# Effects of the Top Level Courses Project for institutions


When discussing the effects of the Top Level Courses Project with
academic affairs officers and members of the evaluation committee, many
of their answers reflected the experiences of individual teachers. There
was agreement that it had raised the quality of courses, and the
awareness of pedagogy and standards. Mr. B0 said that all academic staff
who teach now know the national standards for each course, and that this
standardized pedagogy has improved the quality of teaching. This goes
together with the generally increased focus on quality in teaching,
which especially Professor C0, member of the national evaluation
committee, emphasized.

However, standardization does not mean a lack of innovation. Indeed
according to Mr. B0, teachers that earlier taught in a very traditional
fashion, with very little discussion in class, had through the process
of applying to the provincial Top Level Courses Project changed their
pedagogical ideas, and the design of the class.

Much of this has happened through an increased emphasis on reflection
and discussion. As Mr. B0 said, earlier, teachers would all go to their
own classrooms, and would never listen to other people’s classes. Now,
not only do the course teams enable sharing and reflection around the
course material within a small group, but having all the materials
published online also enables a larger group to get involved, including
the academic affairs office and the peer-review committee.

Due to the process of applying for Top Level Courses, professors have
also become more tech savvy, and are using more educational technology
in all their courses. Lectures are recorded, so students who did not
catch everything, can watch them again after class. Courses have blogs,
where teachers can leave homework, and students can communicate with
teachers outside of class.

The issue of legacy was also raised, the idea that when old and famous
professors pass away, the only thing left is their notes. By recording
their lectures and their course material, the Top Level Courses Project
means that people can “attend their lectures” even in the future.

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The quotes in this text is from the MA Thesis "The Chinese National Top
Level Courses Project: Using Open Educational Resources to Promote
Quality in Undergraduate Teaching" by Stian Håklev, University of
Toronto 2010.

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