Continuing to innovate teaching and learning methods, starting in the second semester of the 2011-2012 academic year, the school has piloted a course registration system with lecturer selection for 40 classes in three basic subjects: Fundamentals of Vietnamese Culture, Revolutionary Line of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism 2. To date, after half a semester of the pilot program, the course registration system with lecturer selection has received some approval and support from lecturers and students.
Teachers actively innovate - students take the initiative.
The method of registering for courses and choosing lecturers creates many opportunities and conditions for students' learning process. Student Nguyen Thu Ha (K56 International Studies) shared: "I learned about course registration and lecturer selection through an email from the school. Thanks to that, I arranged my timetable and proceeded to register for courses. I find the method of registering for courses and choosing lecturers more specific than the previous method because students know the lecturer's information in advance and can also choose courses that fit their schedule."
Registering for courses with chosen instructors allows students not only to proactively arrange their timetables but also to actively research information about the course, instructor, and assessment methods through various sources. Duong Thi Bich Hien (K54 Information – Library Science) stated: "Before registering for courses with chosen instructors, I researched information about the class and instructors from many sources, such as asking senior students and consulting with classmates about the course and the instructors to gain initial understanding of the subject and the instructors who will be teaching it." Not only do students see the advantages in their learning process through this method, but instructors teaching these courses also see positive changes and improvements. Nguyen Quang Lieu (lecturer in the course "Revolutionary Guidelines of the Communist Party of Vietnam") said: "When registering for courses and choosing lecturers, the role of the lecturer is very important. Lecturers stimulate the spirit and attitude of the students. Therefore, lecturers must improve and innovate their lectures to meet the expectations of the students." Regardless of the teaching method, the role of the teacher remains very important, and teachers always dedicate themselves to imparting knowledge to generations of students. Associate Professor Dr. Lam Thi My Dung (lecturer in the course "Fundamentals of Vietnamese Culture") said: "For these courses, perhaps the biggest challenge I face is understanding the aspirations and desires of the students, so that when the course ends, they do not regret their choice. In all classes, I try to update information, find methods of expression and knowledge exchange that are lively, quick, but complete." In this class, in addition to existing methods and experiences, I will guide the students towards a stronger and more effective interaction.
There are still difficulties.
The implementation of the course registration and lecturer selection system in some subjects has received active participation from lecturers and students, but some difficulties remain. Tong Thi Thanh Huyen (K56 Social Work) shared: "The biggest difficulty for us first-year students is that we are new to the university environment and are still unfamiliar with our teachers and classmates. A common difficulty, not only for me but for all students, is that registering for courses is very difficult; sometimes we have to stay up late, and even then, we still can't register." Adding to the difficulties in course registration, Nguyen Thu Ha (K56 International Studies) said: "Course registration in the second semester is affected by the first semester results for some students. Some students failed a course in the first semester, but because they haven't received their results yet, they can't register to retake it in the next semester."
From the perspective of lecturer Dr. Nguyen Quang Lieu, the current difficulties in the lecturer selection process are: The number of classes registering to select lecturers still does not fully meet the students' wishes. Furthermore, lecturers participating in teaching face challenges in dividing students into discussion groups due to the large number of students in each class.
Desires from both learners and teachers.
Both teachers and students have gone through difficulties together, but the effectiveness of the course registration system for choosing lecturers is undeniable. Many students have expressed their desire to continue participating in these lecturer-selection courses. “I hope that in the next semester, the university will open more lecturer-selection courses and expand this to specialized subjects so that we can register for courses more easily,” (Ngo Thi Thanh Vi - K55 History). Student Nguyen Thuy Duong (K55 Literature) shared: “I hope that information about lecturers will be updated more frequently and in more detail for students. And I hope that the teachers will have more flexible and engaging teaching methods. The teachers, who are always companions and support students on their learning journey, also hope that the lecturer-selection course registration system will be implemented more widely soon.” MSc. Pham Hoang Giang (lecturer in the course "Basic Principles of Marxism-Leninism") believes that the system of registering for courses and choosing lecturers should be widely implemented and is worthwhile, not only for basic courses but also for specialized courses. MSc. Pham Hoang Giang emphasized that when the system of registering for courses and choosing lecturers becomes widespread, students will have more opportunities to research lecturers and make more informed choices, as this is ultimately in their best interest.
The implementation of the course registration and lecturer selection system is still new and faces many challenges that need to be overcome soon, but it will be one of the important and groundbreaking improvements to truly deepen credit-based training and bring the most practical benefits to learners. As Associate Professor Dr. Lam Thi My Dung shared: Improvements and efforts from both teachers and students will achieve the ultimate goal of the training process, which is to ensure quality, output competence, and graduates who meet the needs of society.
