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Monday, 4 August 2008

Eight staff from the University of Adelaide will be recognised as among the best educators in Australia when they receive national awards for excellence in teaching and learning this week.

The staff will receive the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citations, worth $10,000 each, for outstanding contributions to the quality of student learning.

The citations are awarded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) (formerly known as the Carrick Institute). They will be presented to the University of Adelaide staff at a celebration to be held this Thursday, 7 August, at the University's National Wine Centre, Adelaide.

University of Adelaide staff awarded a citation in 2008 are:

Dr Karin Barovich - School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (Geology & Geophysics)
For outstanding contribution to the personal and academic development of first-year students in Geology, leading to successful transition from high school to university.

Associate Professor Tom Burton - School of Humanities (English)
For successfully stimulating deep learning by bringing to the study of English both rigour and a boundless enthusiasm that challenge and inspire students to achieve.

Dr Katrina Falkner - School of Computer Science
For enhancing learning and contributing to the successful transition of first-year Computer Science students through cooperative learning activities.

Associate Professor Peter Devitt - School of Medicine; and
Mr Edward Palmer - Centre for Learning and Professional Development
Team award: For the development of innovative and comprehensive blended learning resources to provide medical students stimulating opportunities to develop their problem-solving and diagnostic skills.

Associate Professor Simon Pyke - School of Chemistry & Physics (Chemistry)
For enabling successful learning in the discipline of organic chemistry by providing a supportive, student-centred learning environment that fosters self-confidence and independent learning.

Professor Hemanta Sarma - Australian School of Petroleum
For initiating students into the profession of Petroleum Engineering while interacting with them to secure their welfare as individuals and success as scholars.

Associate Professor David Walker - School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Engineering
For providing a supportive learning environment while improving learning outcomes through the implementation of a successful self-paced learning strategy for engineering modelling and analysis.

The University's Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor James McWha, says: "The awards being given to our staff are national recognition of the quality of their work, placing them among the finest educators Australia has to offer.

"They are to be congratulated not just for winning these awards, but for their unique and ongoing contributions to the quality of teaching and learning at our University.

"There is no doubt that the quality of staff makes a huge difference to the level of education students receive. The quality of staff and the educational experience at the University of Adelaide are major reasons why graduates of our University go on to excel in all fields of endeavour," Professor McWha says.

This is the third year in a row that a staff member from the Discipline of English at the University of Adelaide has received one of these $10,000 learning and teaching citations.

Over the past two years, three staff members from the School of Civil, Environmental & Mining Engineering have won these citations.

For more information about learning and teaching at the University of Adelaide, visit:
www.adelaide.edu.au/learning/