an inquiry on the paradoxes of the of the impact of presentation skills

Abstract

The paper looks at the aims of higher education in the twenty first century and the kind of graduate that can fit in the fast changing and unpredictable global arena, where what worked in the years past is fast losing potency. The norm in most universities has been (and still is) where the faculty play the role of knowledge fountains with the student usually absorbing that knowledge passively for reproduction in the end of year/semester examinations. Such teaching and learning rarely prepares one adequately for the graduate studies, professional life, or the social world. The lecture method is the predominant pedagogic approach in such cases. However, the graduate of this century should be able to go beyond cognitive masterly of content in various disciplines to an active participant in the search, creation and dissemination of knowledge. This will be made possible by having institutions of higher education adopt strategies such as inquiry-based learning in its different forms, where the learner will have active engagement with the task at hand individually or in small groups. The role of the lecturer here remains that of a mentor, facilitator and resource person. This is not to say that the traditional lecture method should be done away with; instead a balance should be explored between this and other methods.