Development Education - Paper Example

The effectiveness of any course or field is dependent on the presence of relevant literature and other necessary materials. The presence of the appropriate materials for the study is important not just for students but the trainers as well. Limited educational resources are addressing the issues regarding development education meant for the third level or higher education. Most of the resources available are for use in formal education and schools, but they can be utilized for work in university academics. However, it is important that having a publication that focusses on development education for this group of students is necessary and helpful. The availability of specific resources for each group of students in higher education is essential to facilitate the smooth teaching of the course content, and better understanding by students as the learning material suits their needs well (Service, 2009). Lecturers are also able to teach the students well with the availability of appropriate instructional materials that they can use in teaching. Appropriate materials offer a practical guideline to the teacher while leaving room for consultation of other materials in the same course.

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Development Education in Theory and Practice: An Educators Resource is a publication that came from a funding aid in Europe after a call for publications addressing development education was made. It is made of twelve themes that have conceptual information and methods of teaching for each topic. The conceptual overview provides an introduction to the topic and explains the central concepts, theories and any debates that are available concerning the issue in question. The teaching methodology section provides lecturers and other educators with tools that they can use to teach the topics in different settings, both formal and non-formal. (Bourn & Neal, 2008) The publication is useful for trainers or students who have the aim of using development education approaches to their studies. The objective of the paper was to provide development training material that could be employed by the European member states and add up to the already available resources on development education. It was aimed at addressing contemporary issues in development education with a comprehensive focus on educators located within the new European Union states and even making use of material from the authors and writers located in those countries.

The introduction of any material into the education arena draws the attention of many people. Some people are interested in the authors who finally managed the task, others the content of the work and surprisingly they may not have any need of making use of the publication in any way (Service, 2009). Almost every concerned party has something to say about the release. Reviewers, both professional and self-proclaimed come ahead to critique the paper identifying its strengths and shortcomings if any. The evaluation of a publication is crucial to prevent the use by unsuspecting individuals who have no idea about the authenticity of the material when the material is untrustworthy and misleading. The critique also outlines mistakes and offers guidelines and suggestions that authors can make use of to avoid such errors in future work. It also provides clarification about the utilization of the given publication so that the target population can benefit maximally from the publication. The publication is, therefore, subject to critique to determine its usefulness in the field of development education for higher education (Lewin, 2009).

The publication has tried to meet the target lecturer population for the individuals who teach development studies. It has addressed globalization issue especially in an era when there is need to incorporate globalization into every aspect of life including teaching. The publication also entails activities that a lecturer can engage in to make the learning experience more productive (Bourn). Teachers of development education can draw from this release in an attempt to teach any subject related to development education. The publication, however, has displayed various shortcomings which make it unsuitable for training development studies in the higher education sector. The paper does not clearly demonstrate issues for easy understanding by the target population, and its hard to single-use it as instructional material for development education. The critique of this publication highlights both the positive and negative things that come about in the course of reading it.

Insight for Development Studies and Development Education in Higher Education

Development of new literature concerning any given field is usually a hard task to undertake, and the authors did a great job in coming up with the publication regarding development education for institutions of higher learning (Bourn). The paper has provided information that is vital in understanding how development studies and development education relate to higher education. The two concepts are different but related, and this has been well brought out in the publication. Academics endowed with the responsibility of teaching themes in development studies can make use of activities found in the issuance especially when there are approaches requiring non-lecturer led activities. The lecturer can, for instance, use the Prisoners Dilemma activity and the role play outlined in Section 5 that is covering Local and Global Governance. However, the use of this approach requires the broader development of staff section. Lecturers, therefore, ought to choose the activities to make use of those that are relevant for the given task or class but not use all the activities provided in the publication. Academics in other disciplines or those that are involved in other interdisciplinary courses can make use of specific activities in the publication during lectures. The publication has also left room for debate and questions that prompt further research and questions to the reader (Bourn, 2009). For instance, the teaching tools for a globalized world have given rise to questions for discussion like critical thinking, being self-aware and open-minded regarding difference, action and participation. The themes, however, need to have been a central component for the publication so that its purpose is met in a clearer manner

Lack of Clarity about the Target Student Group

The choice of instructional materials for training is an essential requirement for practical training of students. Any teaching material should be clear on what type and level of students will be required to use it and how. Effective teaching largely depends on the selection of materials that are capable of meeting the needs of students and addressing the constraints in the environment (Willot et al, 2012). The increased access to the internet gives teachers and students a diverse access to materials hence there is the unlimited availability of instructional materials. There is also electronic communication has eased and fastened communication between lecturers and students where learning materials can be transferred to the learners. The vast availability of resources both in print and on the internet might prompt trainers or students to make use of material that is not appropriate. The presence of presentations that are carefully scripted might emphasize how a teacher delivers content but not the issue of learners understanding the taught concepts. Teaching, therefore, requires that the trainer utilizes carefully selected material that is appropriate for the level of students but not just organizing content in a way that demands fast covering of the course without addressing the needs of learners (Brocke et al, 2009). Students might become intellectually passive when a good choice of relevant and appropriate material is not made.

The textbook method is standard in teaching almost every course available in the globe. They are widely used in teaching all over and have contributed to the overall effectiveness of teaching. The textbook is believed to determine student learning more than any other material. The publication on TALICS Development Education in Theory and Practice: An Educators Resource is also meant to be used for classroom teaching in the form of a textbook of development education as an upcoming field if approved for use. A teacher needs to consider the effect that the resource and methodology will have on the target students and how the students will make use of the material. The teacher should understand how students would benefit from a given material and what they will learn from it in their course before deciding to use a given instructional material. Deciding on which students can use a reading material is crucial because different levels of students require different materials for the same or different courses. Students should be able to make sense of the material that they are required to use during a course (Bourn & Neal, 2008). A student should be able to become an active learner as they interact with a given material and not be overly dependent on the lecturer. This can only be achieved if there is an informed choice of learning materials for the students.

The students ought to know how they can organize information and ideas in a learning resource and relate concepts in any resource. This only happens when the institutions provide students with reference materials that are appropriate for their level of study. There should be a several numbers of course materials that students can use for any given subject so as to boost their knowledge and widen their ability to make use of different instructional resources. This is a major blow to development education as there are a very limited number of textbooks and other publications for use in this field. Lectures need to have knowledge about the books that are currently in the market and consult colleagues so that they can obtain books that suit their area of teaching (Shultz, 2010). The objectives of an instructional material need to correspond to the course goals of the particular class where it could be used. The content of a resource material should be concise and adequate in the coverage of topics. The explanations should also be consistent with the teaching methodologies of a lecturer and be organized in a useful way.

The selection of an instructional material is made through a long process with the ultimate goal being choosing and appropriate tool for a given level of learners. The selection of clear and concise materials is based upon a well-established and functional policy that outlines which materials should be selected. The system is important to help teachers to achieve their goals in teaching and also protect and maintain the integrity of programs or courses offered by any given institution (Schattle, 2008). It is always evident that the kind of material that a particular group of learners use is a vital determinant of the quality of learning experience that they obtain and their overall performance. Careful selection of materials for each program ensures that the material allocated for each group of students is appropriate for their level and they will obtain maximum benefit from it. Selection of relevant material by following the given policy guidelines also ensures that the material is in line with what other students utilize in the study of similar programs. The materials should consider the educational objectives of the course for each level of education.

There is a lack of clarity about whom the book targets within higher education. The publication does not clarify who should use the material in the context of higher education as it takes a general approach. The general approach of the book does not offer a specific guideline on the level of higher education at which...