Vice Chancellor's Teaching and Learning Awards
The ECU Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching and Learning (VC T&L) Awards are intended to encourage, recognise and reward excellence and achievement in all forms of teaching; and in innovations, initiatives and services that contribute in diverse ways to student learning.
There are three major award categories in the ECU Vice-Chancellor’s Award scheme.
Vice-Chancellor’s Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (VC Citations)
The VC Citation scheme recognises and rewards the diverse contribution that individuals and teams make to the quality of student learning. Citations are awarded to academic, general and sessional staff, and institutional associates, who have made significant contributions to student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period of no less than 3 years (2 years for an early career applicant). Citations provide an opportunity for distinctive institutional missions, values and priorities in learning and teaching to be recognised. Citations are be awarded for a wide range of contributions to student learning, both direct and indirect.
Nomination for Early Career Citations is open to staff with 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.
The nomination will be judged against the chosen criteria on the extent to which it shows evidence, particularly evidence of evaluation in the written statement, that the nominee’s contribution has:
a. influenced student learning, student engagement or the overall student experience
b. gained recognition from fellow staff and the institution
c. been sustained for a period of no less than two years.
In assessing the evidence supporting Early Career nominations, consideration will be given to the career stage of the nominees.
All Nominees
Nominees are required to select one selection criterion, determined by the nature of their contribution to student learning. Nominees must include clear and consistent forms of evidence that are matched to the selection criterion being addressed.
- Approaches to the support of learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn.
- Development of curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field.
- Approaches to assessment, feedback and learning support that foster independent learning.
- Respect and support for the development of students as individuals.
- Scholarly activities and service innovations that have influenced and enhanced learning and teaching.
The core element of a nomination for a Citation is the written statement in which nominees describe their contribution to student learning. It is essential that nominees specifically address one selection criterion, and provide evidence in the written statement to support their claims in line with this criterion.
The written statement should have four components, which must be presented in this order:
- proposed Citation (maximum 25 words), describing the distinctive contribution of the nominee
- summary of a particular contribution and its specific context
- statement addressing chosen selection criterion
- statement providing evidence for the ways in which the contribution has:
- influenced student learning, engagement and/or the overall student experience
- been recognised by fellow staff, the institution, and/or the broader community
- been sustained over time for a period of no less than 3 years (2 years for Early Career nominations)
The written statement is limited to four A4 pages. All pages in excess of four will be removed.
Please adhere to the formatting instructions. Submissions that do not meet these requirements will not be accepted.
Deadline for submission: March 4 2013
Number and Value: Up to 10 Citations with prize value of $1,000
Presentation: The Vice-Chancellor will present Citations at a special ceremony early in 2013 (date is to be announced).
Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning (VC APEL)
The VC APEL (pronounced “VC Apple”) awards are designed to recognise learning and teaching support programs and services that make an outstanding contribution to the quality of student learning and the quality of the student experience at ECU. Nominations from large-scale team-based University, Faculty, School or Centre projects are particularly welcome. There are seven VC APEL categories for 2013:
- Widening participation;
- Educational partnerships and collaborations with other organisations;
- The first-year experience;
- Flexible learning and teaching;
- Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching;
- Postgraduate education; and
- Services supporting student learning.
- Global citizenship and internationalisation, including curriculum, student exchange, student experience, international recruitment, international recruitment and transition programs for international students.
- Distinctiveness, coherence and clarity of purpose.
- Influence on student learning and student engagement.
- Breadth of impact.
- Concern for equity and diversity.
Deadline for submission: April 1 2013
Number and Value: Up to two awards with a prize value of $5,000
Presentation: The Vice-Chancellor will present certificates at a special ceremony early in 2013 (date is to be announced).
Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching (VC AET)
The VCAET (pronounced “V Cat”) scheme gives recognition to teachers (individuals and teams) renowned for the excellence of their teaching, who have outstanding presentation skills and who have made a broad and deep contribution to enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in higher education. Nominations are invited from teams and individuals across eight categories:
- Biological Sciences, Health and Related Studies;
- Early Career (less than seven years teaching experience);
- Humanities and the Arts;
- Law, Economics, Business and Related Studies;
- Neville Bonner Award/s for Indigenous Education;
- Physical Sciences and Related Studies;
- Social Sciences (including Education); and
- The Priority Area for 2013: High impact strategies for progression, retention and attainment
All nominees for Teaching Awards will be assessed on the evidence they provide in relation to the following five criteria.
- Approaches to the support of learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn.
- Development of curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field.
- Approaches to assessment, feedback and learning support that foster independent learning.
- Respect and support for the development of students as individuals.
- Scholarly activities and service innovations that have influenced and enhanced learning and teaching.
Deadline for submission: April 1 2013
Number and Value: Up to six awards with a prize value of $5,000.
Presentation: The Vice-Chancellor will present certificates at a special ceremony early in 2013 (date is to be announced).
Changes from Previous Years
AUSTRALIAN AWARDS FOR UNIVERSITY TEACHING
SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO 2013 NOMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
Citations
- The 'sustained period' of time for which citation recipients have to demonstrate a significant contribution to student learning is defined as 'no less than 3 years, or 2 years for Early Career nominees'
- The eligibility for the experience of Early Career nominees is now five years.
- Individual Citation recipients are not eligible for individual Citation renomination within five years of receiving a Citation.
Changes in assessment criteria for Early Career nominations
- Early Career nominations are considered separately from other citation nominations.
- Early Career nominations must demonstrate that they have "Gained recognition from fellows staff and the institution" (not the broader community)
Changes in assessment of all Citations nominations
Nominees are required to select only one criterion when nominating
Awards for Teaching Excellence and Programs that Enhance Student Learning
Number and spread of Awards for Teaching Excellence.
- the wording has been changed to 'up to 16 awards, maximum of two in any one category'.
References
- Reference requirements for Awards for Teaching Excellence and Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning have been changed to encourage (but not mandate) a reference from someone external to the nominee's institution.
- One referee who can make an informed comment about the nature of the impact of the teacher or program must be from the nominee's institution.
- It is encouraged that one referee be from someone external to the nominee's institution, who can comment on the wider impact of the program.
Early Career
- The eligibility for the experience of Early Career nominees is now five years.
Categories
- The 2013 Priority Area for Awards for Teaching Excellence is 'High impact strategies for progression, retention and attainment'
- 'Global citizenship and internationalisation' has been added as a category for Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning.
Formatting requirements for all nominations
- Formatting requirements have been adjusted to enhance the readability of nominations.
- Nominations which do not conform to the formatting requirements will be rejected.