New fellows praised for inspiring learning

22/02/05

New fellows praised for inspiring learning

Innovative teaching methods and development of pioneering online learning systems have earned 11 University staff prestigious fellowships. The two-year fellowships were set up to recognise academic and support staff for their teaching achievements. A panel including Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Caroline Gipps and Director of Academic Development Dr Larry Roberts judged applications to the new annual scheme.

Backed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the University’s Human Resources department, each fellow will receive £5,000 to support their chosen project. These include the Maths Aid Scheme and a programme to help students master advanced essay writing. Principal lecturer Dr Neil Williams was recognised for his work setting up videos of chemistry experiments on Blackboard. “Students can access demonstrations online again and again without having to find a member of staff to help them,” Dr Williams said. “I’m now planning to look more closely at the impact of different teaching methods on students.”

The fellowship scheme reflected the place learning and teaching occupied at the heart of the University’s activities, Associate Head of the Academic Development Centre Sheila Browning said. “It’s important for staff to see their teaching achievement is being acknowledged because their day-to-day work has an overall impact on the student experience,” she said.

Kingston’s nominations for HEFCE’s National Teaching Fellowship awards will be drawn from this elite group.