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| "Back to School" for NS Universities? | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 20 2014, 01:00 AM (122 Views) | |
| unibot | Aug 20 2014, 01:00 AM Post #1 |
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Chief Propagandist
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![]() "Back to School" for NS Universities? FEATURE | KINZVLLE ![]() Are NationStates Universities a "dying breed"? Kinzville considers possible causes of their decline... Earlier this year I became the dean of Equilism University. When I first arrived in Equilism, I was engulfed in the sheer wonderment of the university. The dean at the time had worked tremendously hard before classes ended and the whole institution grinned to a halt. The same phenomenon repeated itself again when all of the teachers, besides my Assistant Dean, failed to accomplish anything with their courses. Granted, this is partly because I started right before the dreaded "summer hole". However, I reckon this is not the only factor playing a role in the decline in the University, 1. Real life: This is all a game. Real life comes first, surely, in all matters. Sadly when it comes to something like teaching a course, this can take time that many simply do not possess. Between typing documents, researching, editing, and teaching a class is no "lunch break" feat. Make no mistake: I am in no way blaming professors, just merely identifying real life as a key factor. 2. Losing interest: At one time or another, we are all guilty of doing this . In fact, the more you do something the less dopamine intake you get from that activity (brain fact). While losing interest halfway is by no means not a sin, it is a problem for the University. While a student losing interest is normally not a huge issue, a teacher is a whole new can of worms. Especially, if you are using the "class system" which Equilism uses, where any truancy by professors leaves a class stranded with no teacher. 3. Focus on the wrong subjects: Courses on World War II or the culture of Finland are amazing and fascinating, but they should not be the focus of a NS University. The last term the university was active, all of the courses were Non NS based (with the exception of Role Playing 101). We have to remember this is NationStates, the school ought to train new (and veteran) members in the fields of fancy and interest in regards to the actual gameplay sphere. 4. Necessity: As dean, I did attempt to get classes restarted but there was one snag... they weren't seen as necessary, and really are they? Most military training is done internally for good reason, same with Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy. With countless guides available on a range of subjects, I had to wonder if these classes really were needed... We at the Equilism University are considering new arrangements, while those at the Europeia University are already transitioning from ongoing classes to pre-made courses with detailed guides. With this method, all the materials and information are provided, but can be worked on at a student's own pace and, since it is all to be presented as a finished project rather than post-by-post, a teacher's departure does not affect the overall system as much. Of course, as with every system, there are flaws. First, it takes quite a long time to, not only get a class prepared and refined, but for an entire class to be completed. With this preparation time, I have to wonder whether this process is any slower or faster than that of open classes? It varies but the benefits outweigh this, I believe. The biggest issue with guide-led classes, however, is that just reading a guide isn't always what is needed to learn! Hands-on, practical learning can be extremely critical. The East Pacific may have found a compromise, however, between Europeia and Equilism's education systems: a system based on guides, in addition to a number of Q&A sessions, and supervised practices. Regardless, there is still one more factor that help determines a university's survival. Are they relevant? As I stated earlier: with the way most subjects are taught there may not seem a pressing need for more training for these areas. Without that need what purpose does a university fill? This answer varies from region to region, topic to topic. Some fields like speech and debate fair better in a classroom than say immigration. Some regions would rather outsource training of ambassadors and such to public-run universities, while others still would view that as unsafe and prefer to keep it in house. Rounding back to the topic, are NS Universities a dying breed? Regardless of the ideal system, the pulse rate of an academic institution is tied to its relevance. Not just in terms of actual relevance, but also in term of the public's perception of their relevance. If players see a value in keeping these institutions afloat, investing their time in there and maybe even attending classes, then mark my words: there will life. Sadly most universities nowadays have not found that enthusiasm and their "pulse lines" slowly but surely flat-line. As with past universities, many do hold great potential, but they may never live to realize it. There are some regions where universities may still grow and prosper, but for the most part, "the university" as a institution has outlived its relevance. |
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Former Delegate of The Rejected Realms Former Editor-In-Chief, Maestro | |
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| thechurchofsatan | Aug 20 2014, 01:33 PM Post #2 |
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Crasher Endorsed, Native Approved
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Good read. I've wanted to attend TEP's university for a while but it's still a work in progress in some areas. |
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12:21 AM Jul 11