University of AK scoops three Teaching Excellence Awards

Media Release

The University of Auckland

10 July 2013

University of Auckland scoops three Teaching Excellence Awards

Three top University of Auckland teachers have won 2013 national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards.

At a ceremony held at Parliament on Tuesday 9 July ten awards for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching (worth $20,000 each) were presented to recognise and celebrate New Zealand’s finest tertiary teachers.

University of Auckland recipients were: Associate Professor Bryony James from the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Professor Alison Jones, Te Puna Wānanga, School of Māori Education and Associate Professor Cather Simpson, School of Chemical Sciences.

“A key focus of the awards is to identify and reward teaching practices that are student-focused and promote effective learning,” says Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon.

“We are delighted that all three of our nominees have been successful, and The University of Auckland extends its congratulations for their outstanding efforts, reflective of the world class teaching standards this University is proud to uphold.”

Associate Professor Bryony James joined the University’s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering in 1998 and was soon winning accolades for her outstanding teaching.  Students describe Bryony’s enthusiasm as “infectious”, and appreciate her humour and approachability.  Bryony is noted for her ability to explain concepts clearly. She carefully monitors understanding of potentially difficult core concepts; employs multiple techniques to cater for different learning styles; and uses memorable demonstrations and examples that resonate with students and provide context for their learning.  Meticulous preparation of lectures, and refinement through reflection on practice are hallmarks of Bryony’s teaching.

Professor Alison Jones began teaching at the University in 1986, and joined Te Puna Wānanga, School of Māori Education, in 2004. She has had outstanding success supervising postgraduate students, especially Māori and Pacific Island students. She identifies three keys to her teaching:  forming a supportive and inspiring relationship that will get the best work from the student; the importance of collective learning to the development of researchers; and the idea that researchers are writers, and that academic writing should be engaging and interesting.  Her academic writing workshops, in demand in New Zealand and elsewhere, are “legendary”.

Cather Simpson was appointed jointly to the School of Chemical Sciences and Department of Physics in 2007, and also contributes to an English course.  Cather’s teaching philosophy is to help students learn what they need to succeed in their own lives, and she fosters an ethos of independence and self-motivation in students.  Active and co-operative learning are central to Cather’s classes, encouraged through activities such as “convince your neighbour” sessions, group problem solving and “Problem of the Day” exercises. Cather provides opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research projects; is actively involved in pedagogical research, and is involved in a number of community outreach activities.

The national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards (TTEA) were established in 2001 and are managed and administered by Ako Aotearoa – The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.  They aim to celebrate and encourage excellence in tertiary teaching and provide an opportunity for teachers to share good practice and inspire peers.  Up to 12 Sustained Excellence Awards of $20,000 are awarded each year.  One recipient also receives the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award.  This year it went to Associate Professor Gordon Sanderson, leading ophthalmologist from the School of Medicine, University of Otago.

For more information about the TTEAs please visit:   www.akoaotearoa.ac.nz/awards

ENDS

© Scoop Media