Recognising and Awarding Teaching Excellence
Teaching Awards
The Centre for Transformative Learning is dedicated to heightening the profile and value of teaching activities, collaboratively engaging in evidence-based research and enabling key teaching innovations. We work to provide support, to advise, to recognise and to facilitate all those involved in teaching and learning at UL. A key avenue for recognising and endorsing teaching excellence is through the Teaching Excellence Awards.
As teaching and learning is becoming an increasing focus of strategic attention across further and higher education, engaging in these award processes provides clear evidence of commitment to teaching and performance as a teacher. The process of preparing a teaching portfolio will provide an opportunity to reflect on and gain increased insight into practice as a higher education teacher.
If you are a committed teacher, and if you consider your teaching approach to be particularly innovative or effective, we invite you to submit a nomination for consideration for the awards outlined below. Alternatively, you may wish to nominate a colleague within your institution who you feel would merit recognition through the award process.
The UL Teaching Excellence Award Winners for 2022/23 were as follows:
Teaching Excellence Award (Individual): Christina O’Connor (KBS)
Teaching Excellence Award (Team): Ciara Breathnach (AHSS), Tiziana Margaria (SEN) and Rachel Murphy (AHSS)
Excellence in Pedagogic Support: Antoinette Flynn (KBS), James Murphy (Peer Supported Learning Centre) and Jacqui Geoghegan Peer Supported Learning Centre)
The award panel comprised of Dr David Walker, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor Education and Students, University of Brighton, Prof Catriona Cunningham, Head of Learning and Teaching Enhancement, Edinburgh Napier University and Prof Patrick Ryan, Associate Vice President Student Engagement, UL with Dr Mary Fitzpatrick, Head CTL, chairing the meeting. Unfortunately, our student representative Ruben Janssens, University of Ghent was taken ill on the morning of the panel meeting.
The panel were extremely impressed by the very high standard this year so heartiest congratulations and very well done to all!
The Excellence in Teaching awards are open all those who teach including those who provide pedagogic support of learners in UL. There are three award categories:
1. Annual faculty-led awards (individual)
This category applies to individual submissions. The application process will be guided by a submission framework that focuses on excellence, that encourages nominations with strong discipline-specific evidence and that focuses on evidence of learning impact.
2. Annual faculty-led awards (team)
Teams who have been involved in a collaborative approach to developing teaching and learning excellence (across, or within, disciplines) may submit for an award. Team submissions must have an academic lead and can involve other academics from any discipline and/or those engaging in any form of learner support. Team submissions must have a minimum of two people. Submissions should make clear the role and contribution of each member.
3. Annual award for excellence in the provision of pedagogic support
This category applies to all those engaged directly in pedagogic support activities (e.g. librarians, lab supervisors, educational technologists, learner support unit staff, educational developers, technical officers etc.) and allows for individual or team nominations. Team submissions in this category must be led by a member of staff in any learner support role and can also involve academics.
As teaching and learning is becoming an increasing focus of strategic attention across further and higher education, engaging in this award process provides clear evidence of commitment to teaching and performance as a teacher. The process of preparing a teaching portfolio will provide an opportunity to reflect on and gain increased insight into practice as a higher education teacher.
**The Regional Teaching Excellence Award is currently being reviewed
so is currently on hold until AY24-25**
Through the award process, the consortium institutions have collaborated to create new networks of teachers in higher education working together to reflect on their practice, gather meaningful evidence about the quality and nature of their teaching activities, and apply the principles of best practice to their work as teachers in higher education.
If you are a committed teacher, and if you consider your teaching approach to be particularly innovative or effective, we invite you to submit a nomination for consideration for the award. Alternatively, you may wish to nominate a colleague within your institution who you feel would merit recognition through the award process.
On acceptance of a nomination, candidates will be invited to submit a detailed teaching portfolio that will be used as the basis of the ultimate award decision. All candidates should be in a position to signal a capacity to provide strong evidence of the impact that his/her teaching has had within his/her teaching context. Training and support will be available in all institutions to assist those who wish to participate, and your local Teaching and Learning Advocate will be available to help you to get your portfolio started and provide support throughout the process. Please see Frequently Asked Questions for further information.
Winners of the UL Excellence in Teaching Team Award 22/23
Prof Vincent Cunnane, President TUS
Dr Anne Marie O'Brien, Faculty of Science and Health, TUS
Dr Conchúr Ó Brolcháin MIC with his certificate
Dr Anne Marie O'Brien, Faculty of Science and Health, TUS
Dr Conchúr Ó Brolcháin, Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, MIC
Dr Ingrid Hunt, Design And Manufacturing Technology, School of Engineering, Faculty Of Science & Engineering, UL
Dr Rosie Gowran, School of Allied Health, Faculty of Education and Health Sciences, UL