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New York City
March 2004

Going to College in Canada: Team Teaching Examined

From a student's perspective, there are both benefits and disadvantages to multiple professors teaching one class. Benefits include an exposure to more professors and ideas as well as a variety of teaching styles. A professor with the greatest expertise can teach each content area. The student thus benefits by exposure to the latest research, especially important in upper level courses. Differences in approaches to the subject matter may lead to a broader understanding of the material.

Disadvantages include a possible lack of communication between the school's professors. As a result, the link between sections may not be as strong as it could be if one professor were teaching the whole class. This may result in gaps in the material covered. Moreover, the time that the student can interact with each professor is shortened, which can reduce the professor's understanding of the student's learning style and potential. There are students who are unable to find a professor to write a recommendation for them even after attending the institution for four years because the majority of their classes were taught by multiple professors.

Because the success of a college or university often depends on the success of its graduates, institutions must understand that, although the combination of multiple professors may be a good teaching method for several reasons, not all classes should be taught that way. When one professor teaches for the duration of a semester, he or she can see a student's strengths and the weaknesses, thus providing valuable information that can aid the student's learning. In addition, that professor can write a recommendation that accurately reflects the student's aptitude. If institutions are committed to team teaching for the majority of their curricula, they should guarantee students a letter of recommendation upon graduation by a faculty member that the student knows and trusts.#

Nile Kurashige is a doctoral candidate in botany at a college in Toronto, Canada.

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