Criteria for Award (Appendix 3)

It is not expected that all criteria will be met by all nominees and, although a nomination that is strong in all categories is likely to be well placed, it should be noted that the Selection Panel also may also recognise nominations that have a particular strength or notable aspect.

Teaching excellence criteria are listed here together with brief comments on each: 

• Enhancement of student learning experience

How has/have the nominee(s) practice enhanced the student learning experience?

What evidence can you provide to support this claim?

Some base line of evidence against which enhancement can be judged needs to be evidenced, such as student evaluations, comments from External Examiners or Professional Bodies.

• The impact and sustainability of innovations in teaching

What innovations has/have the nominee(s) introduced to teaching in the discipline?

What evidence can you provide on the adoption/adaption of these innovations by others?

This might mean that the nominee has engaged in developing a new approach to teaching, perhaps making use of the University's Learning & Teaching Development Fund, or it might refer to a generally imaginative and flexible approach to teaching.  Details should be provided of the impact of the work on teaching and /or student learning. The impact of this innovation should be sustained and have been adopted/ adapted by others within or outwith the University.

• Enhancing graduate attributes through research/ professional practice teaching linkages

How does/do the nominee(s) integrate their research and/or professional practice and teaching in such a way that enhances their students' graduate attributes?

There are many ways in which research/professional practice teaching linkages can be pursued.  For example:

• including cutting-edge ideas from own or others' research/professional practice within the curriculum;
• teaching about the research process and research methods;
• engaging the students in enquiry based learning and thus enabling them to work in research-like ways, e.g. asking students to set problems as well as to solve them;
• engaging students in research projects;
• engaging students in reflective work-based learning projects.

There are, therefore, a number of bases on which a claim can be made for teaching excellence under this criteria. How particular research/professional practice teaching linkages support the development of graduate attributes (in a disciplinary or generic context) should be evidenced.

• Fostering student engagement in learning

How do/does the nominee(s):

• Promote student engagement in the learning process?
• Support their students’ learning?
• Foster student responsibility for learning?

Student engagement and responsibility for learning can be fostered through a range of practices, including academic support, guidance, feedback, PDP, academic skills development, and so on. Documentary evidence of supporting written materials or of particularly helpful feedback approaches may be appropriate here. Confirmation by learners themselves may well be the most telling source of evidence. Other aspects which may be evidenced in this section are where the work of the nominee fosters a flexibility of learning to suit the student, and/or where the work has had a notable positive outcome on student retention.

• Student attainment

How effective has the nominee(s) teaching been in supporting student attainment?

Under these criteria, the nominee might describe the ways in which their approaches to teaching, the use of different teaching methodologies, assessment/feedback strategies, and challenges of particular teaching scenarios such as large class size, aim to support student attainment. It may be possible to evidence in certain cases, how interventions on the part of the nominee, have enabled a student or cohort of students to improve their performance.

• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, including dissemination of work

How do/does the nominee(s):

• Evaluated or researched their teaching?
• Disseminated their practice?
• Kept up to date in their discipline and in the field of learning, teaching and assessment in higher education?

This may include evidence such as sessions run for the Learning & Teaching Centre or for the appropriate Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy or other external body. It may also include conference presentations and publications on learning and teaching matters. It may also include evidence of relevant CPD.

• Leadership or distributed leadership role

What leadership, or distributed leadership (team nominations) role has/have the nominee(s) taken in teaching/learning support within the discipline or departmental context?

This would include evidence of how their leadership has influenced others, by taking a leading role in the management and/or development of teaching within a department and/or subject area. In the context of the nomination of a group of staff, this may include evidence of the way their work has impacted more widely in the department or faculty.

Special Categories of Award

The Selection Panel may decide to make one or more of the awards in recognition of nominees that fall into one of the following categories.  Nominations should indicate where a nominee falls into either of these:

• Early Career

In this category, the nominee will be within the first five years of their career as a University Teacher or Lecturer (and will have no prior experience as a teacher in other sectors).  This category of award may be made in recognition of colleagues who have been highly innovative and have developed exceptional expertise in a relatively short period of time.  Judgements in this category will take into account the limitations of time with regard to developing a breadth of achievement. 

• Careers Distinguished by Significant and Sustained Commitment to Excellence

In this category, the nominee should have demonstrated sustained commitment through teaching and/or support for learning which may be academic and/or pastoral, and which has been of an exceptionally high standard over a significant period of time.  Documentary evidence might include a track record of positive student evaluations, confirmation by or testaments from students (current or former), and support from staff (either peers or colleagues who have been inspired by and /or learned from the candidate).