FoA L&T Awards – Learning and Teaching Hub

The Faculty of Arts Learning and Teaching Awards highlight and reward individuals and teams who make outstanding contributions to learning and teaching in the Faculty of Arts. Award categories focus on learning and teaching which improves the quality of student engagement, experience and learning outcomes at the student, unit and/or course level and recognise excellence across the Faculty.

Award applications for 2023 are now closed.

Award Application Exemplars (MQ login required)

Bailey_2017VC_Citation Application (Flipped classrooms)
Barkat-Pearlman_2017VC_Citation Application (Employability)
Froissard_2017VC_Citation Application (Learning analytics)
André_2018_FoA_Citation_Nomination
FOA_PACE_2017_FoA_Citation_Nomination

Past Winners

2022

2022 Winners

Early Career award

This award recognises excellence in teaching by an early career academic.

Dr Madeline Taylor – Macquarie Law School
Madeline has undertaken significant work on re-developing the commercial law curriculum. Madeleine worked with legal profession and Indigenous leaders to develop a case-based model that connects doctrinal aspects of commercial law curriculum to climate change, the housing crisis, and systemic racism in the commercial legal sector. Hers is one of the first commercial law curriculums in Australia that elevate Indigenous legal perspectives to problem-solve some of those issues. She’s also developed opportunities for students to showcase their work to the profession – through InHouse Counsel, a peer-reviewed practitioner journal. This is a great motivator for students (giving them the opportunity to see the work they do in the unit recognised beyond the University), and also testament to how the profession regards the work Madeline has been doing in commercial law teaching.

Learning Innovation award

This award recognises staff who are committed to the philosophy of improving the quality of student learning through innovation.

Team from Department of History and Archaeology and FoA learning design
Ronika Power, Michael Rampe, Beverley Miles, Mary Hartley, Jacinta Carruthers, Crystal Miller, and Hannah Vogel
The team was awarded for the work they did to innovate and implement digital story assessments over five years in Archaeology and Ancient History, as well as the impact their work has had on the Faculty’s approach to digital learning through their contributions to the creation of the Adobe Digilab in our Arts precinct. The team developed a well-thought out and scaffolded approach to reimagining how student digital skills could be developed in conjunction with investing in staff digital skill development, and their work has shaped digital learning not only in the discipline but also contributed to a larger project on how we teach digital skills across the Faculty.

Teaching Excellence award

This award recognises staff for the impact they have on influencing, motivating and inspiring students to learn.

Alexandra Woods – Department of History and Archaeology
This is an excellent example of the work being done in Archaeology at MQ around shifting the discipline’s teaching lens. Alex’s teaching and curriculum development in first year Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology units focuses on how archaeology can contribute to a more equitable society. Alex has developed and embedded inclusive and justice-oriented pedagogical methods into her units, challenging students and staff to think about how the region’s archaeological past is valued, owned and contested not just in the academic world but also in public communities. First year Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Archaeology units now ask staff and student to consider who benefits from archaeology, who is harmed, how archaeology might contribute to a more equitable society, and what responsible 21st century archaeology looks like.

John De Nobile – Macquarie School of Education
John was awarded for a long-term reflective program focused on engaging students experiences and pedagogical needs to shape his teaching practice. John’s application was supported by student feedback that highlighted his passion for engaging with students as a community of scholars. Every aspect of John’s teaching has been shaped by his mission to support students to feel they have a real stake in decisions made about their learning. Developing trust between students and teachers has increased student engagement in curriculum and assessment in John’s units, and in particular from at-risk students (whose educational success has increased significantly).

Educational Leadership award

This award recognises leadership that has enhanced learning and teaching and student experience.

Eva Anagnostou – Department of History and Archaeology
This is another example of the excellent work being done to redesign the Ancient History curriculum. Eva redeveloped AHIS1200 – Myth in the Ancient World drawing on extensive research from the discipline, including insights from her own research projects, to challenge the idea that we can teach ancient mythology in Australia without including Indigenous Dreamtime stories and Songlines. In her delivery of this unit, Eva also saw an opportunity to mentor and support staff to develop the confidence to take initiatives and share teaching experiences as part of this shift in the lens of teaching in the discipline. She worked with her team to build in them the confidence to openly debate pedagogy a part of her project to rethink how the discipline can and should be taught.

Fay Hadley, Rebecca Andrews, Michael Cavanagh, Iain Hay, John Ehrich – Macquarie School of Education
This project was very much a team-based effort, drawing on the expertise of a range of colleagues and external experts (including moderation and professional bodies), to meet accreditation requirements at a difficult and unstable time during internal curriculum and external accreditation changes. The team developed and implemented an authentic assessment for Teacher Education Students (TES), the Macquarie University Teaching Performance Assessment (MUTPA) into initial teaching education courses. The team’s work has been endorsed by Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, and the Institute has used the MUTPA to train Executive Officers from regulatory authorities, across all states and territories in 2022.

2020 - 2021

2019

2018

Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Bénédicte André - Department of International Studies
Sara Fuller - Department of Geography and Planning
Jillian Kramer - Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies
Alys Moody - Department of English

Programs that Enhance Learning

Maria Amigo and FoA PACE team - Faculty PACE office
Debra Ronan and Macquarie Law School PACE team - Macquarie Law School

2017

2016

Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Stephen Collins - Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies
Tanya Evans - Department of Modern History, Politics and International Relations
Corrinne Franklin - Department of Indigenous Studies
Sheryn Lee - Department of Security Studies and Criminology
Julie-Ann Long and Jon Burtt - Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies
Alex Woods and Ellen Ryan and Eve Guerry - Department of Ancient History
Hui Ling Xu - Department of International Studies

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Albert Atkin - Department of Philosophy
Greg Downey - Department of Anthropology
John Scannel - Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies
Karin Speedy - Department of International Studies
Peter Keegan - Department of Ancient History
Sheila Watkins - Department of Sociology
L(ea) Gillian Beness and Tom Hillard - Department of Ancient History

Workshop recording: How to apply for an award

Award Categories and Criteria

Four categories are open to both academic and professional staff. Award recipients, individual and/or team, will receive a certificate and the prize for each category of award.

FoA Award Categories	Max no. of awards	Application Length	2023 Prize
Early Career	2	500 words	$500
Learning Innovation	2	1000 words	$1500
Teaching Excellence	2	1000 words	$1500
Educational Leader	2	1000 words	$1500

1. Early Career Award

This award recognises staff for their quality teaching and support of learning and the impact they have on influencing, motivating and inspiring students to learn. The definition of "Early Career" is defined as "within five years (full time equivalent) of first appointment."

Applications for this award must address at least two (2) of the following criteria:

Criterion 1

Designing and implementing transformative learning that motivates, supports, guides, and inspires students.

Criterion 2

Implementing scholarly approaches to learning and teaching.

Criterion 3

Designing and implementing student-centred formative and summative assessment tasks that are aligned with student learning outcomes and provide appropriate and timely feedback to inform learning.

Criterion 4

Contributing to the enhancement of learning and teaching at the student, unit and/or course level which may include creating engaging learning environments and supporting diverse students.

2. Learning Innovation Award

In the context of this award ‘innovation’ is defined as creating approaches to teaching that result in improvements in student learning. Fraser (2019) defines it: “an innovative teacher is identified as more than just one who uses a new or significantly improved technique for teaching and learning, but rather s/he is committed to the goals or philosophy of improving the quality of student learning through innovation” (p 1374) .

Sharon Fraser (2019). Understanding innovative teaching practice in higher education: a framework for reflection, Higher Education Research & Development, 38(7),1371-1385. DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2019.1654439.

To be eligible for this award, the applicant must provide details of an innovation that must address Criterion 1.

Criterion 1

Innovation that enhances one or more of the following:  

student learning,  
the learning environment,  
assessment and feedback,  
or student support.

And at least one (1) of the following two criteria (criteria 2 and/or 3):

Criterion 2

Evidence that the innovation(s) directly or indirectly, enhances student learning, student engagement and/or the overall student experience

Criterion 3

Evidence that the innovation(s) has benefited students, staff, and/or the faculty, consistent with the purpose of the innovation(s).

3. Teaching Excellence Award

This award recognises staff for their excellence in teaching and support of learning and the impact they have on influencing, motivating and inspiring students to learn. 

Applications for this award must address up to three (3) of the following criteria:

Criterion 1 

Fostering transformative learning (including learning experiences, learning resources, and learning spaces and providing assistance to students from equity and other demographic subgroups) that engages, supports, guides and inspires students to learn.

Criterion 2 

Implementing scholarship informed approaches to learning and teaching.

Criterion 3 

Designing and implementing student-centred formative and summative assessment tasks that are aligned with student learning outcomes and provide appropriate and timely feedback to inform learning.

Criterion 4 

Encouraging and enabling others to enhance their approaches to learning and teaching.

Criterion 5 

Contributing to the enhancement of learning and teaching at the student, unit and/or course level, including creating engaging learning environments and assisting students from equity and other demographic subgroup categories.

4. Educational Leader Award

This award recognises educational leadership that has influenced and enhanced learning and teaching and/or student experience. 

Applications for this award must address up to four (4) of the following criteria: 

Criterion 1 

Leading the enhancement of curriculum design, development and/or implementation.

Criterion 2 

Designing and implementing curriculum which embeds academic and digital literacy, career and employability skills, and/or other literacies, such as internationalisation and intercultural considerations, sustainability, and Indigenous perspectives.

Criterion 3 

Supporting colleagues’ professional learning and contributing to learning and teaching professional development activities.

Criterion 4 

Innovations in coordination, management, support and leadership of educational activities and initiatives.

Criterion 5 

Conducting and disseminating learning and teaching scholarship.

Criterion 6 

Involving students as partners and co-creators in learning.

Criterion 7 

Leading scholarly evaluation of learning and teaching to enhance student outcomes across program, discipline, and/or institutional boundaries.

Further Information

Assessment also considers: 

Contribution to positive student learning, student engagement or overall student experience.
Recognition from fellow staff, the institution, and/or the broader community.
Evidence of sustainability and impact for a period of no less than two consecutive years (one year for early career), not including time taken for development or trial of any activity.
Support from formal and informal evaluation.
Shown creativity, imagination, or innovation.
Teaching which fosters the Faculty objectives as outlined in the Faculty of Arts Strategic Plan.
Incorporated information contained in student data or institutional student surveys and references.
Award winners and shortlisted entries are eligible to be nominated for a Vice Chancellor’s award in any following year.

Applicant Process, Support & Mentoring

Applications are now open, and close on 6 November (11.59pm). Awards will be presented on 4 December, at the Faculty end-of-year celebration. We hope to see you there to celebrate our colleagues’ achievements in learning and teaching, and hear more about the innovative work our colleagues are doing across learning and teaching in the Faculty.

We encourage staff to get in touch with the LD&P team if you are considering applying. The LD&P team provides individual consultations to assist potential applicants in developing their applications. We can also put you in touch with past winners to provide guidance on how to craft a winning application. Please email artslandt@mq.edu.au for more information about the Awards or to inquire about a consultation.

Compulsory Documentation  

(1) Online application form: Available here

(2) Written statement  

Addressing the selected criteria for the award category.  
Text only, no weblinks or images.  
Must include word count (see above for word count requirements)

(3) Supporting documentation to support the written statement

Maximum three A4 pages.  
A three-minute (max) video may be submitted in lieu of three-page document for the following award categories: Learning Innovation Award; Teaching Excellence Award; Educational Leader Award.  
Supporting evidence includes student feedback; references; evaluation results; any related media etc.

Format

A4 page size 
Use selected criteria as subheading (suggested)  
Fonts - Arial/Calibri regular 11 point for the written statement; 9 point for the supporting documentation
Header - Full name of nominee at the top right  
Footer - Title of the document on the bottom left; page numbers at the bottom right 
Margin - at least 2 cm with clear definition between paragraphs, and no columns should be used  
Paragraph line spacing - single line

Terms

The Faculty Assessment Panel reserves the right not to grant any categories of the awards should it judge the selection criteria not to have been met to a sufficiently high standard. 

Award prizes may be used to provide additional resources: for professional learning/capability enhancement to support teaching enhancement activities and to disseminate best practice(s) in learning and teaching.

Award winners will be invited to present a paper and/or workshop based on their award-winning practice at Faculty learning and teaching event/s, and to promote their innovation(s) to other staff through peer-review, mentoring and other relevant communities of practice.

Eligibility

Nominations can be for individuals or teams including academic and professional staff and sessional staff. Team nominations can include a maximum of ten staff. 
Nominees may be full time, part time, casual, fixed-term, continuing or adjunct staff. 
Individual applicants must have sustained service of no less than one year teaching related employment at the University. A nominated team may include members without one year of teaching-related employment at the University. 
The definition of “Early Career” for the Early Career Award category is defined as “within five years (full time equivalent) of first appointment.” 
All award categories will take into consideration any periods of significant career interruption. 
Duplicate written statements across multiple award categories will not be accepted. 
Individual Award recipients (winners only) are not eligible for Learning and Teaching renomination within the same category within two years of receiving a Learning and Teaching Award (i.e. if a recipient wins in 2022, they are not eligible to reapply in the same category until 2025). Please note individual award recipients can only re-nominate if they form part of a team application and are not the team lead. 
Team award recipients from previous years are eligible to apply for a team award on an annual basis. 
The categories of Educational Leadership and Teaching Excellence awards are distinct and therefore nomination for, or receipt of, one award type does not affect eligibility for nomination of the other. 
Any award recipient who is no longer employed by the Faculty of Arts at the time of an announcement of the awards will not be entitled to an award prize.