Event

The Faculty of Science and Agriculture will host a seminar entitled “Content, Pedagogy and the Distinctive UWI Graduate” on Wednesday 4^th February, 2009. This seminar will take place at 12:00 noon in Natural Sciences Conference Room, UWI St. Augustine Campus. The feature speaker at this seminar is Dr. Grace Sirju-Charran, Department of Life Sciences and Ag. Head, Institute for Gender and Development Studies.

ABSTRACT

The philosophy of Higher Education from the 1970’s to present has been influenced largely by economic factors, the development of new technologies and possibly to a lesser extent, second wave feminism. The downturn in the economy in the 1980’s resulted in a shift to client-oriented policies in business and from a paradigm of “Teacher-Centredness” in Higher Education to one of “Student-Centredness.”  The “booming” economy experienced in the very recent past brought with it further challenges to effective student learning in the form of ‘free’ tuition;  greater variation in student profiles e.g.  “mature” students who have been out of the formal education system for a number of years; part-time students; more female students. This presentation explores the pedagogical approaches adopted and lessons learnt in facing the challenges encountered as paradigms shifted and technologies advanced, in the teaching of Biology as well as a course on Gender and Science.