Dr Nadia Idri
University of Bejaia, Algeria


‘An Algerian university teacher seeks out autonomy in her learners’

The first steps towards learners’ autonomy started when our university (A_Mira University, Bejaia) piloted a new educational system in 2004. I was among the few teachers trying to understand and search what it might involve. Through my
experience, readings, research about the system’s characteristics, I could understand that the system emphasizes the idea of continuous evaluation and tutoring, which are believed to lead towards the learners’ autonomy. However, this remains a personal endeavour from my part because our learners still feel unable to be autonomous. That is why, from 2004 until now, I have focussed on observing the ways these students learn, especially that they still attend university classes and I still teach them in master degrees.
Additionally, since 2003, I have been teaching different university courses such as general linguistics, sociolinguistics, study skills, research methodology, didactics/TEFL and evaluation in EFL. I have seen how our department struggles with managing two systems simultaneously (the traditional one and the LMD system) and, as a teacher there, I have encountered many difficulties when teaching within both systems. I have observed and witnessed that the most problematic issue is the learners themselves. Learners in the traditional system suffer from low motivation, rely 100% on the instructor; hardly ask questions and seldom answer the teacher’s ones. These students tend to avoid communication and show disappointment compared to LMD students. My observation shows that, though LMD learners are taught more difficult content, the number of courses is higher and teachers continuously assess them, LMD students always discuss, ask questions, give comments, etc.
Hence, the LMD system’s best outcome is the improvement in the students’ motivation, interest, and partial autonomy. From my own work, I have come to see how the development of learners’ autonomy is closely connected to ongoing self-evaluation and discussion of learning. Yet, although the students have a continuous evaluation, no small-group tutoring is available. Hence, we cannot relate this lack in the learners’ autonomy to the system. I would really like to work further on this issue because this is fundamental in our setting.
My objective is to make my voice audible nationally and internationally because many of my colleagues and decision-makers do not highlight this issue as it should be.

Love: Just great different meanings for Algeria

It’s said, there’s no life without love;
But I say: “Without love we can’t rest in bed”
Because we can’t dream, we just dream instead
We don’t choose to dream because our feelings are led
They’re led by love with which they are fed
Is this real or it’s just a lie? I’m here afraid
That with love we might live in a terrible dread
I’m sometimes fed up from this heart red
With which I feel put in a situation where I prefer to be dead
Without such a kind of love, I feel myself with a normal head
And ready to help other miserable lovers to go ahead

Or sometimes love can be an eternal feeling to add
That’s the sole safe story that can’t be bad
Because no real lover on Earth is said to be sad
Though all of them are often completely mad
Cos love runs in their nerves, flesh and spirit as the blood
With additional strong sentiments causing a beneficial flood
That’s the real, neat love which’s hardly found to be had
As its concept changed to be seen as a mere fast fad
To satisfy their natural desire and another number to add
Forgetting that they’re humans and becoming animals in a shed
Finding love is so rare in our times as I said
If I didn’t find it, I’d prefer to sleep escaping in my warm bed
Love of this kind can only be dedicated to Algeria to be wisely led

By Dr Nadia Idri

The Body’s Kingdom is in Danger

Eh you Mr. over there!
Do you see the smoke there?
Forming hearts in the body’s air
But no one there, who would care?

Oh you Mr. Leaver, did you really clean the blood?
Oh you Mr. Leaver, please give a bile and make a flood

The liver tried to cause the flood but
The fire’s still burning the wretched heart
Call the fire-organ with the artery to start
Using the perfect body’s blood to save the heart
Who’s the saver, who’s coming?

Oh yes, two strong volunteers came!
Full of hope to gain the fame
The wide lungs came to blame
And tried with air, but the fat’s the same

Then, the danger became more serious
Thus, the king cared about this precious

The kingdom may decline
If the king’s motor is not fine
The brain’s Queen is the heart’s shine
If it sets off, it would be the body’s last line

Urgent is that the king consulted the specialist
Who said that the heart needs a monarchist

Who has the key of this closed gate?
Who has the only medicine to taste?
For this poor and lonely heart before it’s late
Come on then, help this slim body to be great
As ever it was before the actual unpleasing fate
Come and share the soul’s life at any rate
You the ghost, who is him my dear next mate?
Be ready then to live with me even with debate
By Dr Nadia Idri

HE Marketing Survey

Hello all,

Further to Paul's email, I wanted to invite suggestions from HE marketing theorists and Practitioners on content & themes for the survey. There are two databases we can use; the first is pre-applicants and the second is applicants. Pre-applicants are 16-17 year olds  who are interested in going to HE but have not yet applied. Applicants would be applicants to the 2013 cycle and could be potentially be split bu Home/EU and International.

We already have some research on learner decision making which I can share when we meet,  which may help shape some of the questions. Obviously this has the potential of running away and becoming too big but I suggest first stab is see if there are common areas of interest for study.

Finally if I don't get a chance to speak to you all further, have a wonderful Christmas Holiday and I  look forward to picking this up with you in the New Year!

Communications

How can we make this work?  We have the AMA, HEERA, CIM and CASE.
 Anyone couple be an outlet for our research.  There are a number of journals as well.

Should we find other ways to meet?  

Research Funding

A big project?  An evaluation of higher education marketing, its spend and it reach within universities?
How do we make education, transformation or what is lost if we package jobs

WELCOME AND LETS GET GOING

Dear Colleagues

Thanks for expressing interest in the ideas expressed in my email.

If I unpack a couple of the ideas behind the paper we might be able to begin a conversation

My first premise is that education is not a service nor a product but an ontological journey of transformation.  Its  intent is education to enable studens to take a stance on what they want to become and how that might be achieved.  It thus sees education as the primary goal of a good life which informs life decisions such as careers. 

The second premise, and perhaps the most important, is that marketing has achieved a lot in sustaining markets but has not been developed to support or shape, a transformative engagement as indicated above.  Perhaps religious or political marketing is the closest but that is also problematic.  Adopting marketing derived from fmcg for things that has deferent time horizons ought to require new thoughts

Premise three follows in that we are  looking a the edifying process which should not be placed into a category of service or product but treated as an entity in its own right.  It is here that I see that we have major challenge to learning from a marketing – not just a promotion – in building culture that favours higher.

Premise four, well simply, this is important work for the education sector.

So as I see the agenda we need to take what we know about higher education and marketing, set a goal for marketing within this context and devise something – ‘edifeting’ (please improve) which does not set out to commoditise education for the purposes of the market but liberate it through a new language and practices.

I also thought that those who want to get involved in this project or any other in higher education marketing project and want this to lead to a Masters or Doctorate degree could do so by having others in the group act as research supervisors.  My university offer practitioner research degrees as I am sure other do as well.  Also it may bring together researchers to write together and publish in journals such as the Journal of Marketing Higher Education and attend conference offered by the various interest groups.  Perhaps those who have published in this area could circulate one of two of their papers or articles which they feel might help in the discussion.

Jane and Izhal’s paper attach, although a little out of date, (as she told me) does set an agenda in a more concrete way and is worth a read if you have not yet done so.  It also focuses the international or global context of our work

So where next?

Could we start by offering our views on why marketing is important to higher education from an educational perspective?  Also what have marketing’s main achievements  been for education  and well, anything else you want to talk about!  Funding ideas?

My colleague Nico Pizzolato is helping me set up a blog for use to communicate.  Given my slowness it will be ready by Wednesday next week and you will receive a communication to join.

I hope you have a good weekend

Best

Paul