Our annual awards celebrating teaching and learning

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Professor Gavin Brooks, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), with some of the winners

Over 50 members of staff have been recognised for their outstanding contribution to teaching and learning at a special awards ceremony hosted by Professor Gavin Brooks, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning. This is our annual opportunity for us to celebrate the significant and ongoing contributions that our colleagues make to teaching and learning.  

The International Study and Language Institute; the University Library (Study Advice and Maths support team; and the Henley Business  School (Alumni Relations and Development team) won the Collaborative University award for outstanding contributions to teaching and learning, which recognises and rewards staff who have made significant, on-going contributions to teaching and learning support.

University of Reading Teaching Fellowships were awarded to individuals who have demonstrated excellence to teaching and learning within the University; colleagues who have been awarded Higher Education Authority Fellowships through the University's Flair scheme, as well as Professor Matthew Almond, who this year has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, were also recognised.

The David Malvern Portfolio Prize, named after the late Professor David Malvern who was PGCAP Programme Director from its inception in 2001, was awarded to three outstanding projects this year for colleagues in the Institute of Education, the School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, and School of Systems Engineering.

More details on the individual award winners below:

Collaborative University award for outstanding contributions to teaching and learning

The International Study & Language Institute (MOOCs Team)

The award was made in relation to their work on their MOOC ‘A beginner's guide to writing in

English for University Study' which is one of the first UK MOOCs targeted specifically at international students.  The team worked very well together, contributing very different expertise to make this a success.  The team have also gained insights in how to support students working away from Reading in joint teaching collaborations or at our campus in Malaysia.

• Mrs Anne Vicary
• Dr Elizabeth Wilding
• Mr Sebastian Watkins
• Mr Steve Thomas
• Mr Luke Micallef

University Library (Study Advice & Maths Support Team)

This award recognises the collaborative development of innovative self-help materials for students. Sets of ‘video tutorials' or screencasts on aspects of essay writing and referencing were developed to support areas frequently noted as in need of improvement in assignment feedback  This development will have a clear impact on a wide range of students.

•  Mrs Helen Hathaway
• Dr Michelle Reid
• Mrs Sonia Hood
• Dr Kim Shahabudin

Henley Business School (Alumni Relations & Development Team)

This award was for the Pathways to Property initiative which was launched in 2012 by the Reading Real Estate Foundation (RREF) with the aim to widen access and diversity of applications to the property sector and real estate degrees at the University of Reading. This initiative was a collaboration between REP and Henley Alumni Relations and Development. It included a successful Summer School, with 30% of attendees then making applications to study real estate courses at the University of Reading with 25% receiving offers. 

• Mrs Jane Symmons
• Mrs Nicole Gillham
• Miss Bronnie Edwards
• Professor Peter Wyatt
• Mrs Cathy Hughes
• Mrs Rachel Lad

The University of Reading Teaching Fellowship

The University of Reading Teaching Fellowship is a prestigious award conferred on an individual who has demonstrated individual excellence and contributed to the development of teaching and learning within the University. The Fellowship is designed to support staff to further develop in this area.

 This year, 5 Fellowships were awarded:  

• Dr Alistair Culham - Biological Sciences
• Dr Rebecca Green - Chemistry, Food & Pharmacy
• Dr Emma Mayhew - Politics & International Relations
• Dr Michelle Reid - Student & Academic Services
• Catherine Foley from the Institute of Education;

The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme NTFS

The Higher Education Academy runs the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and each year up to 55 awards of £10,000 are made to recognise individual excellence.

The purpose of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme is to raise the profile of learning and teaching.  It recognises and celebrates individuals who make an outstanding impact on the student learning experience, and provide a national focus for institutional teaching and learning schemes.

This year Professor Matthew Almond has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship.

Postgraduate Certificate the Academic Practice (PGCAP)

The PGCAP is a programme designed specifically to meet the continuing professional development (CPD) needs of new lecturers. The programme is accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA); those who complete successfully are qualified for Fellow status of the HEA.

Staff studying the PGCAP are required to create a reflective teaching portfolio and to undertake a teaching and learning research project relating to their area of interest. All projects and portfolios submitted as part of the PGCAP are eligible to be considered for the Portfolio and Project Prizes.

The David Malvern Portfolio Prize

This award is given to those who best demonstrate a commitment to continual improvement and development.  It is named after the late Professor David Malvern who was PGCAP Programme Director from its inception in 2001.  David was a remarkable man and the PGCAP programme benefitted greatly from his energy, expertise and passion for teaching and learning.

David's wife Sue presented the prize to 3 outstanding projects this year:

• Mrs Janet Thomson, Institute of Education
• Dr Lotte Meteyard, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences
• Dr Karsten Lundqvist, School of Systems Engineering

 The Project Prize went to

• Dr Lotte Meteyard, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences
• Her project was entitled ‘Following instructions on a piece of paper for me does not equate to understanding': constructing research methods and statistics teaching for student clinicians.

HEA Fellowships awarded through the University's Flair scheme

The University of Reading has many staff who are professionally recognised by the HEA, at all 4 levels (Associate, Fellow, Senior and Principal). 

HEA Fellowship has been awarded to

• Kerry Webb
• Maura O'Regan
• Andreas Hoepner
• Ricardo Grau-Crespo

Senior Fellowship has been awarded to

• Simon Sherratt
• Sam Weston
• Michelle Reid
• Emma Mayhew

In addition to this Clare McCullagh from CQSD has also recently become an official HEA Accreditor. This is a competitive process and is another prestigious achievement for the University.