HUMANITIES DIVISION
Teaching Awards 2015: guidance for applicants
1.
Summary
The Oxford Teaching Awards Scheme offers public recognition of excellence in teaching and
the support of student learning. Under the Humanities Teaching Awards scheme for 2015,
awards will be available in two categories: Teaching Excellence and Teaching Projects. The
Humanities Division is making funding available for Teaching Project Awards to enable
individual academics or groups of academics to undertake projects related to learning and
teaching.
2.
Invitation to apply
All Humanities academics are invited to apply for a Teaching Excellence Award and/or for a
Teaching Project Award. The 2015 Humanities Teaching Awards scheme will be run at
Divisional level and applications will be considered in one gathered field by the Humanities
Teaching Awards Review Group on 11 June (Week 7, TT15).
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Noon on Thursday 28 May 2015 (Week 5, TT15)
Note: This is the deadline for applications to be submitted to the Humanities Division.
Applicants must ensure that they obtain a statement of support/approval from their Faculty
Board Chair in time for their applications to be submitted by this deadline.
3.
Type of awards
Under the Humanities Teaching Awards scheme for 2015, awards will be available in two
categories:
(i)
Teaching Excellence Awards. All academics who undertake teaching of undergraduate
and graduate students in the Humanities at Oxford are eligible to apply or to be
nominated by their Faculty Board for a Teaching Excellence Award in the Humanities. It
is anticipated that between three and six awards will be made. These awards do not
include a monetary element. See Annex 1 for application procedures.
(ii)
Teaching Project Awards. All Oxford academics who undertake teaching of
undergraduate and graduate students in the Humanities at Oxford are eligible to apply
for a Teaching Project Award, including funding of £1k to £5k to cover costs related to
the project. Applications may be submitted by individuals, or by groups of individuals
planning a joint project. The funding for Teaching Project Awards could be used in a
number of ways, for example for buyouts, for administrative or research support to
underpin the project, for materials, or for software development. It is expected that all
projects will be completed by July 2016. See Annex 2 for application procedures.
4.
Assessment of applications
Applications will be considered by the Humanities Teaching Awards Review Group.
Applications will be assessed on the basis of the information provided by applicants and the
statement of support from their faculties. For more detailed selection criteria, see Annex 3.
5.
Outcome of applications
Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their applications after the meeting in Week 7.
The Oxford Learning Institute (OLI) will arrange a ceremony for all successful applicants across
the University, to be held in Michaelmas Term, and will publicise the awards on their website.
DM 30.04.15
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ANNEX 1
APPLICATION PROCESS: Teaching Excellence Awards
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Noon on Thursday 28 May 2015 (Week 5, TT15)
Applicants must ask their Faculty Board Chair to provide a supporting statement. Applications,
including the supporting statement, must be submitted to: Dag Martinsen, Academic and
Personnel Administrator, Humanities Division (dag.martinsen@humanities.ox.ac.uk).
1.
Applications from individuals are encouraged. Faculty Board Chairs are also invited to
nominate eligible colleagues for a Teaching Excellence Award.
2.
The Division would particularly welcome applications that demonstrate one or more of the
following:
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3.
the use of innovatory teaching methods and/or structures (e.g. the balance of tutorials
and classes; new forms of assessment and feedback on formative assessment work);
significant contributions towards the development of new course options, or towards
new course materials for existing courses;
the use of IT in teaching.
Information to be provided by the applicant:

Applicant details: the applicant’s title, full name, email address, faculty and college,
and type of post (e.g. UL in English).

A brief account (no more than two pages) by the applicant covering the teaching
undertaken, a rationale for its form, an account of its development over time, and
including a description of any special methods used, innovations introduced, or
teaching materials developed.

Applications should be supported by written evidence/testimonial as follows:
o A statement of support from the faculty, written by the Faculty Board Chair or
nominee.
o Student feedback, where available – an overview of student feedback, rather
than raw, unanalysed data or individual student feedback forms.
o A testimonial from the applicant’s college, where the application relates to
college teaching.
4.
Note: There is no monetary value attached to Teaching Awards made in recognition of
individual excellence in teaching.
5.
Selection criteria: see Annex 3
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ANNEX 2
APPLICATION PROCESS: Teaching Project Awards
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Noon on Friday 28 May 2015 (Week 5, TT15)
Applicants must ask their Faculty Board Chair to provide a supporting statement. Applications,
including the supporting statement, must be submitted to: Dag Martinsen, Academic and
Personnel Administrator, Humanities Division (dag.martinsen@humanities.ox.ac.uk).
1.
Applications are invited from individual academics, or groups of academics, to undertake
projects related to undergraduate or graduate teaching and learning.
2.
The Division would particularly welcome applications for projects in the following areas:
 research into teaching methods, eg exploring different modes of delivery of
undergraduate or graduate teaching – projects in this area will be prioritised;
 developing the teaching skills of doctoral students and/or early career academics;
 educational initiatives to promote access (eg summer schools);
 the use of IT in teaching;
 improved collection and analysis of feedback from students.
3.
Information to be provided by the applicant:
 Applicant details: the applicant’s title, full name, email address, faculty and college, and
type of post (e.g. UL in English). If the proposed project will be carried out by a team,
then the main applicant should provide brief details of other team members.
 Project proposal: a brief description of the proposed project, the proposed timetable
and the expected outcomes.
 Budget/summary of costs: how much money is required for the project; how will the
money be used (e.g. for a buyout or to pay an IT developer to create some software).
4.
Information to be provided by the faculty:
 The faculty must provide a statement of support, written by the Faculty Board Chair or
his or her nominee, for each applicant.
 If the faculty is submitting more than one application, the faculty must rank the
applications and give a brief statement explaining the basis of the ranking.
5.
Recipients of Teaching Project Awards will be expected to complete their projects by July 2016,
and to submit a report to Academic Committee upon completion of the project.
6.
Some Teaching Project Awards made in previous years – for information
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Team project at the Faculty of English trialling a new strategy for teaching translation
Developing a digital edition of a medieval manuscript for the Faculty of History website
Workshops on teaching methods for doctoral students in the English Faculty
Creation of e-resources to introduce students to aesthetic impact of the Reformation
Development of user-friendly e-resources offered to students studying Medieval French
Development of the Physical Computing Project at the Ruskin School
Selection criteria: see Annex 3
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ANNEX 3
HUMANITIES TEACHING AWARDS 2015 – SELECTION CRITERIA
1.
GENERAL
The Humanities Division’s Teaching Awards Scheme and criteria for assessing applications have
evolved from the University-wide scheme which existed several years ago. All applications will be
assessed based on information and evidence provided by applicants and their faculties.
2.
TEACHING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
In assessing applications for individual Teaching Awards, the Humanities Teaching Awards Review
Group will look for excellence above that normally expected and will require the case to be
supported by evidence/testimonials. Examples of categories and possible evidence that might be
submitted are set out below to give an indication of topics that applicants might cover in their
applications. Applications will be assessed using the evidence provided but candidates will not be
expected to provide material under each category heading listed and there may also be additional
supporting material that candidates wish to submit in areas not listed below.
Outstanding teaching practice, and individual commitment to teaching – evidence of:
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Excellence in teaching above that normally expected
Development of a thoughtful and well grounded personal rationale for teaching
Development showing progressive improvements in courses and/or teaching, supported by
evaluation evidence
Contributing new methods adopted by colleagues
Publication or conference presentation concerning teaching, or other form of external
recognition of contributions to the development of teaching
Exceptional support for individual students at admissions, through tutorials, through tutor
guidance, extra-curricular support and through other means:
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Evidence of successful innovations in student support arrangements in the Faculty or College
Student feedback through College feedback systems
Letters of support from relevant College officers
Exceptional work on widening access to Oxford courses:
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Outline of access work undertaken
Evidence of impact of access work
Successful planning and introduction of new courses or successful innovations in teaching –
evidence of:
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Good planning and preparation for a new course
Responsiveness to feedback on course/innovation
Student learning outcomes and performance (examiners’ reports, results)
Successful improvements to the organisation of teaching
Support provided to colleagues in developing their teaching for the course, or in adopting a
new method of teaching
Outstandingly successful DPhil supervision – evidence of:
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Regular and high quality supervision of students
The creation of good support structures within the discipline
Good induction arrangements
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Input to the creation of a high quality intellectual environment for graduate students
(programme of seminars, conferences etc for students)
Innovative and effective transferable skills training and career development support for
students
Evidence of good networking arrangements put in place for students
Outstanding organisation and leadership in teaching – evidence of:
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Successful organisation of teaching
Progressive improvements in courses and/or teaching, supported by evaluative evidence
Contributing new methods adopted by colleagues
Improved student learning outcomes and performance
Support provided to colleagues in developing their teaching for the course
Professional development concerning teaching
Significant role played in the development of teaching of the discipline nationally or
internationally – evidence of:
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3.
Publication or conference presentation concerning teaching, or other form of external
recognition of contributions to the development of teaching
Developing teaching within the University
TEACHING PROJECT AWARDS
The allocation of Teaching Project Awards will be based on an assessment of whether the proposed
project:
 is realistic in terms of scope, time and cost;
 fits in with overall faculty/divisional strategic aims; and
 is likely to make a significant contribution to the faculty’s activities and/or the
applicant’s area of work.
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