Applications are now closed for the U21 Health Sciences Group Teaching Excellence Award 2018. Winners will be announced at the U21 HSG Annual Meeting at the University of Melbourne in September.

The Teaching Excellence Award was set up in 2014 by Deans of Medicine as a way to celebrate and reward exceptional educational scholarship, particularly amongst research intensive universities, across the U21 HSG network.  The Award is our way to recognise leaders in this area and share their areas of good practice across the network.

The Award also helps us to nurture international cooperation, one of U21’s key objectives, by offering faculty from different universities, and regions, to work together on exciting, interdisciplinary projects.   

Find out more about last year's winners, Mary Codd (UCD) and Zoe Anne Soon (UBC) who will be presenting at this year's Annual Meeting.  


What does the Award offer?

As well as the prestige of winning the award, the award offers two nominees from different universities, and ideally, from different disciplines, funding to attend the U21 HSG Annual Meeting 2019.

The two winners will be required to work together to facilitate an educational workshop that will be delivered at the U21 HSG Annual Meeting.

Winners of the 2018 award will attend the Annual Meeting in 2019, hosted by the University of Glasgow.

Who is it aimed at?

The award is principally aimed at junior faculty across the U21 HSG. It offers applicants a fantastic opportunity to develop new collaborations, to work internationally and to share their joint expertise with others.

Nominees must be faculty or instructors in one of the U21 HSG member universities and hold a position with a significant component of teaching. They are expected to have had 3-10 years of teaching experience.

How will the winners be selected?

Evaluators will be looking for evidence of impact of the teaching activities developed by nominees. In their application, nominees should focus on the following questions[1]

- What did you do? (Activities)
- What impact has it had and on whom? (Impact)
- How do you know? (Evidence)

Evidence in the three following areas will be sought:

1) Outstanding and sustained record of teaching (weight=3) which can include but is not limited to:
- Evidence of excellent overall quality in teaching courses as determined by students and peers at both the undergraduate level and, where possible, the graduate level;
- Evidence of sustained commitment to excellence in teaching and learning over a number of years;
- Incorporation of innovative and evidence-based teaching and learning approaches where possible and appropriate;
- Effective and appropriate use of technology for online, blended, and face-to-face contexts;
- Utilization of effective and innovative assessment methods that focus on the deep learning of the subject and the development of critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills;
- Ability to engage and inspire in students independent and original thinking.

2) Contributions to advancing teaching and learning with a particular focus on interdisciplinary teaching and on students’ interdisciplinary learning (weight=2) that can be demonstrated by some of the following:
- New or revitalized initiatives that engage students in interdisciplinary learning;
- Community or workplace interdisciplinary learning initiatives;
- International interdisciplinary learning initiatives;
- Classroom and/or specialized interdisciplinary learning.

3) International collaboration in teaching and learning or internationalisation of curricula (weight=1) that can be demonstrated by some of the following:
- Use of international contacts and networks in the professional area;
- Presentations or input from guest lecturers with international experience;
- Use of international case studies or examples; analysis of information from a range of international resources;
- Use of fieldwork/internship/placement with local organisations working on international projects or in international agencies;
- Exploration of cultural and regional differences in values and assumptions affecting the discipline and how these might impact on the actions of individuals;
- Use of online multicultural teams for problem-solving tasks related to the professional area.

[1] Adapted from Professor Simon Bates, University of British Columbia. Educational leadership stream faculty: History, challenges and current activities, October 2016.


How do I apply?

To apply you will need to contact your University Teaching Excellence Award representative. They will explain their internal nomination process and deadlines.  Please find your contact below:

  • The University of Auckland: John Fraser, Dean, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
  • University of Birmingham: Sharon Buckley, Senior Lecturer in Medical Education, College of Medical and Dental Sciences
  • Pontifica Universidad Catolica de Chile: Marcela Grez, Responsible for Internationalization and International Accreditation, School of Medicine
  • University of British Columbia: Susana Leon, Administrator, Office of UBC Health
  • University College Dublin:  Suzanne Donnelly, Associate Dean, School of Medicine
  • University of Edinburgh: Charlotte Clarke, Head, School of Health in Social Science
  • Fudan University: Yanni Lai, Vice Director, Medical Education Office
  • University of Glasgow: Tom Evans, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
  • The University of Hong Kong: Maggie Cheuk, Assistant Registrar, Faculty of Medicine
  • University of Johannesburg: Shahed Nalla, Vice Dean Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Health Sciences
  • Korea University: Yong Jin Lee, International Manager, College of Medicine
  • Lund University: Christina Gummesson,  Director, Centre for Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Medicine
  • University of Melbourne: Marilys Guillemin, Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
  • Tecnologico de Monterrey: Angeles Dominguez, Associate Dean, School of Medicine and Health Sciences
  • University of New South Wales: Gary Velan, Faculty of Medicine
  • University of Nottingham: Derek Chambers, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
  • University of Queensland: Sarah Roberts-Thomson, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences


Nomination process

Each university will have their own nomination, review process and timeline.

One nomination per university should be submitted by the Teaching Excellence Award contact to the selection committee via the U21 Health Sciences Executive Officer. 

The following supporting documents are to be submitted:

  • Teaching portfolio/dossier (maximum 5,000 words)
  • Supporting documentation to show evidence of impact of teaching activities (letters from colleagues/HoD/Dean, student/peer evaluations, awards and prizes, etc.)
  • Letter from nominee explaining what topic area she/he would be interested in presenting at the U21 HSG annual meeting workshop and why (maximum 500 words)


Selection committee

The selection committee will include the following:


Timeline

2018

  • 19 March: Award is open for applications
  • 18 June: Deadline for universities to submit their nominee
  • 7 August: Winners designated by selection committee
  • 14 August: Winners informed of their selection by email; all nominees informed of the results
  • 10-14 September: Winners announced at U21 HSG annual meeting in Melbourne

2019

  • September: Winners to facilitate workshop at the U21 HSG meeting in Glasgow and presented with award


Contact

For any questions about the award, please contact Corrina Greenwood, U21 HSG Secretariat.