La Trobe Learning and Teaching

La Trobe University

Citations for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning

Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching 2017

Guidelines

LTU Award Preparation Timelines 2017

Monday 24 July 2017 / Open applications.
Friday 22 September 2017 / Close of applications CoB.
Monday 16 October 2017 / Institutional Panel meets to assess applications week starting Monday 16/10/17
Monday 13 November 2017 / Winners announced.
  1. Introduction

La Trobe University (LTU) is committed to achieving high quality learning outcomes for its students through the delivery of distinctive relevant courses in a period of rapid change (see Learning and Teaching Plan 2013-2017). The recognition and reward of teaching and teaching support activities by individuals and teams that achieve these objectives are a high priority for the University.

La Trobe awards for teaching have the same requirements as Citations for Contributions to Student Learning offered by the Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT). Those who are successful in obtaining an LTU award are supported to prepare an application for an AAUT Citation for Contributions to Student Learning or AAUT Teaching Excellence award in the year following allocation of the award. LTU award recipients will also be invited to disseminate information about the substance of their award through a variety of mechanisms within LTU during that year.Alignment with AAUT awards is aimed at achieving national recognition for La Trobe as a leader in pedagogy and curriculum innovation and development.

There are up to 10 LTU Citations for Contributions to Student Learning and one award for Teaching Excellence allocated each year. At least one of the LTU Citations will be in the Early Career category. The Teaching Excellence award is selected from applications deemed suitable for a LTU Citation and judged to have potential to be developed in the future as an application for an AAUT Teaching Excellence award.

A further 2 award categories recognise and reward teaching effort that results in positive student feedback. Up to 3 awards of $1,000 and a certificate for Commendation are available in the categories of Quality Student Experiences of Learning through Teaching Practice and Quality Student Experiences of Learning through curriculum and assessment design. As these awards willdraw on SFT and SFS data respectively no written application will be required. In the awards for Quality Student Experiences of Learning through Teaching Practice however nominations are required. Nominees will be required to submit SFT data for three consecutive years to December 2016, including student comments, in support of their nomination.

The value of each LTU Citation (team or individual) is $1000; the value of a Teaching Excellence award (team or individual) is $5,000. Recipients of both categories of award also receive a Certificate.

2.Eligibility

  • All employees of the University and institutional associates who teach or support teaching are eligible. This includes full-time and part-time, sessional and contract staff with .5 (half) time fraction or greater.
  • Teams (note: up to 5 team members will be listed on Certificates).
  • Unsuccessful applicants from prior years.
  • Citation recipients whose citation was awarded up to 3 years prior to the current round (i.e. in the 2017 round, citation recipients prior to and including 2014).
  • Early Career Teachers with no more than 7 years teaching. (This should be interpreted as seven cumulative calendar years and includes all tutoring, part-time teaching, and teaching at other higher education institutions).
  • Applicants for other LTU awards, for example, Research and Engagement.

3.Potential areas of contribution

La Trobe University citations are intended to recognise and reward a wide range of both direct and indirect contributions to student learning, and so there are no specific award categories. All applications must relate to contributions to student learning at La Trobe University. Award certificates will describe the specific contribution the recipient(s) has/have made. This includes contributions made by non-teaching as well as teaching areas of the university. For example:

  • “For excellence in the leadership of a College-wide transition program for first year students.”
  • “For sustained commitment to personalised administrative support for undergraduate students that has enhanced the overall student experience.”
  • “For the provision of state-of-the-art programs in learning support for international students over a five-year period.”
  • “For novel and effective approaches to engaging first-year students in collaborative learning and peer review in a large class setting.”

4.Application instructions

4.1 Format

The written statement should have three components which must be presented in the following order:

  1. Proposed citation (maximum 25 words)- avoid jargon and include the discipline or field of work and the distinctive contribution of the nominee or team; the citation should inform the broadest possible audience about the work of the nominee
  2. A Summary of the particular contribution and its specific context.
  3. A statement addressing the chosen criterion and providing evidence of the contribution.
  4. Team nominations must include an additional page which explains the role and indicates the percentage contribution of team members.
  5. The written statement must be a maximum of four A4 pages in 11point Arial or Calibri (narrow fonts must not be used) and with margins at least 2cms with clear definition between paragraphs, and no columns.

It is strongly recommended that nominations are proofread prior to submission.

4.2Other requirements

Two references, of no more than one A4 page each, are to be provided by people able to comment on the nominee’s contribution to student learning against the nominated criterion.

  • one referee must be the head of the nominee’s College, department, school or administrative unit
  • if it is a team nomination, the references should apply to the team
  • any pages in excess of the page limit will not be provided to the assessment panel
  • references must be signed - electronic signatures are accepted

4.3 Photograph

A formal digital photograph to the following specifications must be submitted with each nomination:

  • colour
  • white background
  • head and shoulders only
  • image resolution of 300 dpi (approximately 10 cm by 10 cm)
  • JPEG file (size of at least 1MB)

4.4Focus

The application should address ONE of the following:

1Approaches to teaching and the support of learning that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn.
This may include fostering student development by stimulating curiosity and independence in learning; participating in effective and empathetic guidance and advice for students; assisting students from equity and other demographic subgroups to participate and achieve success in their courses; encouraging student engagement through the enthusiasm shown for learning and teaching; inspiring and motivating students through effective communication, presentation and interpersonal skills; enabling others to enhance their approaches to learning and teaching; and developing and/or integrating assessment strategies to enhance student learning.

2Development of curricula, resources or services that reflect a command of the field.
This may include developing and presenting coherent and imaginative resources for student learning; implementing research-led approaches to learning and teaching; demonstrating up-to-date knowledge of the field of study in the design of the curriculum and the creation of resources for learning; communicating clear objectives and expectations for student learning; providing support to those involved in the development of curricula and resources; and contributing professional expertise to enhance curriculum or resources.

3Evaluation practices that bring about improvements in teaching and learning.
Evaluation comprises making judgements about the quality of programs and activities that are part of the academic, cultural and social experience of higher education. This may include showing advanced skills in evaluation and reflective practice; using a variety of evaluation strategies to bring about change; adapting evaluation methods to different contexts and diverse student needs and learning styles; contributing professional expertise to the field of evaluation in order to improve program design and delivery; and the dissemination and embedding of good practice identified through evaluation.

4Innovation, leadership or scholarship that has influenced and enhanced learning and teaching and/or the student experience.
This may include participating in and contributing to professional activities related to learning and teaching; innovations in service and support for students; coordination, management and leadership of courses and student learning; conducting and publishing research related to teaching; demonstrating leadership through activities that have broad influence on the profession; providing innovative learning and teaching for different contexts, including technology enhanced environments, for large and small class sizes and/or to meet the needs of a diverse student cohort; and influencing the overall academic, social and cultural experience of higher education.

4.5Evidence

The application should clearly demonstrate that the contribution has:

  • influenced student learning, engagement and/or the overall student experience,
  • been recognised by fellow staff, and/or the University, and/or the broader community, and
  • been sustained over time (except the Early Career category where 2 years is required)

Evidence of these outcomes is critical to the success of an application. Applicants must draw on data about students’ experiences of learning and peer perceptions about the nature of the contribution.

In assessing the evidence supporting Early Career nominations, consideration will be given to the career stage of the nominee.

  1. Submission

Applicationswill be managed by La Trobe Learning and Teaching (LTLT) and should be submitted to 22/9/17.

6.Selection process

6.1 Selection committee

The selection panel will comprise:

  • PVC Teaching and Learning, or nominee
  • Director Learning Futures or nominee
  • Teaching Chair College of Arts, Social Sciences and Commerce, or nominee
  • Teaching Chair College of Science, Health and Engineering, or nominee
  • One past recipient of the Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning or the Vice-Chancellors Award for Teaching Excellence.

6.2 Selection criteria

Selection is based primarily on the written statement addressing the selected focus area.

The selection panel will make a global assessment about whether the stated contribution has:

  • influenced student learning, engagement and/or the overall student experience,
  • been recognised by fellow staff, and/or the University, and/or the broader community, and
  • been sustained over time

The application will be examined for evidence directly supporting claims that the contribution has achieved these outcomes. It is critical that evidence relates to each of these in the application.

Applicants may include additional materials to support their claim against the selection criteria. However, the relevance of any such material must be made clear in the written statement.

7.Support

Support in the development of applications is available from APVC (Coursework) in the case of College-based applicants.

LTLT will also provide support and will conduct the following workshops:

Teaching Awards Program - Preparing an LTU award

Dates and venues to be announced.

Finalising your LTU award application information session

Dates and venues to be announced.

Guide to Preparing an LTU Award/Citation Application

Self-enrolment self-paced LMS module

Further information and a link to register for the workshops can be found at

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