Applying for an OLT Citation
INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
DR ALISON KUIPER , SENIOR LECTURER
INSTITUTE FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING 2015
Welcome to this session
Aim: to provide information and support
› Learning outcomes for today
› So you will
- increase your knowledge about making an application for an award
- get answers to questions
- reflect on your teaching
› and be able to
- confidently access whether to make an application
and
- prepare a quality application for an award
2
Welcome to this session
Today
› What awards are available?
› What is an OLT Citation and where do they fit?
› Looking at what’s required
› The criteria – choosing one and the changes for 2015
› Making a successful application
3
› Introductions
- Who and why you are here
- What you would like to take away from this session
› Questions throughout
4
Awards managed by the ITL
for the Education Portfolio
http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/awards/vcawards.htm
- VC’s Awards
- Outstanding Teaching
- Support for the Student Experience
- Excellence in Research
- Systems for Collective Excellence
- Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT)
- Citations
- Awards
5
Other awards
› Faculty awards
› Indigenous Education strategic bonus awards offered by the Deputy ViceChancellor (Indigenous Strategy and Services)
› The VC’s Award for Outstanding
Contributions to Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Strategy
› The University Co-op Excellence in
Teaching and Community Award
›
6
Who does what ?
› ITL has support role
- workshops and resources
- individual help - as far as possible but limited
› and administrative role
- including arranging and supporting selection panels
› for
- VC’s Awards
- OLT Citations and Awards
› Decisions made by Committee appointed by the VC (not by the ITL)
7
Vice Chancellor’s Awards 2015
Up to nine awards annually, each worth $10,000
› 4 for Outstanding Teaching, including Early Career Awards
- 1 or more of which may be Early Career
› 2 for Excellence in Higher Degree Research supervision
- may include one Level C and below
› 2 for Support of the Student Experience
and
› 1 for Systems that Achieve Collective Excellence in Learning and Teaching
8
Early Career
OLT definition
› No more than five years’ experience teaching in a higher education setting
› This should be interpreted as five cumulative calendar years
› and includes all tutoring, part-time teaching, and teaching at other higher
education institutions
›
9
Office for Learning and Teaching Awards
Awards for Teaching Excellence
• Biological Sciences, Health and Related Studies (including Agriculture, Animal
Husbandry, Medicine, Nursing etc)
• Early Career
• Humanities and the Arts
• Law, Economics, Business and Related Studies
• Neville Bonner Award/s for Indigenous Education
• Physical Sciences and Related Studies (including Architecture, Building and
Planning, Engineering, Computing and Information Science)
• Social Sciences (including Education)
• High impact strategies for progression, retention and attainment (2015 Priority Area)
- The University can submit two nominations in each category
10
Office for Learning and Teaching Awards
› Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning
- Widening participation.
- Educational partnerships and collaborations with other organisations
- Innovation and flexibility in curricula, learning and teaching.
- Postgraduate education.
- Student experience and services supporting learning, development and
growth in higher education
- Global citizenship and internationalisation
› The university can submit one nomination in each category
11
Citations are prestigious national awards
Awarded by the Office for Learning and Teaching
› Citations For Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning recognise and
reward the diversity of contributions made by individuals and teams to the
quality of student learning. They are awarded to academic staff, general
staff, sessional staff or institutional associates who have made a
significant contribution to the quality of student learning.
› In 2015, up to 150 Citations, including the Early Career category, with
prize value of $10,000 each, are available nationally
› The University can submit six nominations
12
University process
› Internal applications due 5pm Tuesday 17 March through ITL webpage
› Selection panel meets, reviews applications to choose up to 6 for the
University to nominate
› Applicants advised; support available for successful applicants
› Resubmission by 5pm Friday 24 April
› After signoff by VC, University submits applications to the OLT
by 5pm Friday 1 May
›
13
Choose one of four criteria
Your contribution will be judged
› By the evidence it gives of having
› Influenced student learning, student engagement or the overall student
experience
› Gained recognition from fellow staff, the institution and/or the broader
community
› Been sustained for a period of no less than 3 years (2 years for early
career)
14
Choosing a criterion
Approaches to teaching and the support of learning
that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn
› This may include
- fostering student development by stimulating curiosity and independence in learning
- participating in effective and empathetic guidance and advice for students
- assisting students from equity and other demographic subgroups to participate and
achieve success in their courses
- encouraging student engagement through the enthusiasm shown for learning and teaching
- inspiring and motivating students through effective communication, presentation and
interpersonal skills
- enabling others to enhance their approaches to learning and teaching
- and developing and/or integrating assessment strategies to enhance student learning
15
Development of curricula, resources or services
that reflect a command of the field
› This may include
- developing and presenting coherent and imaginative resources for student
learning
- implementing research-led approaches to learning and teaching
- demonstrating up-to-date knowledge of the field of study in the design of the
curriculum and the creation of resources for learning
- communicating clear objectives and expectations for student learning
- providing support to those involved in the development of curricula and
resources
- and contributing professional expertise to enhance curriculum or resources
16
s
Evaluation practices that bring about
improvements in teaching and learning
› Evaluation comprises making judgements about the quality of programs
and activities that are part of the academic, cultural and social experience
of higher education. This may include
- showing advanced skills in evaluation and reflective practice
- using a variety of evaluation strategies to bring about change
- adapting evaluation methods to different contexts and diverse student needs and
learning styles
- contributing professional expertise to the field of evaluation in order to improve
program design and delivery
- and the dissemination and embedding of good practice identified through
evaluation
17
Innovation, leadership or scholarship that has influenced and enhanced
learning and teaching and/or the student experience
› This may include
- participating in and contributing to professional activities related to learning and teaching
- innovations in service and support for students
- coordination, management and leadership of courses and student learning
- conducting and publishing research related to teaching
- demonstrating leadership through activities that have broad influence on the profession
- providing innovative learning and teaching for different contexts, including technology
enhanced environments, for large and small class sizes and/or to meet the needs of a
diverse student cohort
- and influencing the overall academic, social and cultural experience of higher education
18
Stages in process of making an application
Stages
›1
Read the application form carefully
›2
Note the requirements
• Written statement with citation, summary and statement addressing criteria
• References
• Photo
›3
Read the resources on the ITL site
›4
Think
Draft Gather evidence Revise
- Gather supporting evidence
- Seek help from colleagues and mentors
19
What makes an effective teacher?
› Some common characteristics
- All encourage student learning
› But not all effective teachers are the same
› Key question is whether what you do works for student learning
- Can you provide evidence of this happening?
20
›Tell your story
›and provide the evidence
in the form of triangulated data
21
Providing evidence
You need to make your case and support it
› Evidence should be of supporting student learning over time
- Quantitative
- USE or other survey data
- Show data for sequential years – evidence of improvement is valuable
- Dates, class sizes and response rates are required
- Comparable data for similar course (discipline, class size, year, program level)
may be useful
- If that’s not available use faculty data
- Use percentages, rather than means which can be misleading
- Reflective comments provide connections between data and your teaching
22
Evidence
http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/programs/teaching_insights/pdf/insight7_evidence.
pdf
- Qualitative
- Comments from USE or surveys
- With name of unit of study and date
- Other student comments
- With name of unit of study and date
- Note whether solicited or unsolicited
- Peer review
- With name of colleague, date source e.g. email etc. and whether solicited or
unsolicited
- Other comments from colleagues, invitations etc.
- With name of colleague, date, source e.g. email etc. and whether solicited or
unsolicited
23
A possible approach
› Clear articulation of aims
- What do want the students to be able to do?
- What is the situation?
› Description of approaches and strategies
- In the classroom, in assessment, overall
› Account and evidence of achievement
24
My questions
› What is your story?
› What is the evidence to back this up?
› And your questions……..
25
Resources
› Handouts on the webpages
› http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/awards/infosession.htm
› http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/programs/teaching_insights/pdf/insight7_eviden
ce.pdf
› Copies of past successful applications held in the ITL
›
People!
› Colleagues, mentors, A/Deans, past winners
26
OLT Teleconferencing workshop
Thursday 19 March 2015
› Session 1 10-11am in the ITL (but please book)
› Session 2 1-2 pm (log yourself in)
- Overview of the OLT programmes
- Workshop on how to write good award nominations
- Panel session for sharing from award recipients and assessors
- Roundtable discussion on effective support for award nominees and building
award networks
- RSVP via https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2015OLTawardsworkshop
- Registration closes two working days prior to the workshop.
27
Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching
Awards
› Do I have enough evidence to apply?
› Will it look bad if I apply more than once?
› How can I get a peer review?
28