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 2023/24 were as follows:
Teaching Excellence Award (Individual): Christina Morin (AHSS)
Teaching Excellence Award (Team): Michael Walsh, Tara Dalton and John Mulvihill (SEN)
Excellence in Pedagogic Support: Angelica Risquez (CTL), John Walsh (KBS), Michael O’Brien (KBS), Donal Palcic (KBS) and Teresa Curtin (SEN)
The award panel comprised of Dr Jenny Lawrence, Director, Oxford Centre for Academic Enhancement and Development, Oxford Brooks University; Dr Matthew J. Williamson, Head of Learning and Teaching at Istituto Marangoni London; Prof Ronni Greenwood, Associate Vice President Student Engagement, UL; Lea Bachus, University of Bielefeld (student rep) with Dr Mary Fitzpatrick, Head CTL chairing the meeting.
The Regional Teaching Excellence Award AY2022-23*
Overall Winner
Dr Conchúr Ó Brolcháin – Department of Language & Literacy Education, Faculty of Education, MIC
Shortlisted
Dr Rosie Gowran, School of Allied Health, UL
Dr Ingrid Hunt, School of Engineering, UL
Dr Anne Marie O'Brien, Faculty of Science and Health, TUS
Dr Michael Russell, Department of Computer & Software Engineering, TUS
The panel comprised Dr Rachael Carkett (University of Bath), Dr Martina Crehan (DCU), Marc Matouc (UCDSU Graduate Officer) and Ken McCarthy (SETU) with Dr Sharon Flynn (THEA) chairing the meeting.
* This award was under review AY 2023/24 no competition ran.
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
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, 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 their teaching has had within their 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.
UL Excellence in Teaching Awards
UL Excellence in Teaching Awards
Prof Michael Walsh, Dr Tara Dalton and Dr John Mulvihill
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