About to Have a Centre?

In founding an instructional materials and methods center on a university campus, it must be borne in mind that the type of university and degree of faculty power greatly affect the eventual form of an instructional center. Many people have different ideas concerning how a center fits into the content model of knowledge or the transmission model of teaching. The purpose of an instructional center is often called "improving instruction", but this can be ambiguously interpreted. On the one hand the purpose could be to aid and supplement existing methods and objectives of instruction. This is likely to mean the center is to be a service agency for the faculty. On the other hand the center might seek to go beyond the existing methods and curricula on campus. In the latter case a conflict with faculty can easily develop. The survival of an instructional center sometimes depends on the independence of its funding and the vagueness of its stated purposes. The idea of being a "catalyst for change" should be avoided. Overall, centers should be expected to engage in research, science, and teaching. (WH)