The University Co-operative Bookshop Excellence in Teaching Award
Overview
The purpose of the award is to promote, recognise and reward the innovative use of academic and support resources in teaching which contribute to engaged, student centred experiences. The innovation may be in the development or use of new technologies, or the innovative use of existing technologies.
Description
The Co-op Bookshop will award an individual member of the University teaching community who can demonstrate outstanding achievement in student-focused teaching.
Recommendations for the award will be made by a committee appointed by the Co-op Bookshop. The winner will be awarded $1,000 that shall be used for the purchase of teaching resources.
To encourage enhancement of teaching practices, the recipient of the prize will be required to speak at a student function outlining their commitment to teaching, learning and educating potential academics on teaching and leading at a tertiary level. The award certificate will be presented at this function.
For publicity purposes, information on the prize recipient, along with their photograph and an abstract from their application will be made publically available through the University of Sydney and University Co-operative Bookshop publications, including websites.
Scope
All individual undergraduate and postgraduate coursework teachers and course co-ordinators, who have taught at the University of Sydney for at least one full semester, are eligible to apply. Group applications will not be considered.
Previous winners who received awards more than three years ago are eligible to apply. Previously unsuccessful applicants are also encouraged to apply.
2011 Award
Congratulations to Associate Professor Dieter Hochuli from the School of Biological Sciences in the Faculty of Science on winning the 2011 University Co-op Bookshop Excellence in Teaching Award.
Associate Professor Hochuli won the award for using his creativity and imagination in creating his own resources and for the innovative use of existing resources. In particular, he was praised for his non-traditional approaches using mostly existing resources to investigating biology, and for the design of the following innovative programs: ecology in the media in the postgraduate environmental science unit of study (ENVI15705), preparing high achievers for research in the advanced stream of Ecology course (BIOL3907), and teaching multivariate approaches to data analyses in the course Ecological Methods (BIOL3006).
The award panel applauded Associate Professor Hochuli for having gone out of his way to create different and innovative courses in order to engage his students and disseminate his teaching, as well as for effectively building networks. In particular, the group approach used in the course was praised for fostering creativity and camaraderie amongst students from different backgrounds who would not normally work together. The Panel acknowledged Associate Professor Hochuli’s excellent teaching practice and his creative use of lateral thinking.
2010 Award
Congratulations to Dr Colleen Canning from the Discipline of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences on winning the 2010 Co-op Bookshop Award.
Dr Canning won the award for designing and developing Physiotherapy eSkills, an online resource to enhance student learning of practical skills.
The innovative program was applauded by the award panel for its great uptake within the discipline and within other disciplines and the impressive feedback from colleagues and students. The Panel also praised Dr Canning for her teaching and engagement with the off-campus communities through their use of these resources.
2009 Award
Congratulations to Dr Slade Matthews from the Faculty of Medicine on winning the 2009 Award for his design of a course for Pharmacy students.
Current Topics in Pharmacology has been developed to assist students to develop an analytical approach to the assessment of the use of drugs in health care and provides a first class learning experience which potentiates student motivation. The award panel considered the online components of the course to be innovative and motivational and designed to engage students with the material.
Dr Matthews was applauded by the award panel for his innovation and creativity and for his involvement with the CSIRO’s Scientists in Schools program where he visits schools and passes on his enthusiasm for pharmacology and science in general.
2008 Award
Congratulations to Dr Caitilin de Berigny Wall (aka Dr onacloV) from the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning on winning the inaugural University Co-op Bookshop Excellence in Teaching and Community Award.
Dr onacloV won the award for her teaching in Digital Video and Production (DVDP) which is part of the postgraduate masters course in digital media in the Discipline of Design. This Unit of Study teaches students theoretical and philosophical enquiries behind the genre of documentary. Students work with the local Indigenous community and create three-minute digital documentaries. The course was applauded by the award panel for its creativity and imagination, and was recognised as a powerful demonstration of student and community-focused teaching. The lecturer was praised for the innovative dissemination of her teaching into the wider community, in particular the Indigenous community in Redfern.