Teaching Excellence Awards

24 June 2010

“The LSU Teaching Excellence Awards grew from a very simple idea: that we should say thank you to you; the excellent people who provide outstanding support that helps students to learn,” says Jemma Blease-Dudley, LSU Vice President (Academic Quality). “I hope that this event can become an annual celebration of the excellence that exists at our University.”

The award categories were devised by the LSU in collaboration with the Learning Development Unit. Professor Sue Thompson, LJMU’s Director of Learning and Teaching, explains: “It's been a real privilege working with LSU on the development of their awards scheme. From the outset they were determined this wasn't going to be a popularity contest. There was a recognition that the best teachers are often the ones that don't make it easy for students because they challenge them to achieve even more than they thought they could. LSU put a lot of effort in their awards criteria. And the students responded. What was striking was the students’ thoughtful, reflective accounts of why staff had made such an impact on their student experience. Occasionally funny, these accounts were also often moving. The University is currently revising its own learning and teaching awards scheme and LSU is showing the way.”

These sentiments are echoed by Professor Diana Burton, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Academic/Enhancement. “To have organised this whole scheme so quickly and professionally is very impressive," she says. "It will provide a boost to the whole of our teaching staff to see how valued their work is by students.”

Usman Ali, the NUS Vice President for Higher Education presented a number of the awards, reflecting how this form of student-led recognition of outstanding teaching and support is growing in importance. 

Outstanding Teacher Award

Over 150 students nominated 67 academics for this Award. The shortlisting for this category was described by the judges as nothing less than “inspirational”. The shortlisted academics were:

• Alex Douglas (Liverpool Business School)
• Gianluigi Giorgioni (Liverpool Business School)
• Dave Lowe (Law)
• Bill Atherton (Built Environment)
• Bob Doherty (Liverpool Business School)
• Robert Bryn Jones (Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure)
• Neil Stanley (Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure)
• Kehinde Ross (Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences)
• John Collins (Liverpool Business School)
• Jon Mathews (Liverpool Screen School)
• Alan Gunn (Natural Sciences and Psychology)
• David Llewellyn-Jones (Computing and Mathematical Sciences)

The winner of the Award was Alan Gunn (pictured right). Here’s what some of his students had to say:

"He lectures about the most difficult and boring things in the degree, but he does it so we love going to his lectures. His quotes are legendary." and "He talks to us as if we are as intelligent as he is (which clearly most of us aren't) but it gives us the belief that we can better ourselves. That isn't to say that he is one of those 'everyone's friend' lecturers. It is the mix of his sternness, his high professionalism, his extreme good nature, his no-nonsense approach to slackers and his quirky charm that have led to the enormous respect he holds with all who have been taught by him.”

Best Personal Tutor Award

All of the nominations for this Award showed the huge amount of gratitude that students have for their personal tutors, with many stating that without their support and guidance that they would not still be at LJMU.

Six nominees were shortlisted:

• Sarah Nixon (Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure)
• Steve Burns (Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure)
• Joe McGrath (Liverpool Business School)
• Janet Jamieson (Social Science)
• Rosey Stock (Natural Sciences and Psychology)
• David Tyrer (Social Science)

Steve Burns and Sarah Nixon (pictured right) were joint winners of the Best Personal Tutor Award.

Outstanding Individual Achievement Award

The Outstanding Individual Achievement Award was presented to David Billington (Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences) in recognition of his unwavering commitment and support to students. Commments from students included: “Dave is an asset to LJMU and I feel my university experience has been furthered by having such an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and down-to-earth member of staff. I am sure I speak for many of the students when I say he deserves recognition for all of his selfless hard work.”

Best Academic Supervisor Award

Nominations for this category were received from all levels of undergraduate students as well as those on masters degrees and PhD programmes. Five nominees were shortlisted:

• Phil Vickerman (Faculty of Education Community and Leisure)
• Ahmed Al-Shamma’a (Built Environment)
• Steve Burns (Education, Community and Leisure)
• Charlotte Bretherton (Social Science)
• Keith Thompson (Liverpool Business School)

The winner of the Best Academic Supervisor Award was Ahmed Al-Shamma’a.

Best Use of Technology in Teaching Award

The nominees in this category were Jason Laws (Liverpool Business School) and Katie Barnes (Health and Applied Social Sciences). The judges liked how both had embraced technology to help students access and love their subject.

The award went to Katie Barnes in recognition of her use of WIMBA to deliver weekly online lectures for students across the UK.

Best Course Rep Award

Students have a crucial part to play to improving the quality of education at LJMU and this Award recognises the commitment of student volunteers.

The nominees were:

• Trinity Musobe
• Matthew O’Hara
• James Fellowes
• Rebecca Martin
• Tony Kelly

The Award was presented to Trinity Musobe (pictured above right) and Tony Kelly (pictured right).

Best Feedback Award

The nominees for this Award were:

• Julie Connolly (Health and Applied Social Sciences)
• Bryan Scott (Social Science)
• Martin Nightingale (on behalf of the Politics team)

The winner of the Award was Bryan Scott, who impressed the judges by providing feedback to students that was specific, easily digested and consistent across all work and the entire cohort.

Best Teaching of Skills for Employability Award

The nominees for this Award were:

• Alex Irving (Liverpool Screen School)
• Pertrina Glassbrook (Faculty of Health and Applied Social Sciences)
• Jon Moorehouse (Liverpool School of Art and Design)
• Steph Davy-Jow (Natural Sciences and Psychology)
• Andrew Powell (Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences)

The award went to Steph Davy-Jow (pictured right), who was described by students as making them glad that they had chosen “their degree because it was everything it said it would be in the prospectus”.

Outstanding Programme Team Award

The nominees in this category were:

• Social Work
• Sports Development
• Law
• Leisure and Tourism

The award went to Sports Development (Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure). Speaking on behalf of the winning programme team, Centre Leader Barbara Walsh (pictured above) said: “We were absolutely delighted to win the outstanding team award. It means so much to receive an award based on student feedback.”

Outstanding Support Team Award

The Outstanding Support Team Award was presented to the Faculty of Business and Law’s Work-Based Learning Unit (pictured right).