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Q&A with Dr Frank Witte
25 January 2016
Dr Frank Witte (UCL Economics) discusses how he uses ‘story-telling’ techniques in his teaching and shares what one thing he would change about UCL.
What are you working on at the moment?
As Departmental Tutor, I work in close collaboration with academic as well as administrative staff to provide pastoral care to students. I also identify obstacles to students' learning and look at how we can improve teaching.
Last term, I taught a 0-credit module, ‘UCL Star Wars Class’ that was hosted by UCL Economics and attracted students from undergraduate programmes as diverse as economics and mathematics and graduate programmes in Film Studies. The aim was to discuss how a piece of fiction can lead to discussions about complex issues. We are now going to host one or two additional meetings this term to absorb and process the implications of the events covered in the new film (seems unavoidable!).
Discussing and studying human behaviour in the context of a universe that emerges from the mind of exactly those same humans is fascinating. It is maybe less about studying how we behave and more about studying things that we believe about how we behave. But it is a context in which the sciences, social sciences and humanities come together in an inspiring way that raises so many wonderful questions for student and teacher.
What advice would you give to someone looking to develop the way they teach?
Look at teaching as story-telling. Not only can it help your performance as a lecturer, using the context of a story to explain concepts can clarify things more concretely to your students. Start with small stories to explain small concepts (it can be helpful and more engaging if it’s widely known and even better if it’s something personal to you) and see each new class as an opportunity to be more creative. I think when students translate knowledge into stories it helps them to get to grips with it in a way that might be difficult in a ‘real life’ context.
How do you expect higher education to change in the next five years?
Universities are increasingly being asked to answer how their students are prepared to meet the challenges and questions posed by today’s global issues. Education continues to have a significant role to play in these debates and in the next five years I think universities need to be a part of them more actively and raise questions of their own rather than just providing answers. Higher Education institutions need to be clearer about their mission statements, particularly with students.
What piece of technology do you find invaluable in your teaching?
Although it’s unavailable now, teaching with a chalk blackboard is decidedly different from today’s smooth, thought-out media and slides. The act of physically writing my thoughts might be slow but there's something invaluable, and helpful, about a process which slows down the pace of learning and allows students to see your thought process and workings out.
I also really value Lecturecast and ‘flipping the classroom’ – getting students to watch lectures or course material in advance and using contact time for meaningful discussion.
What achievement are you most proud of?
The unique experience of being part of the dedicated group of people that set up University College Utrecht between 1997 and 2010, which was a unique pioneering effort in 1998 that has changed the landscape of higher education in the Netherlands.
Dr Ruth Siddall asks: “What one thing would you do to make UCL a better place?”
I would try to change the academic calendar. Currently it seems to pile staff workloads during short terms rather than distributing them over the year and reducing demands so that research can be done as well. For students, redistributing exam times, particularly with increasing numbers of learners, would help manage pressures on staff, facilities and of course our students.
What question would you like to pose to the next interviewee?
What, when you came here, was the most surprising thing about UCL?