’s understandıng. ıt need support give ınformatıon in practıcal for lıfe is practical. possible fix give low notes from university but not possible fix bad notes taken from lıfe before prepare bad to life. be necessarry for grow inventor person. ineluctable braın draın at give poor qualıty educatıoncountries. should renew and ımprowing to currıculum. should reduce memorizing understandıng. should leave the debate thıs problem. should search solutıon. my solutıon: build ar-ge centers to each section at universities. ar-ge centers should help development posing new ideas in inadequate time of insufficient section.
I my opinion, nowaday the problem is the lack of practice. I finished studies Physical Education but today if I had to go to school I have to honestly admit that I am not feel for 100 percent ready for this. During Studies for several years, we had too little practice. Teaching about the behavior of children without showing a child is a little bit stupid for me. You can consider all cases, all behavior, evaluation systems, BUT until we no have with this contact on live it is usually talking about foolishnesses. I believe that today education reform should be focused on getting that to perform some more hours of practice. That also connects with looking for the job, as well. Today, the employer wants an employee with experience, where students will get experience if they are at the university from morning to evening?
I think that nowadays too much time we spend on the theory. Many activities at the University are conducted in a manner theoretical. Show presentations and slides are often not extend our horizons. The result is that instead of to grow-we are in the same place. After the theoretical study many of us looking for a job and if you’re lucky you will get. Unfortunately, life many times verifies our ability. The school instead of a well take care of the transfer of knowledge to children – we for a long time learn to adapt to the conditions that prevail in school. In my opinion if we had more practical classes and more visualization is immediately after graduation diligently be able of functioning in the difficult world in school.
Universities cater for many students and many different courses. Of course after a graduate completes his/her 4 year course they are not 100% ready for the job compared to somebody working at the job for 10 years. But graduates do bring new ideas and opinions to the job, maybe even modernise it in a way.
I do think during university there is to much time spent in the classroom and not enough time doing the actual job. There needs to be alot more interaction by the students and the job they would like to do so as to allow them to experience it and figure out what ways work best for them. For example it would be very difficult for someone who cant drive to read how to do it and then try do it themselves. People need to try things out themselves have real hands on experiences and make mistakes and learn from them.
I personally like the idea of an internship after each academic year, especially in view of my own study, education. I would like to test the theoretical knowledge of one year in practice, especially because repition is one the cornerstones of learning. So in my eyes the theoretical knowlegde would be strengthened through the practical internship.
Of course each student could organise an internship in the holidays on their own, but due to the Blogna Process there is almost no time left, because of the additional work in the holidays , such as term papers.
By now in most cases there is only one fixed point for an internship in the curriculum.
The main problem at educational system is that there is no relationship between theorical and practical skills. We are learning a lot of different things during the lessons. However, everything we are learning from the books, lessons, professors and other resources of information is just information that we should use practical. But the problem is that nobody teachs us how to use it practically. There is a difference between information andknowledge. The student could learn and know everything from the book but he will not be able to do simple practical things using the information he knows. By doing this, the information is useless. The university should teach us how to use the information in practical ways. It will be easier to learn everything when you will know how it could be implemented in our real life.
I think theories are so important so we always are learning theories at university but also we should get practice at university because we are learning everything on paper for example alot of economy students are learning accouning and finance at university on paper but after university when they start to job they dont now anything specailly agriculture they are studying in just classroom even some students they havent touch the planets then when they start to work they cant do anything even somethimes I am thinking we are losing our times with some old and stupid theories we should learn the most important theories then we should carry out them how we can use how it works we should see I think for me education is diveded to teach two ways first read ,second see so first we shoudl learn theories then we should see how we can do these .
I believe that the practical teaching is very important in the universities today. The theoretical should have the major input in the education, but the practical teaching is still very important and should not be excluded. The reason why i believe that it’s so important is because, today, it is very hard (in many countries) to get a job. So after you graduated you have to compete with the others who actually already have experience and therefore the practical knowledge that the work requires. Since there are so many people that are looking for a job, the employers have many to choose from and naturally they choose someone that can start as quick as possible. So the students need to have practical knowledge when they enter the labor market, to be able to compete with the others. One way for the students to gain a foothold in the labor market is to get a internship on a working place that is somehow connected to the students program.
I agree with many comments here. Nowadays we learn so much theory in university, but we are not able to apply our theoretical knowledge to practical problems. I have the feeling that in general we have to know more and more, but we are not able to use that knowledge proper. It is not enough to know how something works theoretically because in practice it is not that easy. I think the biggest problem with the lack of practical experience is finding a job. In Germany for example, everybody wants to hire someone with experience, but if nobody gives you the changes to get experience you will never find a job. It is a vicious circle. Internships are becoming more and more important. I think firms should work closer with universities to support students and help them connect the theoretical knowledge to the practical. This way we could have more qualified good workers.
I think knowledge is incredibly important to any career and life in general. We are always learning something new.
There are different kinds of knowledge and different ways of acquiring each kind. On one side is theory and on the other side is the practical application of theory. Both types of knowledge are important and both make you better at whatever you do.
The problem with many universities is that they forgetting the importance of practical side of educating. Practical knowledge helps you acquire the specific techniques. It sits much closer to your actual day-to-day work and I think that there are some things you can only learn through doing and experiencing.
Unfortunately, I think universities don’t give «enough» practical knowledge. -at least in my country- Of course, theoretical knowledges are important, too. But after exams, probably most of students always forget these. In business life, we need practical knowledge. We spend a lot of time with unnecessary somethings. We must learn to use and control time efficiently. Also unemployment was always a problem. People can find some job but it isn’t provision of labor. My suggestion is firstly for government; if this department don’t provide good job opportunities, they shouldn’t increase the quota anymore. Then people don’t be disappointed. My second suggestion for teachers and professors. Everything is not passing the exams, as much as possible «teach» !. No memorize. I mean really learning. For example I am im Bologna process for 2 years. But i don’t think its beneficial. Many lessons, high passing grade. I see lack of the practise. Especially for ‘foreign trade, engineering, education» departmens. Yes perhaps for the social sciences, theoretical knowledge is required more than the others. My last advice for students (us), follow the up-to-date everything. And we have to learn very well information technology-computer, new languages. And before graduating, we have to do an internship. Everybody can prepare themselves to business world and create their own chances and opportunities though less…
Too much theory.!
After secondary schools we have some knowledge, but very often is not even useful. The same situation is in universities in many fields of study. We all complain that there is too much theoretical and not enough practical. It’s a fact. We have some theoretical knowledge but no practical-probably we have nothing. We all expect us practical knowledge. Often we spend nights on the study of things that will be never useful in life: completing a good state university increases the chance of getting a job, on the other hand, we don’t have the experience which is the basis for her to gain!
I think university is very important for education and in university theories are very important and we are learning a lot of theories and we are reading alot of books I think that just theory is not enough for our future jobs because we are learning everything in dream so a lot of people are very unsuccesful in their jobs first 5 years and we are asking them why are you so bad at this job ? because you have graudated from university you ddint study lessons there? what did you do there ? just dates ? or just parties ? nooo …. we were learning just theory and we were trying to pass our exams so we didnt know anything how they works in real life for example there are alot of people who studies accounting but they are learning accounting on theory so last year I read one of newspaper from germany it tells the best accounter ungradated from university .why ? , because they are learning this jobs in real life with practice in real job .So I think we should learn theory in school then we should do practice then we should be much more succesful on education .
Market is a main factor which drives direction of the studies. During a few years there is a bigger demand for one field of study while in other years for different. That’s why young people want to fit in in current situation and choose the same direction in mass. Later unemployment is an issue. The most tough competitors win the rat race. For what cost? Both degree and experience are required. Being a student does not mean just attending lectures, it is almost full time job. If somebody wants to be a professional in his future occupation, he has to look for sources on his own and absorb knowledge without being forced. But to have a job after he has to also find the time to work meanwhile to get experience. University cannot prepare student to be a good worker in the future. Practice is necessary. At university we may learn many useless things because we have to pass. These things bring actually nothing to our future career. Real learning starts when we get a job. However, studies are important because we get some social and communication skills, we can work in groups and we meet working environment in our field, we make contacts which can be useful in the future. In my opinion change at universities is needed. The process of preparing students to be workers should start on the first year by providing more reasonable practice. It would be a good step to have an experienced tutor for a little group of students from the very beggining who would help and advise them on their studing way to career.
In my opinion this is the bigest global problem of all universities. University became a factory, which make non-qualified workers. Now everybody can graduate university if they have money to pay for it and this I think also is a problem. I know some students in my course which are paying for studies but they are not interested in the disciplines which they‘re studying. And for what? After the university they will not work by the profession and what is the point to study what you don‘t like? Another problem is that some people think that college is not that „cool“ as university and just because of this thinking they‘re avoiding college studies. There‘s no balance between university and college, but I think in the near future it will be. What I really liked in this article is the idea of flexible curriculum. I never thinked or heard of it before, but I really approve for it.
Nowadays, many people have university eduacation, or prepare for further education. People want their dreams to come true, and many go to university to study their chosen field and improve their prospects of finally achieving that dream. But unfortunately for many, the university education they receive is not enough. Generally the education system focuses on a theoretical approach to learning and studying but this does not give graduates any experience on the practical side of things. Universities must change their approach so that students can learn employment skills during their time there. Many go out to work and start to learn valuable practical skills at their place of work, but this is too late. When a graduate starts working in their specific feild they should know everything about their area. However, many students are leaving university unprepared due to the syllabus content; focusing on theory rather than practice.
I totally agree. Universities important part of society and they have been in change. It is reform that name of Bologna. Curriculum change with interests of some parts. It is not last one and won’t be. Some period possible to change with labour market interests.It focus to transferable skills. It is related also universities are not autonomous. I want to tell about my experience. We met this process about 3 years ago. When we asked teacher said that now we have new process, new curriculum. And they introduced with Bologna. Some of students adaptation was not so difficult. Otherwise, some of students for was so difficult. Also teacher said that this change for improvement in education and more quailified education. Old curriculum was not valid for some part in society in today. Actually, In my oppinion, they need to change because they need to create connected with their interests. We know neoliberalization effects education systems like the other area. They want to create global education system. So they need to say new one is more effective and provide to development in education. But it means also after graduate from university it is not easy to find a job. It shows that all of system control with some intitutions interests and we don’t have any guarantee. Conclusion, Without autonomous, related neoliberal policies and without students requests are not fair and not valuable for education.
Yes, Universities are vocational training institutions today. University diploma is essential for a good job. Sometimes even that is not enough. Master’s Degree is requested of us. We work, we struggle. We enter university. And we finish it. So far, no problems. We think,we would just be business owner. Then we apply for a job. Or they want to pass a very difficult exam from us for get a job. They say, If you pass the exam you are hired. Or they ask ,»Do you have experience in this business.» We have finished university for they want a diploma. No way. They hire us but both are very run down and give a very low fee to us . Why? Because of we have not got experience on this issue . If universities think to renew itself, these innovations must be about applications. We see that can not be a business owner with only theoretical knowledge .
The most of my thoughts were focused on the Bologna mode of study, because I’m the part of that education. Bologna process and the bologna system is new way and approach to studying. The study is based on a problem-oriented teaching (practical application of knowledge), an ongoing study and consequently, faster completion of their studies. It gives students the option of choosing different electives and policies.
The main features and objectives of the bologna system: establish comparable and transparent study programs and degrees; establish a unified credit system ECTS; promote student mobility: the transitions between fields of study, study abroad, etc.
In a competitive marketplace, success can depend on how quickly you embrace new standards and expectations in your industry. I think that Universities’ Professional Education have to help you master the latest techniques and best practices in your field. Also have to learn professionals with distinguished careers and proven expertise in their fields—provide the hands-on, insider knowledge have to learn how to stay on top of emerging technology, learn cutting edge skills, attain certification, and understand the evolving needs of your industry.
Theoretical education is a big problem nowdays. Students learns alot in the circle of their studies. But only few percents of this knowledge can be used by them in the practical way. I’m not saying that Bologna Process is bad because it offers a lot of oportunities to practice (scholarship, training, practice in a company). For me we should include, in it ,thing like: that this is obligatory because nowdays those scholarship ect. are only for peoples that want to do it . Students must train their skill in a practical way. Its provided more or less. Universities must show students that training their theoretical skill in companies is a key to succes in future work
I think that Universities need to educate us with the important theory that is necessary for the profession we choose. I also think that this theory is not enough. It does not completely prepare you for your future job. I believe experience is the most important thing as it teaches you things that cannot be learned from a book. It is crucial in today’s society especially with the economy. Everybody wants to hire people with experience. But college graduates have not got any experience. It is going around in circles, to break this cycle and give graduates the best chance. Universities should have a practical part for every degree whether it is teaching practice in a school for a semester or work experience in a company related to their profession. It will give students experience and show them what it is really like. It will also keep them interested in their course if they enjoy the experience.
I think a lot of people are preparing for university in every country. They spend a lot of effort and graduate.What happens then? Are we going to have all the equipment for our profession?In my own country and my university career is quite inadequate to prepare because almost everything is offered as a theoretical.In my country usually people who have professional experience in factories is more important than university graduates because nobody doesn’t want people who don’t have any idea about business. University should teach discipline, responsibility,the theory such elements and provide professional expertise. Actually changes are needed in the education system.People after graduation must feel safe and trust yourself and there must have sufficient of knowledge. As a result theory and practice should be taught together in the best way.After grows more successful people and success are captured in the business world.
Need experience to get a job, need a job to get experience. I know this from my personal experience, I have worked in many different places since I was 16 and to get a job without experience is really hard, who will hire a worker like that if there are so many people with experiences looking for a job? It’s very good that I learned that in such early age, that is how I choose a university and my study program, I made sure that there will be plenty of chances for me to get real life experience in schools, that is why I can’t complain about that as most students do. All students should explore studies before choosing one and of course universities should provide students the chance to get real life experiences, in Latvia there are some private universities who have contracts with some enterprises, so the students can get experience and sometimes even a job right after finishing their studies. I think that it would be good if all the universities would be like that.
My opinion is that nowadays we need more teachers which have a very big knowledge in their competencies. In my country we also have a lot of education reforms. We try to get students with higher education skills. I think that all teachers more do theoretical things. They ask students to read some books, make some little writing tasks and something like that, but In my opinion students need to do more like practical works, more make some presentations, and show how they can use their knowledge skills on practical works. I think that the best learning style is when we connect theoretical and practical thing together.
Universities lack of vocational training institutions is true But people in their own areas rather than university graduates working in other areas of the university’s problem is not the product of social structures and policies.If university graduates and domestic employment conditions not established a parallelism between One of these two areas naturally passes in front of the other and brings many problems in the future.Universities are not places no time workforce if universty grow workforce this is not universty.Post-secondary technical schools are the place for this.
University information and services related to all strategic points of the country producing
but also independent of science as a human activity should be understood as places where organized.
I have found that I have been quite frustrated about the organisation of my course at university. I am currently in my third and final year studying to be a primary school teacher in England. I can honestly say that the majority of work that I have done at university will not benefit me or the children that I will teach once I become a teacher. I feel that as teacher’s we hold a huge responsibility to give children the education they deserve and therefore when we are carrying out our short training (which is now only three years), every second should be spent on how to be the best possible teacher. I become frustrated spending a large amount of time writing useless and pointless assignments when I feel I could be bettering myself as a teacher in a variety of different ways. I believe university courses need modernising so that courses are based on practical experiences so students can develop skills that will increase their chances of getting a job outside of university.
If I have to be honest, I’m disappointed with my studies. The first years were really great, we had interesting classes, a lot of practical work. Each year the university «slashed» our practices. The last two years I feel lost (when it comes to learning and preparation for the profession). I can’t imagine myself in the profession. It’s true, I was taught how to use research tools. The problem is that now no one use them, everyone in the world use modern technology, which I currently don’t know. Recently I asked a younger friend where there will be her next practice. she said that alost all pracical classes were canceled. So now I’m asking: who manages higher education? Maybe he should go back to primary school to learn to think logically? All we know that without practical skills we won’t survive in our adult life..
The majority of people go to university in the hope of being educated sufficiently in a certain field in order to get a career. Experience is extremely important when applying for a job. It’s one of the first things employers look for. And most graduates do have experience in their respected fields. But the reality is that today, universities focus more on the theoretical part of study and don’t give as much attention to the practical side which is just as, if not more important than the theoretical side. The structure of most university programs today doesn’t allow for sufficient practical study so even though the university has the best intentions of providing their students with decent practical experience, they’re not providing enough, leaving their graduates at a disadvantage as they don’t have as much experience as employers are looking for. To change this, universities should alter the programs so that students do practical learning, then theoretical study and then another block of practical learning.
Vocational education, training designed to advance individuals’ general proficiency, especially in relation to their present or future occupations. The term does not normally include training for the professions. Since then society has been forced by the decline of handwork and the specialization of occupational functions to develop institutions of vocational education. In recent years, corporations and labor organizations have established the majority of new vocational and cultural centers. In addition, many of the public high schools offering vocational training have undergone a variety of changes. Almost all have placed renewed emphasis on a student’s meeting general academic standards as well as learning a trade. Many schools have shifted the emphasis of their programs from the traditional construction trades to computers and related technologies, and some schools have moved away from vocational training entirely.
It really is questionable wether or not university nowadays is preparing students for their future jobs. Of course it is different in different countries, but in general stundets are learning a lot of theory and very little of the actual practical work. I don’t think that this is a good system. I understand that it is important to gain theoratical knowledge about the field you want to work in and you should be an eyxpert in your area. But at the same time you also need practical skills. It is not usefull if somebody finishes his study and has never actually worked in his area. that is why internships and work experience gain more and more importance for employees. In my opinion more practical work should be included in the curriculums of the universitys.
As a student who is part of the University I’m glad that are not just us (the students) who are aware of the fact that Universities don’t teach you practical knowledge and do not give you the necessary skills (transmissible skills) for you future job. Instead of this they are teaching a lot of details and skills that can’t really serve you in your life. I agree that lately there is more and more talking about flexibility, adoption to changes, advantages of the changes etc., but (as the article says) how can we reach this, if the curriculum keep following the Medieval tradition? I think the changes are really important and that the university systems should change as fast as possible. Why? Because if it’s not it would totally lose it’s importance and value. I don’t see any sense in studying for 6 years to officially become an architect and after finishing you need at least 1 additional year of working with attendance of someone with experiences that you are able to start working on your own. Isn’t the University there for prepare you for working independently? How many things does a student really learn at the university? What kind of competences are the universities looking for? Where is the problem? And can we solve the problem if we try to change our point of view about what are the real competences? All these questions, mentioned in the article, are good, because they show that the society cares and wants to improve itself. The only thing worth mentioning here is that we should not forever just reflect the problems but also take a step on, using the solutions of our reflexive processes. I believe the society is able to influence on the ones who can do the essential changes in the curriculum and by this return to universities the importance, applicability and value.
The people I talk about university reforms have many doubts about how profesional university studies are and also, how meaningful a university degree really is. Since I like travelling around the world, I found out that education and universities are extremly different in different countries. Even within Austria it depends on the region you are studying, if people look at your degree with prestige and if it is a uni of good standing. Sometimes the top-quality universities are private ones, were students or their parents have to pay high fees for their child to study. Even tought there might be almost the same lessons, a student from a private uni would always get a job more easily than somebody from a public one. This leads to wealthy people being preveleged, without comparing skills and occupational qualification.
The main question here is «How can we find the best balance between theoretical learning and practical courses which can also fit in nowadays’ society?»
That’s what University is about: it’s supposed to introduce students to their future profession. And this issue so far hasn’t been solved out by Bolognia Process. If this reform standardized the educational system in Europe in terms of academic level or credits, it also emphasized the huge gap existing between countries regarding individual levels and experiences. For example, internships. Actually, if I consider that French universities don’t encourage them enough, I believe it’s worse here in Spain. To me, internships are an efficient tool that universities don’t use enough for their students. Internships give some credit to the theorical knowledge you’ve acquired all year, they build students’ self-conficence and motivation for their professional future. We can’t avoid theoretical studies, they will always be essential, but we could introduce short internships at the end of every academic year.
So I agree with both external visions introduced in the text: Ron Dearing, explaining that we, as students, need to be proficient in specific fields (arithmetics, mathematics or new technologies of information, previous professional experiences) when we get our diploma, in order to be as attractive as possible in the labor market. However, Universities also need to be prepared to change curriculums if the previous ones are no longer compatible with the needs society (Ronald Barnett’s idea).
But most of all, I believe that in any circumstances, internships must be advocated, numerous, soon and compulsory. Why ? This will be my answer to the final question at the end of the text: universities won’t know where to go if their students don’t know either.
Unfrotunately that’s right that universities in Europe face many difficulties and are unable to prepare students to their future professions. A lot of people blame Bologna Process for that, however, I wouldn’t agree. This reform gives young people the most important possibility – the possibility of practice. Due to universal programm of studying in most of European countries, students can easily move from one university to another, also can do plenty of internships and scholarships. And this is what helps them to develop the most important skills postgraduates should have. It also enables young people to look wider, from many perspectives. Studying or working abroad (which is easier thanks to Bologna Process) fulfills at least 2 of the abilities that students should have due to Ron Dearing – communication skills and work experience. But if the partner institution happens to be better than the home one, students can benefit even more.
«University as an institution that fails continuously when one of its essential purposes; teaching a profession to its student» – although this is not a full quote, I agree with the essence of this statement. Universities tend to rely heavily on the teaching of theory within practical lessons, it is when students are sent out on placement that they start to learn what their job will really be about. However I think that even being on placement can limit the amount of knowledge you will learn- for example if you are studying to be a teacher, it is when you are alone in the classroom with your class that you will really start to learn what being a teacher is about. Placements, volunteer work etc is just a small taster of what you could be doing.
I think students will excell if they learn all about their own personal interest and talent.In the future we should combine knowledge and practise in a way that leaves enough space to excell in what you do best. It will be a challenge to invent a succesful system where students can explore themselves exactly the way they want to develop. Once we find a way for a system like this, students will be passionate and curious for their own personal development.
Eventually real professionals differentiate themselves from others by passion and curiousity for their own work field and a constant drive to develop themselves.
Talking about the education of judges and advocates in university I agree that the education could be too theoretical. But on the other hand you have to work in different departments before getting your state examination. In Germany, students who want to become teachers also have to do a practical training in schools before starting their studies or in their first year of studies. I think that is a very good thing because you get to know an impression of how your job will look like. Just because you had teachers in school you do not know how the teacher job will work completely.
Yes, this is the real question, what really do universities for students, for their job, profession future ( that student realy know what to do with knowledges after universitie graduation). They really prepere students mostly for one profession that student can be competitive in labor market? Of course i think that universitie`s have to prepare flexible students, with deeper, wider view on things too. Not only students with one thinking in one profession but students who can think and estimate about lot of things and be more innovative. But the main of course for student`s is to be great, innovative, creative and capable of working in profession that student chose to learn in universitie. This is true, lot of students, after universitie graduation , even don`t know what to do, they have some knowledges (mostly theoretical) about his chosen profession, but they don`t know exatcly how that works in real life, and after all they are working another profession, wich don`tt need so much knowledges. So it means, in also in my country that is true, that universities offer too little practical knowledge. Mostly, in the first place is lot of theoretical knowledge, and they even don`t know if that is useful. And then i like to ask this question- We advance, but where?
Yes this is good that student know lot of theoretical things, but where they can use that, if student dont know anything of practical things of profession that he chose to learn. Universities have to think more about future, and about student`s who need to make better society and of course better, innovative labor market what also means better economic situation.
As stated in this video that we are living today and do not think about the future. When we graduate from university we do not have guarantee of a job. But nevertheless, many people are living comfortable. University does not prepare us for the future with university education. University must be put twin flexible, critical, innovative thinking, self-confident and problem-solving show us the real life for career. However the university can help to community awareness. For example; after graduating in Turkey is so hard to find. Most people are comfortable to work in state’s assessment but to state is not so easy to get into. Show it to graduation exams again need to enter. This exam is not an easy, exams were nothing. As a result who taught at college and graduate is not so important. That are important to succeed in exams of institutions.
In Latvia, the professional education system is expected to reform, which aims to eliminate more than half of Latvian vocational school. The new model requires fewer schools, but with a higher return on investment attraction opportunities. Remaining vocational schools would be able to qualify for European Union funds several million lats. Also I think, that the biggest need for optimization are visible in specialized college and vocational schools. Ofcourse, both – rectors and students have a different views on proposed and anticipated reforms, but only thing, thats is know for sure and becomes more and more clear that we definetly need a radical change in the system of higher education.
In Latvia last years we had a reforms in education too, because some professions were too popular, but for some didn’t have professional workers. It means that state should think about ways how to get professionals. In nowadays people should be flexible, should be able to adjust in new things, know how to use modern technologies. Not in all universities students learn this. In some universities people learn more theory than practice, so after graduating not all of students can work in their profession. Universities need to think about new ways how they teach knowledges, professions, because world develops every day, in our lifes comes new technologies, ideas. One way is that universities offers more practice lessons, where students can see how they can use their knowledge in profession and practice. In my oppinion, problem will be easier if we choose competency-based approach, because, then not all can study and work in their selected profession.
It is very true to say that the standard lecture in a university today involves students being thrown a scripted lesson of a topic they more than likely have no specific interest in but is seen as an element to the course as it is somewhat related to the subject. In this sense, yes it is important to know certain knowledge, but in reality something is only truely learnt through application of this theory, in a practical situation. There is not enough interaction in many lectures which results in students not engaging and losing interest. This is not an efficient platform for learning- a link between theory and practice undoubtedly needs to be established. In my home university where I am training to become a teachers, we are given many opportunities to practice our profession through our school experience module as well as other teaching opportunities such as literary assistance n primary schools. On reflection however, I would consider many of the lectures to be irrelevant to the knowledge and skills we have gained through putting our learning int practice. As mentioned in the video, I completely agree with competence-based learning, especially in the economical downturn we are living in today. A university graduate cannot be guaranteed that they will get a job in their chosen profession, so they need to gain skills that can be applied to others. These would involved becoming flexible, critical and innovative thinkers, decision makers and problem-solvers- skills which not only would prepare someone for their career, but also for their life as a whole in real life situations. In this way, the university can create diverse people that can help to develop society to a more valuable degree.
Some years ago and during the time when I was a pupil in school the vocational schools were the place where go these students who don’t have good results in normal public school. I heard the opinion and I thought that it is not a good place to go. Everybody has to finish normal public school and then go to university and after that have a job with high salary. But now I see that vocational school is a very good choice and not everybody needs to study in a university to become a professor or scientist. In my hometown our neighbours have two sons who just finished their 9th grade with lots of problem, didn’t want to study, got bad grades etc. But after that one chose to go to study to become a cook and other went to the same school as brother to become a car mechanic. And as I heard lately both are eager to study, have good grades and are much more happier than in a normal school just studying mathematics and literature. I hope that the vocational schools for teenagers get their prestige back again and people will be able to choose what is best for them without the fear that society will see them as people without ambition and without dreams about future.
I think that the education is moving towards new teaching styles and becomes more flexible, when there are diverse students with different abilities. The techniques are various and make everyone a student. A new way of learning contains available tools, which every enthusiastic person can upload. The teaching techniques are appropriate for different capabilities. Disabled persons and the need of inclusion has made up a new challenge. For conferences and presentations etc. different tools and technologies. So we can see that technologies are extensive tools for everyone and it makes our society more enriching with ideas and clearer statements about ourselves and the opinions, as well in classrooms. I prefer less intrusive tools and the ones, like mind-map sites, where is easy to make the ideas in right order to move the thought further. Also very popular now are the tools for mobile phones ‘I-phone’ and ‘android’, which is fast and easy to download. Programs made for pictures or some intellectual games help to improve things, while recipe lists or calorie/step counter tools are useful, while being on a way. yayy
Vocational schools now seems to be more popular than ever. In the past, people thought that the universities are only for wise people, and the so-called vocational school is for ‘idiots’- for people who are not enough smart. I believe that this is not true. Whether now I wonder if I chose well to go to college. Here we learn the theory, deepen the knowledge in our field, but what if i miss my proper practice? Going to the future work I will be judged for what I can and now what I know. We don’t have practical skills , only the knowledge which we carried from exams.
Once again, really interesting video, I’d even say it was way too short but it certainly sends a message. Apart from always saying there’s an issue with the education system, let’s face the solutions Sal Khan is proposing. New ways to consider school, teachers would start being more than just robots with «blank faces» reading a script and actually start serving the purpose of being mentors with knowledge waiting to be shared. Teachers would be in a way guides with the mission to help us whenever required but in any case force us to go through the current standards of education, for instance never missing class. M. Khan has, therefore, his own way of challenging this issue and states that using videos, using photosynthesis is groundbreaking way and certainly efficient to give students the chance to self-direct their pursuit of knowledge. Classes adopting this concept would according to him be a ground-swell of change and he can’t wait to see our reaction to this.
That’s another contribution to the possible solution.
Universities are too busy with theory that they forget the practice. I think practice is very important if you want to be prepared for your future job. Nowadays when students finished their study at the university they don’t even know very well what they job will consist. I think this is not right.
In Belgium I study to become a teacher and I have to say that I had practice from the very beginning of my education. During the 3 years that this study takes I had theory but also a lot of practice so I think I am prepared to be a teacher. This is not the same for every study in Belgium; I think that it is kind of an exception that we have so many practices.
After school a lot of students don’t know what they want to do, they don’t know what they can study and what they want to do with their lives. If a student knows what he wants to study and he starts with this study he realizes that this is not what he expected so he changes. If you look at statistics you will see that a lot of students change their study and aren’t studying what they choose at first. Schools should inform their students better about the possibilities in the future.
Having a good job requires graduating from a good university. All parents want their children to enter a good university. It is something good to study in university but it is not everything. People who studied in university can’t find a solution to the problems of life and to the daily works. It results from universities’ always giving theoretic education. Of course knowledge is really important but without practicing it loses it importance. In universities practice, internship is really rare. Apart from universities occupation schools gives more importance to practice than they do to knowledge. I think also universities should be like this. Occupation schools should be important like universities. Globally we need people who knows their work very well a lot.
Vocational schools are different from the university or college that vocational schools are more practice, but also universities, theory and better qualifications compared to the vocational schools at Lithuania. But I think that universities lack experience, so I had to practice, but the practice was not as we would like. I think that students should practice in a half or full year, because right now it is difficult to find a job because everywhere asked the workers suffer.
When i finished school i didn’t really know what I want to study or what I want to do in my life.
I chose a popular field of study. After a couple month I realized that it wasn’t a way I wanted to go for my lifetime. I had to study only theoretical foundations of my subjects. There were a lot of students like me, they chose this study because it was popular. I changes my field of study and I really love it now.
I think schools have to talk about which subjects we can study, teachers should talk to their students about what comes after school.There are lots of people who don’t really know what to study or do after school because nowadays there are so many perspectives.
I also agree that one of the major problem is the universities don’t preapre their students to job’s proffesions in real life enough. Every university should give many opportunities to the students to do practice a lot during their studies, I think.
in Greece, I am studying to be a teacher. I can understand very well the problem that is described in this article. In my country, the students in the universities of Pedagogics don’t have a lot of practices and many times when they are for the first time in the class don’t know how to react with the kids.
In my opinion, the universities should give more opportunities to the students in order to practice a lot before and after graduation. In this way, they will be able to achieve their target and create a society with educated young people.
Vocational schools are differ from standart school in the sense of being practic-based rather than theory-based. They sound well but, they are not as popular as they should be (at least in Turkey). This is basically because that they are not for the students that has dreams or the ones that want higher career level. In Turkey a person that graduates from vocational school (aquals to high school level) can not be an engineer, he/she can only become a technician (there can be exceptions but in most of the cases).Because in these school your classes are mainly about the profession you chose. However, government wants student to get certain point from the university exams so that they can apply for a university education.Yet, these student are not well-prepared for a university exam they are just good at their profession as they only take the profession-based classes. Finally the utopia that has been mentioned in the video at the last part was perfect, i hope it becomes real one day.
Technological development’s fast, continuous and multi-faceted process affects political and cultural structures of society in every country. Changes and developments in science and technology, increase the need rate for skilled manpower. Development of qualified manpower is a major tasks and responsibility of vocational and technical education system. Industrialization, is one of the most important aspects of development. For this reason, need for manpower equipped with technical knowledge and skills is increasing in service and production areas. To cover this need, vocational and technical training schools are needed for training people who knows, reviews, use, develop and adapt the methods of modern technology. Vocational and technical education has critical importance for accelerating development, increasing employment and raising the competitiveness of the country. To adapt to the technological era, there is need to show attention to vocational and technical education.
I believe that a vocational college may present the graduate with more problems rather than that of what a university would, this being because I believe they are too specific for a certain job. I understand that this is there aim however with the recent downturn and the 2008 credit crunch and reccession, specific jobs like construction, teaching or speciallity alike are few and far between.
I believe that we need to adopt that of an American culture, offering more and more students the chance to do a liberal arts degree. These degrees are like a foundation type of degree and are not job specific, leaving the doors opening with plenty of opportunity for the graduate upon graduation. From this I would suggest that our society needs to become more open mminded in terms of job prospects and career options.
Vocational schools are undoubtedly beneficial but are often too job-specific. This is a risk because we cannot be sure that these specific jobs will be available in our ever-changing economy in the future. As suggested in this blog, I believe a competence-based approach would be better in our universities. More attention should be given to skills that can be transferred to different job settings, e.g. multitasking, time management, public speaking and the capability to research. In this way, graduates who find themselves unable to gain a job in their field of study will be able to adapt to fulfil other jobs. There should be greater emphasis put on work experience so as students have a chance turn the theory they have learnt into practice. From my own experience, I have found that many skills can only be learnt when in the working envrionment.
This is really interesting topic to discus. We spend so much time in school thinking how learning all those things will help us finding the desired job. Then comes moment when we have to go to some job interview and practically only thing that really matters for possible employer is experience. I was going to Tourist – catering school and we were supposed to do our practice during summer. First year of high school I have been doing my practice in one hotel together with few other students from my class, and I must admit that really haven`t learn much. All employees were too busy and uninterested in teaching us, for them we were just disturbance. After that I gave up on doing summer practice. Now I am studying Tourism at Faculty of Economics and there is no practice at all. Since the system is already as it is, it is up to us to find place where we can actually do practice and gain experience. But there is another problem; schedule in college doesn`t leave us much free time. Besides that, most students have to work some sort of student work to finance their education, and that doing a practice that is not paid is not a option. The saddest thing is that everyone is aware of this problem, and no one does anything to solve it.
It is clear to see that within many universities today there are many problems, with the students being left to solve those various problems when they graduate. One of these problems is a major downfall for students, this is concerned with their ability to complete job specific tasks, a result from the amount of experience that students are provided with by their university. The students are unable to dive into the specific jobs to which they have chosen to apply for; this is a result of an unbalanced scale swaying towards theory and away from practical ability. There are many issues that needs to be addressed within the universities that will not only enable the students to walk straight into a job but will allow them to complete their tasks with confidence. This expeirence problem can easily be solved by simply introducing the students to more practical experiences and less of a theoretical focus. In conclusion I hold the view that universities focus upon theory too much and overlook the value of practical experience.
Vocational schools are very importatn for the development of individuals who are good at their jobs but unfortunately generally people don’t want to chose there for example in my country Turkey. I think ıf we care that isntutions the students who will be employed individuals will be more qualified. The school is not only to giving information. I think students can better oneself and learned something about the job that they want to do in the future. Maybe after they learn lots of things about the job they will don’t want to do that job and they will change our idea.I realized that I write my abilities and ı don’t like my department international relations but ı have to graduate.And ı blame the educanial system for that.
I think having a placement during your studies is vital. You can see the ,,real» job/s of your speciality. Often might see a dissapointment after studies, you don’t actually know what’s your work going to be like, and worse, maybe you don’t even like it after all. Having a placement is a problem in some universities in my country, but never a problem in educational studies, because It is obligatory to have a placement in some school or kindergarten during your studies.
In Estonia we also have a very interesting thing for high school students, It’s called like job shadowing day. One person takes one or two high school students with him/her at his/her working place and spend a day in this working environment. So they see all the process and can ask lot of questions. Also students can choose in which working field they’d like to go.
I think It also helps them do decide what is the field they would really like to work in the future and according to this, they go to study thing they are interested in.
Why do people go to university? Well the majority of young people go to university in order to educate themselves so that they can get a particular job. The problem with many universities is that they educate their student theoretically forgetting how important the practical side of it is, Many recent degree holders although they are very good a their prospective job theoretically, they fall on the side of practicality as it can be difficult to turn the theory they know into practice. That is why a placement year or semester is invaluable. Students need to be placed in a work environment so that they can put what they know into practice. Last semester I did just that, I was placed in a working environment which is similar to where I would like to work when I finish my degree. I found this time invaluable as I was able to use the skills I learned in university and also learn new skills that can only be learnt in the work environment as they are difficult to explain in lectures. It is also very valuable to put on your cv and becomes a valuable referee when trying to find a job in the future.
This is a good model to follow in all educational institutions if we really want learners to cope with unsuccessful classes and time problem inside the classroom and to learn on their own pace.Specially this application can help to with Down syndrome and ADHD children for learning.they have can high success with this way. I am thinking this.Because ıf we examine this children,we see their lived the dream world. Use to computer important for their the dream world.they develop themselves dream world.Furthermore this way is applied for normal children.ıt is guided to all teachers.Student’s degrees are determinited and teachers make the new learning programme for students.the lesson hasn’t boring.the knowledges has got parmanent and long-term memory is carried.As a result the educaiton system’s quality rise. I remonstrated firstly time.but ı saw that.education and technology should combine in the schools.but with new application programme.this programme should develop with teacher’s advice and should apply.and this system can universalize in the all world.
Clearly the university as an institution is not satisfying the demands of it inhabitants and society as a whole. In my opinion, the university system is reflecting its age. The Irish third level system is very backward in its teaching methods and is not meeting the demands of modernity. What good is it if a professor stands up at the top of a classroom for an hour and just reads off PowerPoint slides and the student just sits there and writes down the information? The student is only acquiring some knowledge. Also, from my experience this lecturing method is extremely boring for the student. I strongly believe that university lectures should become more interactive. This would keep both the lecturer and the students engaged. Moreover, it gives the student the opportunity to ask questions which is very beneficial. Unfortunately, we do not get the opportunity to ask questions in lectures in my own country which is an awful pity. Furthermore, I would like to see university work becoming more practical. For example, I was teaching in a school last semester but I was never actually taught how to teach which was a big disadvantage to me at the start of my teaching placement. Therefore, a lot of reforms must be undertaken if universities are to serve society in the correct manner.
University training is extremely important as it sets us up for the rest of our lives. The training and education we gain at third level prepares us for the ‘real world’ and what is to come once we graduate from university. However, I feel that the university is failing many students, as many are starting to lose patience with university learning and are becoming bored and lost during classes, although these problems can be remedied through activities which are more interactive and that they can become more involved in, as in The Khan Academy. However, as outlined in the article, there are many graduates that I know through my own experience, that have completed their university degrees and are qualified in their chosen path, but don’t actually have the practical know-how to complete the tasks given to them in their field of work. I feel that, while theory is incredibly important, more emphasis needs to be put on the practical side of the degree, for graduates to succeed.
It is clear to see that the lecturing style is out dated and not as effective as it once was. From my own university experiance in Northern Ireland the lectures consist off the lecturer standing infront of a larger number off students reading informatinoff a script. There tends to be little to no interaction with their pupils. This style of learning cam be very monotonous therefore does not stimulate the pupils academically. In St.Marys Belfast every year the university allocates their students 6 weeks placements where they go out into the working environment. This gives the student first hand experiance of what their field of work equires and how they gain valuable experiance of the job.
I do still understand the need for theory in universities but I feel that there is too much emphasis put on the theory and not enough on the pratical side of the courses. It would not benefit people to know all the thory of their job but not have the skill set to be able to apply that theory into action.
The lecture system is one that has been of the same format for a long time. With the professor standing at the top of the room and the students sitting down, either taking notes or looking to be amused by some other source. This system is dated and becoming less interesting for any student attending university but what is the alternative? How can lectures become more interesting? By changing the format and involving the students more in lectures and keeping the format exciting and interesting the students become more interacted with their professor and more interested in their subjects. When attending university it is the student who chooses what they study so therefore they should have a motivation to be active in lectures but we have to ask ourselves why is there a lack of enthusiasm among students in their lectures, is the professor’s fault, the department or is it just the system we have gotten used to and have become complacent with?
I undubitably feel that each course is varying with regard to the amount of placement included. Yes it is true that knowledge is a pivtol concept to exceed in one’s field of expertise, however experience is an invaluable source of knowledge that can only be sought by participating in placement. For example, in my course I had one semester in a school as I want to pursue a career in teaching. I obtained incredible experience there that i couldnt possibly have got without spending time within the enivornment of an actual school. Anyone can have the poteintal to know how to do something in theory, yet implementing the theory in a practical situation is entirely differnt. Thus, there should be more emphasis on the practicality of the course rather than primarily fixating courses on the theortical side of the proposed occupation. In addition to this a number of courses are not geared towards exactly what the job following it entails. Thus, courses should be more specific and practical based in order for people to be more mentally equipped for their jobs.
Yo creo que la cosa, que las universidades necesitan urgentamente es empezar a concentrarse a las objetivos más prácticas. Sí, todas las universidades tienen distintos intereses y distintos objetivos, pero eso es la cosa fundamental para aumentar el nivel de los graduados que sean admitidos a las empresas de sus formaciones. Las prácticas a veces parecen como una clase de teoría, solo se cambie la aula, pero la clase no. Los estudiantes son inundados de teoría y no tienen opción para recibir algunas experiencias, aunque estudian grados y licenciaduras muy prácticas. Hay que coordinan más con las empresas y la gente que tienen las experiencias prácticas durante de los estudios para estar admitido al trabajo después lo más pronto posible.
The most important thing in education on every level and everywhere in the world is practice. My friends from the university very often complain about lack of practice exercises. Especially in fields such as biology, chemistry or medicine, but also in primary education it should be a rule. Of course knowledge is also very important but not as important as practice. Because one thing is to know how to do something and other is ability to realize it.
This is very important thing for our future. When we will be taking up the job, in most of companies, management will demand besides knowledge especially experience. That is why there are a lot of training courses before beginning of work. And it’s very good.
I like the idea which was shown in the film about future learning, big classroom and children working in their own pace on things which they like, in which are interested in and most of all are good at.
In Hungary I’m studying tourism and in my oppinion for this faculty we would need almost only practical classes, because the theoritical ones are most important if you are studying e.g. philosophy or business studies. I do not have that much practical lessons and because of this I don’t feel that I will be able to be successful in my career. First I will have to get experiences, which I could get durin my studies if the system of the school would be better. I have some practical lessons like cooking, coctail making, but if I want to be professional and succesful enough then I can see that I would need much more of them. As we could hear on the video on the theoratical lessons the students are usually sleeping and feeling sorry for th «poor» techer who has to speak so long. I don’t say that these lessons are unuseful, but if we would have more practical exercises everybody would concentrate more and they would enjoy the lessons. Moreover we could get more experiences, so it would be much more useful.
Schools in each country has same problems,in my country too we don’t have so many vocational colleges for example even if engineering is theoretical in many of schools. There is so much theoretical knowledge in schools but they don’t give important practical skills; Both theoretical and practical knowledge are very important. We are learning so many things but we will not use these in our career,job market and our whole life. But I accept some of deparments are completely theoretical like literature,history etc. thereofore in my opinion we should have separate schools that give practical and theoretical informations. On the other hand Schools should have new curriculums and they have to change it according to new labor markets.
I think that the university should, regardless of the field of study, equip graduates for a really important skills: project management, rapid adaptation to news in the world, self-confidence and self-esteem, creativity, entrepreneurship and working in groups. Unfortunately, nowadays in university student learn only theory without practice, which for me is the most important. Because the theory is worthless if you do not know how to use it in our life, work, etc. That is why it should be changed. Instead of theoretical exams, which mainly check the level of knowledge of students, we should change them in the practical exams. Then the students will have to understand what they are learning, to use, interpret the information, instead of memorizing the definitions, which after the exam are quickly forgotten. Because of it I think, that this will be the best way to prepare students for their future careers.
During my studies at university I really wished to have the possibility to learn more about the practice. I studied “Social pedagogy” and learned a lot about the history of pedagogy, I studied definitions and cited educationalists and philosophers – so I learned everything about the theory. But I think for this study it’s very important to get a practical knowledge. This is why I made the decision to aquire the practical knowledge on my own. Beside my studies I did several internships and worked in different fields of social work. So I could find out what exactly I’m interested in and I could also get in contact with different social organizations, which is always good for getting a job after graduating. I’m very proud that I did this, although it was not an easy going time for me, because working and studying at the same time was a huge stress for me. This is why I really wished that my studies should have contained practical parts, because in fact for my future job I’ve learned more at my practical work than in the theoretical studies at university.
Sal Khan’s idea of new classroom organization and teaching children is interesting and creates a completely new picture of education at school. Nowadays, teachers are not only broadcaster of knowledge but also listener, mentor, mediator, consoler, educator, … The teaching profession is a very diversified and versatile one. Everyday life at school charges routine but also alternation. Children need structures but also freedom. Open methods of education are very proper for this requirements because there the children can be more creative, they learn to organize time and exercises, they are able to decide on theirselves what they are going to learn next. I’ve been to a class in Austria where the teacher handled her lessons in that way – and it worked perfectly. Every child had something to do, some of them were faster, some of them slower; but everybody worked and learned. The teacher has become an observer and adviser too.
When one acquires a practical skill, one learns how to do something. But when one acquires knowledge of a scientific proposition, that too is an instance of learning. Perhaps one way to distinguish practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge is by talking. When we acquire knowledge of how to do something, we may not be able to express our knowledge in words. But when we acquire knowledge of a truth, we are able to express this knowledge in words.
I think it isn’t enough to do a job not only theoretical knowledge, practical information too. For example make a cook.Somebody can know how make a cook with theoretical knowledge but it isn’t enough for a cook. That person should know how does it on practical knowledge.In my opinion the universities should combine that theoretical and practical.Just theoretical knowledge remains incomplete,because people learn by living at the same time.So for me Bologna Process is a good Project at this stage.
Before I started to attend university I had heard from everybody that the only one thing that I will do at university will be just memorizing whole books and all the notes which I will forget after the exam. That the university is not preparing their students for their future career anymore. I do not know if I am just lucky or the reason is the type of my studies but I have to reveal that from the first grade I have also practical parts where I have already learnt enough to understand what will I do (and how to do it) in my life after I finish my studies. I am studying foreign languages at the department of pedagogy to become a teacher. I already had practice at primary school, then at the high school and when I come back from Spain I will have another part. I can not forget to mention also one professor who taught us the most during our didactic subject where instead of boring talking and explaining some theories gave us instructions and every week one student had to prepare the lesson and explain us new topic while the professor was sitting in the first row and after the lesson he explained where the student did a mistake, what he/she should be beware of or to avoid of. And this really helped me during my part-time job here in Corrales where I was teaching children. But due to my friends who are studying law/ business/ economic ..etc I know that they do not have any practical parts, just theory which is not enough to be prepared for their future jobs.
I think the students often complain about university: It is only theoretical and the knowledge of the professors is decades old. They say that the courses only prepare them for a career in the university.
But what is the alternative? A few years ago the companies invented the “dual studies”, a education which is very practical and connected to a training in a company as well. A time ago I thought that is the perfect solution for the problem of the theoretical university. But then a friend of me, who has studied in a dual program, told me that he is not enthusiastic about his education anymore.
Why?
He explained me that his program was practical, he earned money and the education fitted to his workplace in the company. After three years he was well prepared for his special job, but he did not have flexible knowledge about his whole field. That is the problem of dual studies. A more theoretical university education has problems but there are good things, too.
I think it’s really important to have some practices during our studies because theory is good but it doesn’t prepare entirely to face the «real world». I mean, I think that theory can never fully explain what a profession is all about. That’s why it is important to have some professional experiences in order to know a little bit more about professional life and it’s also a good way to know if it’s really what we want to do as a future job or not. I am studying languages applied to business and this year, i will have an internship in a bank. And even if , the last 3 years, i have studied accountancy, marketing and economics, i feel really scared about this internship because i have the feeling that i won’t be able to put all the things i learned into practice. But my course supervisor told me that it is precisely the purpose of a work experience to learn you things and she said that in 2 months of work i will have the feeling to have learned more than in 3 years of studies. I’ll see…
You just reminded me professor, that we should do from practise to theory and back to practise. I know that young people usually dont have a lot of practical experiences and I do agree that the school system can be improved. Anyway I would also add that a lot of young people doesnt have the right interest in the field of study that they choose. They start to worry about their experiences right before the bachlevar because they know that they will soon go to the job. Study usually takes 3 years and during this time nobody cares about practical work, volunteering, extra work or courses, they dont show any iniciative. I think that it is hard to provide even more of practical work (at least in terms of our faculties) and I think that also theory is important so finnaly I think that we should influence of students additute and motivation and sense.
I am from Croatia, and I study tourism at the University of Economics. I also finished Tourism and Catering high school, so tourism is something that I am really interested in. But I believe that the biggest problem in schools and universities nowadays is that there are no practical parts in any study. When I was in high school, that was not such a big problem because I only started to learn about some specific field and I needed theoretical knowledge about it. But after four years of learning only theory I really started to get bored and uninteresting. So when I came to university I thought that it will change, I was thinking like that is university it must be some practical parts, it must be something were I will be able to apply everything that I have learned in theory. But it was not, so I am really starting to feel like I have not learned anything and all of that books we had to learn are meaningless now. I think that this is the biggest problem with a majority of universities and that students do not feel ready for labor market. After so many year of education and learning, when you come to a workplace half of the people if not more are starting to learn from the beginning and it takes a few months to learn everything. I am not saying that theoretical knowledge is not important, of course it is, but only if it is fallowed by practice. I believe that students and also teacher would be more satisfied when the things they learn/teach could be used in real situations and in real life.
I studied economics in the best university in germany. I changed my subject and the university because I felt like brain washed and prepared to be a puppet on the futures labour market. When the big bank crisis occured in 2007 I did’t heard a really critical word of nobody in class, neather from the profesors nor from the students.
I feel that university is heading in the wrong direction. I think university is not really longer a place where people who are interested in things can develope their interests and knowledge but it is like a fabric. You have to terminate as fast as posible your study, you have to do internships because the future employer presumes it, you have to design your curriculum vitae to get a job. And the horrible thing is that I know a lot of students who want to fit in this crazy schedule. Once I participated in an obligatory course about making screenplays where you got a mark in the end which didn’t count for your final grade of Bachelor. One sentence of a group-member shocked me instantly: «We don’t have to make it good because the mark doesn’t count anyway!» I think the mark is not only the priority, if you have fun and can learn something the mark doesn’t matter really.. but that I think is also the problem. A lot of students themselves like university to be like that. So I think it is also a problem of society and students themselves. I want to excuse to all students who aren’t like that, I know there are also a lot of students which are very interested for the content of the study itself but in my personal opinion too many people are victims of this sometimes puppet-creating society.
Now I can say that I have a good situation with my studies because I have both theoretical and practical parts in my studies. During my studies I have done four practices. I feel that I have learnt most in work practices. But I cannot say that theoretical studies have been useless because they have given me more information about the backgrounds of the practical things. For example quite often there have been in a situation that we have discussed about some topics in theoretical classes and after that I have noticed those things in work practice. So my opinion is that we need those both sides of the studies but we should add practical studies because those courses will help students to see what kind of work they could do in the future.
I study teacher of art, and of course I have subjects about pedagogy and psychology. but in fact teachers more care about art subjects. It is great that I know how to make a sculpture, paint, and other figure but do not know how to teach someone. I do not know how I should proceed if I started working as a teacher. for exaple in pedagogy we lear about history of education but in reality nothing useful. I have no idea what I’ll do after this school and if I ever finish it. I do not know if I’m wasting time here when teacher made me do that. I think they should cancel the unnecessary items and start to teach us because of what we chose this school. how to be a teacher
In the Czech Republic I am currently an university student and my field of study is public administration and regional development. In the high school I studied public administration as well. I have to admit that I learned there more in comparison to the university. The reason why I learned more at the highschool is that we were studying practical things. The other point is that we had the same subject called public administration during whole 4 years and this enabled us to study it properly and in depth. While at the university the subjects are changing every semester. Additionally, we are mostly focused on business subjects such as macroeconomy, microeconomy, accounting, statistics, etc. To be honest, my expectations regarding the university were different and quite higher. I expected to be taught more about the subjects related to my main field of study and that it will prepare me more for my future job.
I’m studying economics and that what I miss during my lectures and lessons is practice. The whole study is about theory. I’m sure that not all the professors would be able to do in practice that they are teaching. Unfortunately sometimes it can be the majority. But these people should not be there.
On the other side for example we have got professors that are able to explain all the problematics from theoretic view as well as the practic side. Unhappily those are very often oppressed by the others due to their favour and popularity among students and because of the good results of their students during the exams.
There were a lot of changes at university programs and reforms but I think a lot of them have been pointless. Let’s talk about Bologna process-the largest university reform in recent time. In Slovenia was accepted four years ago (in some faculty before). I was the first who fell in Bologna process at Primary education. So, what good things it bring to us? Nothing. They supposed to reduce programs and maybe at some programs they did, but not at mine. I have to study four years and then I will have a diploma. After diploma I am absolutely nothing – I am not certificated for any job. I have to take master (one year more) to become a teacher in primary school. Before it was unnecessary to do a master, you finished school and got a job in four years. Everything will be ok even they extended our program, if it will bring any improvements, but first two years in faculty we had really pointless subject. We were learning the same things we did in secondary school.
I am studying to be a teacher in primary school. First two years of my studies the subjects were mostly useless. We learned the same things we have already been taught in high school. Fortunately we had also few weeks of practice. Otherwise I think many people will give up, because it was really boring and not connected with our future job. After first two years we started to have subjects that really gave us knowledge we could use in the class. For me I can say it was much easier to do these subjects, they were interesting for me and I had more motivation to learn, because I knew I could use this knowledge in my job.
Sorry, I made a mistake. This comment don’t belong here.
Work as a teacher is the most beautiful job in the world but is also very responsible because you have very big influence on children in early stage. Why some countries have better education system than others? There is also the reason in good teachers. I agree with all things they said in this video, but I personally think that the main reason is in that you want to be a teacher, you love this job and you put your best in it. I saw in my university that there are some people who do not really want to become a teacher and they are just there because they didn’t know where to go or this was the easiest way to go on university. And then we have question why our teachers are not so good?!
I think that the main problem is that the program is not being adjusted and it needs to be. Nowadays we have more tools and resources to make lessons interesting and to actually teach these kids something. I’m just talking from my and my friends experience , but when we had been in high school the lessons were so boring and the informations given to us didn’t seem useful at all. Iif teachers could maybe find more interesting ways to show us things we would want to learn them. I think that there should be more practices and experiments which can show students that science is really amazing and if you just look close to it you would be surprised how much you actually like it.
School sistems now days are really funny. In Slovenia I’m studing tourism and I have a lot of subjects and they are quite interesting. But the thing is that I also have some projects that I don’t know why are we talking about it. Ok I’m studing tourism and I have to know about everything. But still it’s alittle bit funny and that’s not the only problem. I also see a problem with Bologna system because in this system you don’t have time to thing about your future. So in the end you graduated you have your diploma and what then you have to find some job and their is no job that you’re interested in and even if you find it you’ll be quickly on the street because of crisis and high competition….I really hope and I know that tthe times are going to be better but now days we just have to study hard that we’ll have good education.
I am studying education to become a pre-primary and primary school teacher. I have had some subjects that I haven’t found importance in my future life or dealing with my profession, but generally I am satisfied with my program. In my university theory is alternated with practice. Every year we need to find a place (or if we can’t, school helps to do that) where we can do our practical work. When I started my studies, I was not sure if it’s really what I want, but when I went to my first practice, when I really worked with children, it convinced me that am in the right place. After a while I even started to work in one of the pre-primary school. It helped a lot in my studies, I understood more of that theory what teachers gave to us, I could do experiments – if really that what teacher told to us work in real life. This is a good example that practical work displays the true nature of the profession. I can be happy that I have had such an opportunity.
I think that in Poland, where I come from university education system is not very well thought out. I can not understand why I have on my field of study lectures, which I have nothing to do with it. The truth is that I have to learn things that I did not useful in my education. The funny thing is that even some professors are forgiven our exams, they give credit to the presence of the credits,. Unfortunately, since it does not depend on them, it looks like the education system, but you will find that they also do not like it. In general, I think it’s hard to choose a good college nowadays, they are most often associated with mathematics studies, that many people simply do not understand and do not like. The truth is that it is now hard to find a job, even though you have a higher education.
In Czech Republic there is also crisis in eduucation. There are too many people who have graduation but they do not have job. Most of students go to university because of gtaduatioon to get better job in the future but the difference between graduations is reducing. There is no certainity that you will get the job if you studied at university. Many students do not know what they want to do in their jobs,schools should provide some kind of sessions or work shops with individual study programme. Students can try what programme amounts,maybe it helps to them to decide what to study. In addition,every studying programme should consist some practical period e.g. in schools,companies or office because practice is really missing in education and theory can be forget very easily.
Since the Bologna system was introduced students need to decide very fast what they want to do, after school they have to decide what they are going to study and then they have to finish their study within a lmited time. But how do you know after school exactly what you want to do afterwards? How so you know what you want to do your whole life? Before i started my study i did 2 years social work. After that my mind was clear and i knew what i wanted to do. I think the more pressure there is to decide whats right for you and whats wrong and what you want to do your whole life the more you decide wrong. I dont say that there should be no pressure but there should be some time where you can discouver yourself and decide what you want to do.
I think this is a big problem for a lot of students, in my university in Sweden the teachers walk in to a big class of 50-100 people, have a 3 hours lecture, and then expect us to remember everything and really learn. Some of my teachers themselves have said that no one can listen Carefully to a person talking in more than 10 minutes and not get distracted after a while with out moving or doing something else for a little while and then listen again. We do teacher practices every semester in the teacher education course which is 3 and a half years long. But still like Fredrika said before, i probably wont remember everything i learned about math for two years ago when i need to start working as a teacher.
After i finished school i didn’t really know what I want to study or what I want to do in my life. Before my teaching career I studied economics. But after a couple month I realized that it wasn’t the carrier I wanted to go for my lifetime. I would have been lucky If we had have something like a ,,orientation week». I mean to go to university for one week during you have school. For getting to know the university system and the future subject. Now I’m studying teaching and I really love it.
To avoid such fail decisions it is very important to give students a chance to have a look in a new study field or work field. In the school I teach we have for example the ,,girls day». There girls can have a closer look in technical careers. http://www.girls-day.de/
And of course also the university must remain in contact with the ‘real’ world and provide courses that can be applied to ‘real’ world problems. For example many situations in school thy happened for me as a future teacher and I don’t know how to react and how to handle the whole situation. I wasn’t prepared for it cause mostly we learn theoretical stuff which is also very important but the practical part should be teached more.
University’s continually fails out of my perspective for a few reasons that are mentioned in this article. Most important factor is that University’s stick to their program and focus to less on preparing their students for working in the field. University paralyzes its student by theorizing theory instead of giving their students a chance of learning in a possible future work surrounding. Students don’t know their profession until they are making work experiences after graduating.
Most important lack furthermore of University education is the blind eye for developing social and communication skills. Students work most of the time alone on their exercises and papers, never learned to work in groups. Students coming from University have the theoretical knowledge to succeed in real life but do not have the capacity to transfer this knowledge to practical situacions.
I completely agree with Nicolay Stokvold’s comment he wrote, I have exatcly the same situation now, I will finish my studies this year, and I don’t have any intership afterwards, so for me it’s also a little bit vague, how things is going to work out for me after my study period. I practically don’t remember anything from my first year of university, for me the most important thing at that time was to get the best grades, and for exam I just memorized everything I needed, and afterwards forgot all of it. Of course, now I think different, grades are not concerning me as much as they did in the past, the most important is what have you learned, and I think everybody thinks more or less the same. Now I know that theory without a practice is nothing. I also remember that some of my Erasmus friends told me that they have learned spanish in their home university, but since they didn’t had any practice, they forgot everything.
As a prospective science teacher, I had taken so much theoritical lessons in my university. It is my last year and I learned Ausubel´s theory, Gagne´s nine steps of instructional design, Vygotsky, Piaget, Skinner and so on but none of them gave me as much experience as I gained while I was giving special classes. I noticed that what I learned in the university is not so useful in real life. Without doing internship or experiencing, it is almost impossible to do that job well. While I was reading the article, the film called «3 Idiots» came to my mind. In this regard, this film explains the situation very well because the idea that «students should feel free what s/he wants to do and should experience it addition to the theoritical part» is advocated in the film and I totally agree this idea.
I think we have this problem for many reasons. I am studying to become a teacher in Swedish and in special education. My education is 4 and a half year. I have now been studying in 3 and a half year. I think this is a very long period of studying and with alot of different knowledge to learn. The last time I read swedish was two years ago which means for me that I don’t remember much of it. I am becoming a swedish teacher next year and I don’t remember the things I have learnt about swedish in university. Before I start work I will have alot to study one more time. I am actually a little bit afraid that I will start work as a teacher and don’t have knowledge enough. I am not blaming the teachers on my university, I am not blaming the curriculum and I am not blaming my self for this but I think that all of it has something to do with that I don’t feel confident enough and that I aint more proud of my self that I soon is a teacher.
I am studying economics, and during my studies I have no such thing as an internship or any practice. It is quite frustrating because in school we only learn theories, it fits well with the cenarios you described.. We dont study in a way that prepares us for the labour market very good, alot of people I have talked to say they dont use anything of what they learned during a five year mastersdegree, but they use the «frames». So even though I dont feel very ready for a job, i am still learning alot. How to work around problems, writing, dealing with numbers, laws, economic theories that i can compare to practice.. I agree that learning becomes much easier if you are interested, but i dont expect to be interested or find everything we learn to be funny, it would be great if everything was really interesting though!!
Personally, I can understand this situation very well, as it is one of the major problems of my university in Athens. Students finish the university of Pedagogics without having almost any idea of how is the teacher`s proffesion in real life. There is the phenomenon of students going for the first time to a class for practice at the fourth year of their studies and start crying as they are not able to handle children.
It shouldn’t be a fact that young people will learn their job when they start working. In my opinion, every university should give many chances to the students to practice a lot before and after graduation, so that they be able to act effectively under the real circumstances of working.
When I read this article I saw that there is a real problem of the universities and there is a serious need to innovate current university education system all over the Europe, may be all over the world. The problem is all the same;students need more and more practice on their areas. And this problem is also a current reality of Turkey,too.In my opinion, seperation of theory and practice is nonsense and also absurd. Who found this system and why do people still insist on going on like this? What is the mentality of giving so much theoretical knowledge and taking back practice on the second part? I do not understand. There is a word which is known by many people »practice makes perfect».However,when students graduate they are like »half » and they usually compensate this deficiency by practicing in the professional area. Isn’t it a time consuming? Time is very precious in this tech age and as »half people » students need 1 or 2 years to get the other »half » and complete themselves. To me, to overcome this problem,universities should become professional vocational institutions where people get theory and practice at the same time. Also, these institutions should have strong ties with professional market to produce appropriate and quality workers.Students should be fully ready for their areas after graduation. For me, practice is always precious than theory.I think that one hour of practice is approximately equal with five hours of class work full of theories.As a last word, changing university education systen is not a hard job. System makers who are mostly politicians just need to understand the problem and need to be decided to solve this problem. They should give up putting off youth and find a way that is reasonable and which satisfies youth in terms of togetherness of theory and practice.
For me the universities have big problems with keep up with the times. the first is that they dont know whats happening in labor market, what’s kind of professions are needed, and what kind of qualifications graduates should have. they teach in old way, which are not using in companies any more. Companies dont want employ fresh graduates because they have to teach them everything. its almost any connection between universities and real world and needs. off course its depend about faculty and attitude professors but its quite common that they stopped in some moment and dont widen their knowledge about news.
The education system has many flaws and it has to be reformed to give students really beneficial knowlegde which they would use later. Because nowadays some students choose to study not in the university but in vacational school after their graduation at school. The reason for this is that in universities students get more theoretical knowledge about the subject they are studying than practical. And when they get a job they have to learn how to accomplish it again. And it is not so frequent that after graduating university students know how to do all the things for their job. Because in universities they don‘t get enough practice how to do what they are learning in real life. And there is almost no freedom to choose the subjects that are really interesting for students. They have to learn what is written in the program of study.
For this article is very good expression:”Better to see once than to hear a hundred times”. Firstly to understand how to do one or another thing and after that following by this theory to make something real or to find out how does it work practically. This is the best way and the most valuable way to introduce the chosen subjects of students in institution of education. All professors can talk for hours but it is not the same as see it in practical case. For example, I remember much more when I search, try to understand by myself but not when all material is in front of my face. In this case you are under the necessity to think and it’s good. It’s hard to say if the universities have to give the students more practice, I mean the practice in enterprise or something like this. I think for more practice people should go to college because in my country in this kind of institutions the students have more practice than in universities.
In my opinion, no the University of and no book can not teach as practice. Similarly to driving a car with science takes a few months, but it’s a lifetime person learns how to ride and did not really know what we will meet. If the choose the college that you want to learn something.
A teaching program is not appropriate enough to acquire adequate student store of knowledge.
The practice is appropriate, in this time, the student gains the most of knowledge. Do not spend time to listen to the lectures where the teacher has to at this time to say. Experience is the is usually required from people who want to find a job, and it’s hard to get if science is conducted in terms of learning theory.
mi opinión es que en las universidades (hablo de Italia) hay demasiados programas teóricos.
años de estudios teóricos sobre diversos temas sólo llevar al estudiante al final de su carrera, para estar en el mundo del trabajo sin poder hacerlo. La solución parece simple para mí Parera: una introducción práctica a cada curso. la teoría es muy importante y es la base desde la que aprender un oficio, sino truco que no es suficiente. que suddivedere años de estudio en 2 partes: la primera parte donde usted va a aprender la teoría y la segunda parte en la que está trabajando codo a codo con los profesionales del comercio. de esta manera se puede llevar la teoría aprendida en la vida real. en Italia este tipo de estructura de aprendizaje está presente sólo en las profesiones de la salud. en mi opinión implementador se extenderá a todo tipo de profesiones.
Many studies show that vocational and higher education programs are often seen as being inadequate labor market. As one of the main employers in notes lack of practical skills in their specialty. Workers most necessary competence assessment, employers are motivated to work, communication skills and professionalism. This confirms the fact that the Latvian educational institutions provide insufficient professional skills, particularly practical skills.
Vocational and higher education system in the country is too regulated and bureaucratic. Educational standards set programming interest is not scientifically proven, but professional standards requirements for implementation of education programs are of secondary importance to promote vocational and higher education mismatches. Unfortunately, educational institutions and employers is not sufficient, quality of practice and conduct compliance training program requirements is not ensured. This increases the vocational education mismatches.
New technologies require more and more performers intelligence, and vocational secondary education programs greatly reduced the amount of general subjects – the sciences, and humanities subjects. This could be one of the factors that reduce secondary vocational education graduates in the labor market, as well as continuing education aspect.
The transition to lifelong learning, which means the return of multiple education system, giving up only one life devoted to education would mean all the educational and scientific use of the material changes. Bologna process and other initiatives in education points to a new educational and scientific explanation of its use, the educational progress of science and new
points of contact with other sciences. Only continuous cooperation between the education system and the labor market can provide education to the labor market. Compliance can provide a system in which the free education program includes the associated skills development and exchange opportunities for lifelong learning.
I am studying Physical Education in Poland. I’m not entirely happy with the education system in my university. We learn many theories, however, as is well known, the theory and its application in practice are different. Is required from us is also often the things that we think we are not at a later time to do anything useful so quickly forget about it, the principle of 3 Z (in Polish: zakuć, zaliczyć, zapomnieć): learn, pass and forget it. When it comes to practice at my direction, I’m also not happy with them because it is only a few hours in a primary school and a few in high school. Not to mention the internship, for which we have little chance. How do we learn to work with children do not have contact with them? For me teaching profession should focus on learning the basics and learning how to teach it to others, in addition to lots and lots of practice, practice man learns the most.
The education system need to be reformed, I mean they need radical changes. These methodes that we are used to everyday, are more than a century old. We are in 2012 and soon 2013,
the system needs changes, and it should happen soon. We learne too much theoretical and none praxis. These days we the students suppose to choose what we want to learne and how, but that freedom is taken from us. We are forced to do stuff that we don’t finde interesting.
And that takes away the motivatione and energy from us when we want to learne.
I would not ask for too much change though, just that we students needs to be prepared on how really is it out there in reality not theoriticaly.
My opinion is also based on Sal Khan video, I would also recommend everyone to watch his lecture at MIT about »Rethinking education»: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9JCpMCQ5qM.
You’ll have more involvement if you study what you want to learn, and are interested in. One the biggest problem nowdays is that almost 60% of what we learn at universities is useless when you go out into the »job-jungle». I mean, knowledge you’ve in 3-5 years is useless when you’ve to solve a practical case which is totally different to what you’ve learned at uni. This is because at uni you will learn what you’re suppose to learn & and is required, nothing more or less. Universities must change their approach, and should atleast have 1 year of exchange in a firm so the student can use his knowledge to learn & master what he/ she is suppose to work with.
One of the biggest concerns is that instead of helping students who struggle, professors will jump to next chapter without helping him/ her out. If student do not understand the basics, how can you expect him/ her to understand or do a better job with next exercise/ chapter.
My personal opinion is that all the theory you are learning at University can never prepare you for the «real world». In Germany, I only have to study theoretical foundations of my subjects, but not really much about how to become a teacher in these subjects (and if I have some classes with these topics they are also too theoretical). No wonder there are so many teachers who are overextended with their students – they might be very competent in their subjects, but most of them don’t know how to deal with teenagers. It is necessary that the content in Universities becomes more practical, we need to practise more about what will expect us in schools, more pedagogy and not only boring theories that no one can apply, because they are too abstract.
Educational institutions give bigger impotance on the theoretical education in most cases. School systems should be theoretically targeted at primary school, and then only at high schools, I think. Other secondary schools should educate the students already in practical skills and slowly prepare them for future employment. But we know that it is not working so. At vocational secondary schools we can not find the practical education too. The situation is the same at universities, which should produce nearly finished employees ready to be fully-fledged staff. Although there is a conditions during the study, everyone has to do some practise. Unfortunately, the number of hours of work in the field is not sufficient and most students have just the confirmation from someone familiar. So this system is not working right.
The employers ask for a person who is young, well-educated and have work experience. These three factors are necessary to get a job within your industry. The problem is just that these three factors can be hard to combine because if you are well-educated and have work experience, you´re probably not that young. If you are young you´re probably not well-educated and have work experience, or in that case you are young and have work experience you may probably not be well-educated. I have a friend that last summer finished his master in economics. His just turning 30 years old, and guess what? He´s too old right now to fighting for a job on the market. I just mean, he have at least between 30-40 years to build a career in his profession. But during this circumstances with a global crisis it´s unfortunately like this for new exam students.
As already mentioned is a major problem of college students is find job. Each year graduate many students who have almost zero experience with job in their fiel. Although employers are often looking for collegestudents, who just graduate normally require a minimum of 2 years experience. Colleges with us in the Czech Republic is usually for 5 years, after which the student receives three years bachelor’s degree and two years as master’s degree. Study is changing at least. To students is presented literature, which has over the years basically unchanged.
As a solution to the above problem, I suggested that the master’s degree was taught by people from practice, who has the experiens with the subject and it would be more focus to practical.
On the one hand the Theoretical part of studying a profession is extremely important since somebody learns the basic applications of the job. However on the other hand the Practical part is just as necessary. Because this way the participant knows what to do in specific circumstances and gets the chance to taste the practice of the profession! In Greece lawyers are obliged to practice for six months. In the UK I have to do placement, which involves working in a company since i study Business and practice for 3 weeks. The same could be done in tasks. Hypothetical situations from each profession , needing students to write in an essay the way they would do deal with a matter. Because there are people who prefer more the practical part, like me, they should be given the opportunity to practice more that area, since in reality it is what one is going to be working as.
I think that theory can never fully explain what a profession is all about. The theory could only describe the theoretical parts in the profession but usually there are much more too it, things that you only can learn by practical experience. That is why I think it is important with practical experiences during your education so that you can be sure that it is a profession for you. Since the grades is all that counts when it comes to get accepted into programs we have a big issue because not everyone is made for studying. Some have an aptitude for certain jobs but do not have the grades to get into the program while others have the grades but do not have the talent. Which makes me wonder if we have the right tools when we evaluate who gets in to certain programs? The grades are sometimes deceptive since they do not show your actual practical skills, what can we do about that?
I believe that it has already been mention that we basically don’t know what waiting around the corner regarding education is. But it is good that it has been acknowledge. I think that it should be obligatory to have practice when you are educating yourself in a specific profession. With that you can get an insight on the profession and what it is about. First of all you will get a chance to see if you really like the profession that you have chosen. Second you will get the chance to combine the theoretic part with the practical part. In that way you can resolve real problems and see the problematical issues that come with that profession. At my home university (Gothenburg) we have both theory and practice. This means that the theory will be combining with the practice and I will have the chance to see it in a realistic environment with real people and real problems and challenges.
I think that the Bologna-Process and the increasing influence of business companies at the universities, are opposed to the ideas of a future learning, that are promoted in the video. The task of a university is not only to generate professionals suited for companies, but to generate knowledge and enable people to think in a critical way. This last point can only be suggested if the universities refuse to see themselfs in the capitalistic way as economically orientated knowledge companies, and enable the students to take their own decisions.
The point of practice orientation of academic learning depends, i guess, on the subject. When i study social work, for example, practice orientation is very important. But for a student of philosophy it will be very different. For them there is no difference between theory and practice, because their practice is generating or reviewing theory.
Universities in our country are based mainly on theory. In our school we have to fulfill for the entire bachelor’s degree only monthly practice, it´s not much. On the other side has each student the choice to find practise on their own initiative, because students have enough free time. I’m glad when we have the teachers who have practice and experience in subject, which they teach us. The subject is much more interesting for me when I can connect teorie with practice. The greatest paradox of modern times is that employers want to hire graduates with experience, but universities don´t allow students during their studies to gain practical experience. In this time know it everyone, thatś why students should try to provide practice for themselves.
I find the ideas that are proposed in the movie very interesting. The concept of giving the students more freedom is absolutely brilliant whereas this will help the students find their creativity at best. I believe that the teachers have to be careful so that they do not think within certain frames that restrict them. Therefore, I agree with him regarding the fact of making more projects, and if some students want to build a robot, let them do so since it does not necessarily mean that they will miss out on classes. This way of learning will also reduce the hours of theory learning in class, Insead it should be encouraged to practice the theories in order to make them more interesting. The problem of having to little practical experience is following the students their whole education, therfefore, the practical experience should be introduced in early years and then later on with internships and similar job opportunities. If the students are allowed to gain practical experience both within the universities thus in different companies, their chances of finding a job after university or even before university ends increases.
In Slovakia, there are many students, who have so many theoretical knowledge and when they begin working, they are lost. I think, in my country it´s really big problem. People with titles start to working and they are totally out of space, they don’t know how to solve many problems, they haven´t self – confidence and so on.. I think we really need more practice in our field of study. It´s impossible to compare knowledge of the books with real life and in my opinion the school has to prepare us for job, so how is it possible? Of course, when we begin to work, many situations can surprise us, but still we have to be competent in our field. It´s also usual, that people, who didn’t study in university, they are more competent for job in some field like people with title.
But also I have like absolvent really big problem to find a job, ´cause all of my potential employers ask me for my work experience. How can I have it? Where can I get it, if they don’t want to give me a possibility for that? It´s like vicious circle.
I think that it is important to get praxis in your future profession, but nowadays with the introduction of the bachelor degree the students will be compelled to study quickly. Often they can not apply the learned knowledge correctly, because in one semester they must graduate too much courses. I’m of the opinion that the alignment of curriculum must change. For example here in the university of huelva there are different types of learning. We do a lot of group work, watching movies or working at home. In my home university the professors use mostly the same methods, presenation and assignments. We must complete an internship for 6 weeks.
That is not really long. But what can we do? We could make an internship in our free time or in the summer holidays, but the most companies in germany want a trainees with the minimum time of three months. That is a cycle.
I think it always depends on how each school teaches. Some schools teach more theory than practice. And today is quite meaningless, because if a person applies for a job the employer almost always requires previous experience. I can judge by myself. Whenever I’m looking for work, the employer is always asked me whether I worked in the field. Sometimes it’s hard to say no, because when you graduated, it is logical that you have no experience. And almost always the employer will prefer a man with experience. Especially following in times of crisis. I think that it should be on every school to teach the theory and practice evenly. But it is not so. Finally, many people make in life something else entirely graduated from. Is also a major concern that today are not very well paid manual work. Therefore, many people are studying high school, but ultimately not where applicable.
I agree with the message of the video that you must have something you´re intrested in to be able to really learn the answer. I liked the idea with his homepage were you can pick what you want to learn in the very moment you are in. That is a very creative an good way of learning i think. Because you always wants to learn and now you can pick what suits you this very day. I also think its of great importance to do practical studies in al educations. Its on the field you really learn and get a grip on how your work life will look like. You must test the theory you learn in school in real life. And today almost every employer wants you to have previous work experiece.
Estoy estudiando en Eslovenia y tenemos el sistema Bolonia. En nuestra faculdad tenemos mas las prácticas y el trabajo independiente que estar en Universidad. Gracias a Dios tenemos suficiente prácticas. Estoy estudiando trabajo social y veo que la práctica es diferente de lo que aprendí en la universidad. La práctica es importante para ver que la vida real no es como es escrito en los libros. Por supuesto la teoría es antes de todo lo que tenemos que saber antes de ir al campo. Es importante conocer la teoría y sabe cómo utilizar en la práctica. Esto debe ser complementado. He oído de otros estudiantes sobre la manera de tener un poco de práctica durante el estudio. El problema surge cuando se gradúe de la escuela y no saben utilizar la teoría en la práctica.
I am studying Social Work and I had to complete a five months internship. I think I’ve learned in this five months more than in one and a half year before in university. But on the other hand a good theoritical education before is indispensable to be good in practice. So it is a interplay.
It would be desirable to assemble more internships into the university curriculums. Even more, many students first notice that they choose the wrong subject of study, when they work the first time in their future job. Maybe it is their own fault, but you could avoid this, if there are more internships are stipulated during academic studies.
You can read and see how to solve a problem or to handle something, but this can not and will not replace an own action.
When we go to school, it’s because we want to become somebody. We want to be educated so that we can do the job we want to do later in life. Sadly, alot of students give up their studies, because it is not interesting enough, it’s not what they thought it would be, …. Nowadays, when you want to become for example a social worker, you have to learn more things than only about the work itself. You also need the knowledge of politics, economy, history, law, … From the moment we have to learn these things, we often think ‘hey i didn’t want to do this when I chose this study’, and then we quit, and search for something else. Ok I also think that a lot of studies could be made more interesting, and more focussed on the practice of the job itself, but on the other hand, I also think that it’s not possible to give every student the exact thing they want. because sometimes, you have to learn about the basics, before you can understand the next.
Some people argue that theoretical knowledge shouldnt be taught in colleges; instead practical training should become the principal purpose of education. On the one hand, the reason is that increasing number of young graduates cannot find jobs because universities spend too much attention to students’ theoretical education, rather than practical work skills. As a result of this, it is not surprising to see that what young students have learnt in their higher education is not likely to satisfy the requirements of business. Another contributing factor is that young people lack social communication expereince. Students have no chance to develop their skills in terms of speaking and cooperating with others. Therefore, young graduates are less competent to compete with other candidates.
On the other hand, I do not think that turning universities into practical training schools is an appropriate solution. If a student wants to learn only work skills, he can attend vocational schools, in which he not only can receive professional training, but also is more likely to have chances to practice. In addition, theoretical knowledge benefits the students who plan to be experts in specific areas. Thus, without sufficient academic background, it is impossible for students to research something deeply, which will endanger balanced development among different fields.
Hm, maybe my opinion will looks like utopia, but in my opinion the best way to studying is delete ways of studying. They are boring, too much specialized, don’t giving general knowledge, not preparing us to science carrier, only for simple jobs. Why don’t lets people studying courses which they want? For example history with neurobiology, or astrology with anthropology, then everyone may studying what he want, what he is interested in. Moreover it will give unlimited possibilities of ways of studying, it will make discovering more flexible, because our point of view will be different than other people which have another ,,courses». If for example huge group of people end ,,history study», each of them should have similar knowledge, abilities, point of view. How the hell they may discover something new, if each year everyone has that same point for start? They cannot find something new, have new ideas, it’s almost impossible.
While I was studying history (and I’m still doing that), to better understand some mechanisms, I started to learn something about anthropology, ethnology and even economy. After that I discovered how shallow we are studying. We know a lot of things, war, persons, but are not able to thinking on that material. Why, how, and other… Those question are the hardest for most of polish students, because then they had to thinkings, not only taking some info from memory…
One of the biggest missing part on educational system is to separating theory and practice from each other. In my country, which is Turkey, we get lots of theoretical information from classes. A lot of homework and problems to solve on the paper. But when we come to the real life we just get stocked there. Since we don’t have enough practice classes we have hard time to adapt ourselves to work area. For example I m of my education. I m going to be a math teacher. I have lots of knowledge about math. But i don’t know how to transmit that knowledge to the students very well. I din’t have enough practice classes while I m studying. The ones that I had weren’t so serious practice for me. That problem is not only on that teaching field. We can see that problem on so many fields such as architecture, law, engineering etc. To solve that problem we have to combine practice and theoretical classes and put more applicable class on the schedules. That way as soon as we graduate from school we wouldn’t have hard time to do our job very well.
Bologna process.. The university reform which affects as all. When I was talking with my friend, who is studying the same as me (but previous mode of study), we compared structure of study years. The most important thing was that they reduce us days of practice work in institution. Suddenly we were from one month praxis came in only two weeks practice. In a lot of university in Ljubljana students get degree in only three years, but I still don’t understand why they acelerated the study if people can’t get a job after it. I was also thinking about teorethical knowledge and practice. I think that teorethical knowledge is important, especially in the first years of study when you start to specialize in a particular field. But still in every University people are facing the problems with the lack of practice, which is the most important think in University and it gives you a specific practice knowledge which help us to be more competent in our field.
In the Netherlands you have several levels of doing your study. It is dependent upon your level of graduation at secondary school that determines which level of further education you can apply for.
What is called university is the highest level, below that you have Higher vocational education. What I find striking is that at university there is overall significantly less practice in comparison to the Higher vocational education. At times I hear university students say: I rather have done the Higher vocational education and afterwards a master for a University degree. Referring to all that theory being boring.
I like what he says in the video about how information is only valuable when you have a question that is related to the given information. Then you are interested in finding out more.
When you are overloaded with information during your studies and kept under pressure in order to keep the deadlines and passing the exams… well I then only care about passing that exam really…
Nowdays you are more or less forced to finnish the upper secondary school to get any job at all. And to get a «good» job you should at least have finished one bachelor and sometimes also a bachelor + master. The Bologna Process aims to promote transferable skills valued into the labor market, and by that it more or less force people to finsih there studies as early as possible so you can be a part of the laborforce, but the qustion is wether there are any fixed job at all after finish university? and the question is wether your studies match the thing you want to work with, I doubt it, becasue as it is stated in the text you should not only have the theoretical part from school, you should also have enough work experience. How can you have both enough work experience and enough university studies to actully work with what you want to work with when you are young??
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It’s crystal clear that we need involvement in order of true learning. Honestly, I personally experience something really different sometimes. It seems like everybody agrees that the first rule for kids in kindergarden and primary school is involvement. And i agree as well! But WHY do I get the feeling that often, this gets forgotten when the kids grow older.
In high school school I didn’t feel at all that it was important for me to be interested in the topic of the lesson. As long as you were quiet, learned what you had to learn (even if you hated it), and score good marks, you were a good student. And i mostly did what was expected. But now, ask me anything of these lessons, and i can’t answer you at all. So what happened to the importance of involvement here? Why doesn’t it matters anymore when we grow older. Is it because by then we have the skills to hide our boredom?
I think education should be all about making your content interesting for your students. For little kids, it might mean dressing up as a spider, when you learn about spiders, while for university students the solution could be the one proposed by Sal Khan. My experience tells me at least, that there’s a long way to go for us to make education interesting for young people.
In order to consider this topic properly it is essential to distinguish that vocational education and universities are two different types of higher education. Vocational universities are to build professionals in particular spheres, while traditional universities tend to focus on academic knowledge, just giving an insight into practical side of the subject, therefore, developing logical thinking. Their purposes are different so there is no doubt that the result after graduating one of them is completely different. But I must admit that academic universities strive to put too much emphasis on rather old-school theoretical knowledge, but here it’s up to teachers to change curriculum and build it so that theoretical knowledge reflect not only old theories, but also current and topical examples.
My opinion is based on the video of mister Sal Kahn. I agree with what he is saying.
If everyone is learning the thing you really want to learn and know there will be a much higher involvement from the students.
There will only be ‘true’ learning when it’s something you’re interested in, you will remember the things you learn and you will learn it to other people that are interessed in the same project or theme. But of course you still need the basics of education, you can’t learn certain things without the basic and sometimes you’ll have to do things that you don’t find interesting because that’s the world we live in.
All students should have the oppertunity to find out what they are really interested in. Even the students that are not interested in anything in regular school will find something they are really passionate about.
Matemáticas es mucho mas que calcular. Hay una cantidad de otras actividades que se pueden hacer. En un grupo de niños de dos años uno puede hacer actividades (de) matemáticas. Puede ser que no solo con números pero si con juegos y objetos que tengan diferentes colores, tamaños, cantidades y canciones. En Suecia se usan diferentes aparatos técnicos como ayuda para hacer estas actividades. Yo tuve la oportunidad de dar una clase de sueco a niños de seis años y estabamos trabajando con la letra “T”. Use un “Smartboard”, es una pizarra interactiva acoplada a un ordenador. Asi los niños podían tocar e interactuar y la clase era mas entretenida para todos y pude mantenerlos atentos. Tambíen pienso que es bueno usar objetos técnicos en la educación ya que no todos los niños tienen los recursos para tenerlos en sus casa. Todos tienen derecho a la educación por igual que a la tecnología ya que en eso se respalada la educación hoy.
Nowadays, the issue of the university education being able to make students insiders of their studies is under doubts. The question is, must the education be focused on professions or in a general theoretical knowledge?
There are those who support that university must offer their students the appropriate skills and knowledge to be able to work in the field. For example, lawyers must be able to be the right judgers in the court, managers must be able to solve economical problems that face.
For that reason, there is the opinion that we study in order to find a job in order to earn money to live a life!
On the other hand, there are people who insist on the theoretical and unspecified knowledge of university. In other words, university is for giving students the basic skills like a way to think, a way to communicate in depth , giving students the opportunity to discuss about more intellectual things, about judging timeliness etc.
In my opinion, the golden mean is situated between these two opinions.
University must be a place more intellectual than technical. Nevertheless, must cover basic needs of each field of study in order to give an elemental difference between them and the opportunity to students be well-prepared to work in an efficient way at any kind of job.
This is only based on what I saw in the video:
I can say I agree with everything he says. Because it is true that we have a lot of classes where we aren’t interested in what they say or what’s about and this is because we couldn’t choose the classes we really are interested in. But sometimes in live you can’t do only what you want, there will always be things that you don’t like but you have to do these things before you can reach something. If we only could do things in live we really like, what would happen in this world?! The world would be such a mess, there would be probably garbage all over the place.
But I also do understand that if we would study what we are really interested in, the involvement would be higher, everybody would be more exited, we would have better grades, better ideas, make better things than ever before and everybody is happy. But I think this is only something for an ideal world not for a realistic world.
I don`t think students spend ‘so many years’ in university! Higher education isn`t something you can acquire in 2 or 3 years, it`s something more worthy and privileged. Moreover, everyone wants university to be fun and interesting, but academic life is not always interesting – theoretical background is almost always boring, but every student has to know it in order to have the basic understanding of the profession. In my opinion, first 2 years should be spent fully focusing on the theoretical knowledge, and the next 2 or 3 years should be partly spent in class and partly in praxis. That`s how a student could gradually practice his skills ‘in real life’ while still increasing the academic knowledge of the profession. Then, once graduated, a student would have a real understanding and experience of the profession. To sum up, leave the university for teaching the theory, but help university staff to organize more praxis (business people and companies could be more supportive for this aspect).
In my opinion we need more interactivity and feedback in the universities. The Bologna Process forces people to finish their study very fast, but there are lots of subjects, for example in the field of teaching, where you need to reach a certain maturity in order to be able to do your job. Nowadays people are so young when they finish school and university and not really prepared for doing a good job. University should be a place where you learn, besides other important soft skills, reflection, personality development and self-organisation. Those things are really important if you want to survive later and do a good job. Then with the Bologna Process we have less options to choose. But there are so many subjects where it is very important that you define your own focus. That’s what makes the world interesting later! Also schools have to talk about which subjects you can study, what to do with it etc. because there are lots of people who don’t really know what to study or do after school because nowadays there are so many possibilities. In my opinion it’s schools aim to prepare students for their future life so it’s our task to talk to our students about what comes after school.