Martina Bramkamp

Outstanding Contribution to Teaching & Learning Award 2016

This award recognises an outstanding contribution by a staff member, teaching or professional, to teaching and learning during their time working at Kingston University. This new award was designed to reward and honour unusual dedication and or outstanding contribution by a staff member.

Winner: Martina Bramkamp – The Design School

Martina was nominated for this award by many of her students on the BA Illustration and Animation course. She goes far beyond what is needed to be a great tutor. The years of experience in the field and with students enables her to give feedback that is relevant to the course but also support the students' development as animators and film makers which isn't on the curriculum. Martina understands her students on a fundamental level and is able to cater her lessons and feedback for each student. She knows what each student needs to hear at certain times and this enables great teaching, ongoing academic support as well as emotional and wellbeing support. Her feedback during tutorials or reviews is always very critical and concise, but she will always emphasise that those are just suggestion, at the end the students will have to make their own decision on their work.

The standout aspects of the nominations that were submitted by her students were the remarks on how Martina, over everything else, has inspired her students to be bold, to push themselves and to be confident to go into the 'real world'. She helps students shape their identity as animators and as adults and shows examples of what they can be and what they can do in the future.

It is not difficult to see why her students describe her as 'dedicated', 'inspirational' and 'truly talented'. Her dedication to her profession and her teaching has provided an excellent example to her students of outstanding contribution to learning and teaching.

Outstanding Contribution to Teaching & Learning Award 2017

Runner-up: Martina Bramkamp

Definition: This award recognises an outstanding contribution by a staff member (teaching or professional) to teaching and learning during their time working at Kingston University. This new award was designed to reward and honour unusual dedication and/ or outstanding contribution by a staff member.

Core criteria: They produce high quality/ quantity of work/ research over extended period of time. They produce one-off significant piece of work/ research that has lasting impact over period of time. Staff member makes significant contribution to, or impact on, student life over extended period of time. Staff member makes a one-off significant contribution to student life that has lasting impact over period of time. Shows dedication to their role above and beyond normal expectations, going the extra mile for the betterment of students and/ or Kingston University.

Eligibility: Nominations are open for any Kingston University staff member (teaching or professional).

Qualifications

• Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching
• Fellow Higher Education Academy

Courses taught

• Illustration Animation BA (Hons)
• Animation MA

In my action research proposal as part of the postgraduate certificate in learning and teaching I identified that as a study skill, note-taking was creating confusing and problematic scenarios for students and tutors alike. An obvious reluctance to write down valuable, thought-provoking and challenging information, right through the animation department, puzzled me and made me realise that in order to understand and to possibly change the situation I had to investigate further into theories of learning and teaching.

To discuss work in progress is an essential element of the everyday teaching and learning environment within the animation department. This implies that in order to be able to progress within the course, specific facts and actions will be explained and applied to expand the field of research. This can include information like work by other directors and artists, or theoretical elements like film specific and technical vocabulary. However even if students takes notes vital and critical information can get lost in the heat of the moment. Note-taking is a skill that requires simple recall and writing techniques or coding systems to be able to capture information fast and reliable to the true nature of what has been said. Students can experience problems by actively writing down words onto paper not only due to the fact of writing difficulties such as dyslexia or other learning difficulties, but also because they simply haven't yet discovered positive aspects of this activity and regard it as a nuisance.

In 2008, having followed an approved programme of study in learning and teaching for one year, I was awarded the postgraduate certificate at the centre for learning and teaching in art and design at the University of the Arts London. Based on this qualification I was awarded the status of fellow of higher education academy.