Australian Awards for University Teaching

Award for Teaching Excellence

Associate Professor Beth Loveys and Dr Karina Riggs (Team award), School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Faculty of SET.

Since 2011, Education Specialists Beth and Karina have enhanced the transition of second year students through to completion in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine. They have led fit-for-purpose initiatives to enhance learning and engagement through thoughtfully and intentionally addressing the needs of their students. 

Beth and Karina provide stimulating and invigorating learning environments which cater to student diversity, embrace their life experiences and prepare them to be at the forefront of knowledge and practice to solve global issues such as global food security, climate change, sustainability, carbon footprints and transformative technologies.

Their strategies include the use of real-life scenarios and hands on application through Flipped Laboratories, Team-Based Learning, Students as Partners and Discovery Learning. In 2019, they took Discovery Learning pedagogy to the next level by involving students in research and development for a start-up company, Mister Rye^TM, to produce sustainable drinking straws. Another example of their successful work is the Waite Peer Mentor Program established in 2018. Through creating the space for a range of social activities they have facilitated informal opportunities for students and staff to meet which supports the students’ transition to the campus in their second year and builds a Waite Campus Community. 

Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Dr Hong Cai, School of Social Sciences, Faculty of ABLE

Hong has received a citation 'For excellence and leadership in developing language initiatives that support the social inclusion and cultural integration of international students and enhance student experiences across disciplines'.

Her work addresses both the challenge many international students face in gaining a sense of belonging in their host country, and the challenge for domestic students in learning a foreign language without an authentic, immersive environment. She has broken social and cultural bubbles through a variety of innovative and authentic learning experiences including the Volunteer Tutors Program (VTP) and Inter-professional learning which brings students in the Master of Arts in Interpreting, Translation and Trans-cultural Communication together with students in medicine and law.

Hong's impact has been far reaching with over 800 international and 1300 domestic students participating in the VTP, and more than 1500 in the inter-professional learning program.

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Professor Kerry Wilkinson
For creative digital technologies that support independent learning, overcome discipline-specific learning and teaching challenges, and inspire wine making/ wine business students to engage with industry practice.

Team - Principles of Public Law (PPL)

• Associate Professor Matthew Stubbs
• Ms Cornelia Koch

For enlivening first-year law students’ spirit of discovery in a large compulsory course through an authentic inquiry-based learning experience enabled by flipped classroom pedagogy.

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Associate Professor Lyndsey Collins-Praino
For effective use of gamification to teach neuroscience, leading to a deeper understanding of course material and richer student engagement.

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Dr Peter Hill
For sustained commitment, innovation and leadership in the education of veterinary dermatology and immunology at local, national and international levels.

Dr Nicolene Lottering
For engaging digital learners through a technology-enhanced learning framework to improve deep learning and student engagement in second year anatomy students. For engaging digital learners through a technology-enhanced learning framework to improve deep learning and student engagement in second year anatomy students.
 

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

The BEST Team

• Associate Professor Catherine Snelling  (Current Titleholder with the University of Adelaide)
• Associate Professor Sophie Karanicolas 

For the BEST approach: enhancing learning and teaching through a sustained colleague development program.

Professor Michael Liebelt
For leadership and innovation in the development of curricula and pathways in professional engineering education, designed to improve flexibility and choice for students.

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Associate Professor Dimitra Lekkas
 For leading cultural change in approaches to the dental clinical student learning environment, through the provision of outstanding support of sessional staff.

Professor Natalie Edwards
For the development of a new curriculum built around an e-learning environment, which has significantly increased student success and retention in first-year French

Foundations of Chemistry Team

• Associate Professor David Huang
• Associate Professor Natalie Williamson
• Professor Greg Metha
• Associate Professor Stephen Bell

For restructuring the first year chemistry pathway to provide students with limited chemistry knowledge a supportive learning environment that encourages engagement and academic excellence.