Tim Johnston
@timjcomposer.bsky.social
Composer | Classical, folk, and film music | Pianist & cellist, occasional guitarist & singer | Lectures composition & arranging at the University of Salford
In summary, this is once again a sly jibe at music, grasping at yet another straw(man) to beat the subject down with. Small group teaching is far less expensive than has been implied and, where it does cost, it is worth every penny. (10/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
In summary, this is once again a sly jibe at music, grasping at yet another straw(man) to beat the subject down with. Small group teaching is far less expensive than has been implied and, where it does cost, it is worth every penny. (10/10)
Bemoaning the cost of this teaching style ignores the financial and human price of passing the buck on responsibility for students’ wellbeing to external teams, when very often a simple, personal approach is all it takes to prevent a difficult time turning into crisis. (9/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Bemoaning the cost of this teaching style ignores the financial and human price of passing the buck on responsibility for students’ wellbeing to external teams, when very often a simple, personal approach is all it takes to prevent a difficult time turning into crisis. (9/10)
Beyond PG tutors, small group teaching has a deep effect on student wellbeing and academic community. The Cardiff Uni Music department had (at least whilst I was there) an exceptionally high reputation for student satisfaction and pastoral care. (8/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Beyond PG tutors, small group teaching has a deep effect on student wellbeing and academic community. The Cardiff Uni Music department had (at least whilst I was there) an exceptionally high reputation for student satisfaction and pastoral care. (8/10)
Employing postgraduate tutors also provides essential HE teaching experience for PGRs, who are most likely training to be professional academics. Today’s job market requires advanced HE teaching experience and qualifications; to deny this devalues any PGR degree offered by the university. (7/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Employing postgraduate tutors also provides essential HE teaching experience for PGRs, who are most likely training to be professional academics. Today’s job market requires advanced HE teaching experience and qualifications; to deny this devalues any PGR degree offered by the university. (7/10)
A full-time, PGR home student can work up to 180 hours per academic year. Multiply this by a rough estimate of their hourly rate, and somewhere around 90-100 postgraduate tutors could be employed for the cost of 1 Vice Chancellor. (6/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
A full-time, PGR home student can work up to 180 hours per academic year. Multiply this by a rough estimate of their hourly rate, and somewhere around 90-100 postgraduate tutors could be employed for the cost of 1 Vice Chancellor. (6/10)
When I taught as a tutor during my PhD, I ran small group tutorials, delivered lectures to cohorts across all UG and PGT levels, and designed multiple new syllabuses from the ground up, all on a zero-hours contract that paid little more than minimum wage per hour. (5/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
When I taught as a tutor during my PhD, I ran small group tutorials, delivered lectures to cohorts across all UG and PGT levels, and designed multiple new syllabuses from the ground up, all on a zero-hours contract that paid little more than minimum wage per hour. (5/10)
Much of this small group teaching is led by PGR students and junior staff. Not only are many of these early-career tutors some of the most enthusiastic and capable teachers that the university has, but they also represent extraordinary value for money (4/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Much of this small group teaching is led by PGR students and junior staff. Not only are many of these early-career tutors some of the most enthusiastic and capable teachers that the university has, but they also represent extraordinary value for money (4/10)
As a subject, music involves a huge amount of self-guided study and has comparatively low formal contact hours. Whilst small group teaching is more common than in (e.g.) a science degree, this will be at least partially offset by far fewer hours in a lecture theatre. (3/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
As a subject, music involves a huge amount of self-guided study and has comparatively low formal contact hours. Whilst small group teaching is more common than in (e.g.) a science degree, this will be at least partially offset by far fewer hours in a lecture theatre. (3/10)
Whilst I can’t speak to specific numbers financially, in my experience as a UG and PhD student, then a former staff member, Cardiff Uni Music’s emphasis on small-group teaching is far more complex than this is made to seem in the above quote. (2/10)
February 21, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Whilst I can’t speak to specific numbers financially, in my experience as a UG and PhD student, then a former staff member, Cardiff Uni Music’s emphasis on small-group teaching is far more complex than this is made to seem in the above quote. (2/10)