"Fort Worth, TX - The reward system for university professors should be changed to offer more incentives for excellence in teaching and service and to place less emphasis on traditional research and publishing.
"Faculty do not perceive excellent teaching or service to their professions as being as important as research in influencing decisions on promotion, tenure, or merit pay," said Valleau Wilkie, Jr., executive director of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which sponsors the forum."
http://www.sidrichardson.org/pubreward.htm
How does this relate to what we have been studying about behavior modification?
How do the contingencies we place on individuals shape the behaviors they emit?
What are your thoughts about the University Reward System?
I think that professors should be awarded no matter what type of teaching they do, whether it's one on one with students or research. Research is just as important in education because further professors will teach their students the research and it's findings. I believe that positive reinforcement should be used in both situation, and if a professor does his/her job well they should be rewarded regardless of their position.
I think that professors should be awarded more on teaching and less on their research. Research is very important yes, but they are called a professor for a reason, not a researcher. There are many universitys where the professors do not give a crap about their students because the professor is too worried about his or her research and tenure. I believe that the positive reinforcement for being a good professor should outweight the positive reinforcement given for having good research. People obviously will do the behavior that will result in the greatest reward.
I think this is a GREAT idea. There are too many current professors that stick to the same old teaching method of lecture and a test. By far the worst idea ever considering your students are in college, it is 2011 and most teachers are not progressing with their times. For example, this class is motivating to go to because it is only once to twice a week and when we go to class we talk about the most important things that may have confused us over the past week. We can still ask questions online or schedule a meeting in person and this class relates everyday behaviors.
This relates to behavior modification because it is positively reinforcing the teachers for being creative and good at teaching, which in turn motivates students to come to class and enjoy being there. The contingencies that are given emit certain behaviors because of the "consequences" or rewards that are given.