Gill Reid graduated with BSc (hons) from the University of Edinburgh in 1986 and with a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry in 1989. Following a two year postdoctoral fellowship, she was appointed to a Lectureship in Inorganic Chemistry in the University of Southampton in 1991 and was promoted to a Personal Chair in 2006.

She was nominated for the Teaching Award in Chemistry on the basis of her major contribution to ‘outreach’ to raise the profile of Chemistry and Science in general and to attract potential students to Southampton. Over the last 5 years she has successfully developed a strategy and initiated an ambitious outreach programme for the School of Chemistry, which has targeted pupils from Key Stage 1 through to post-GCSE, teachers and members of the general public. She has strong collaborations with staff and students in other Academic Schools and in Professional Services to facilitate high impact inter-School and inter-Faculty outreach events, including the now very successful annual Science Week programme.

Within her teaching she aims to provide a framework through which students, both in university and in schools, have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

School of Civil Engineeringand the Environment

Dr Arif Anwar

Arif Anwar was awarded a PhD in Civil Engineering in 2001 from the University of Southampton, he also holds an MSc in Computing from the Open University. Arif is a Lecturer in Hydraulics and Irrigation Systems and has a strong interest in "research in education"; developing new and better ways to deliver, manage and operate at tertiary level education. He is a corresponding editor of the American Society of Civil Engineers Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice.

He was nominated for the Teaching Award for his development of the information system to manage teaching (and research) within the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment. The development of this information system started when Arif was Undergraduate Admissions Tutor and recognized that the large amount of data generated by the 600 applications received each year needed to be handled more efficiently than in spreadsheets and filing cabinets. Undergraduate applicants are usually interviewed by a member of academic staff, so it became immediately necessary to capture this data. Of course academic staff are also authors of publications, investigators on research contracts, tutors to undergraduate and postgraduate (taught) students, supervisors to research students etc. Hence the information system took a life of its own and grew exponentially. Today the School of Civil Engineering and the Environment's information database integrates with the University's central student database BANNER, with the accounts system PROPHECY, it provides the data for the School website, and provides most of the information needed for management and operation of the School's activities. It achieves this with an intuitive user interface that keeps costs of training very low and is maintained within

School of Engineering Sciences

Dr Hans Fangohr

Hans Fangohr is a senior lecturer in computational methods in the School of Engineering Sciences at the University of Southampton. He received his undergraduate degree "Diplomphysiker" in physics from the University of Hamburg (Germany) and completed his PhD studies in the department of Electronics and Computer Science of the University of Southampton. Hans has a keen interest in learning and teaching methodologies, in particular in the area of computer simulations of engineering systems and materials. This involves a mixture of mathematics, physics, computer science and software engineering.

Hans has re-developed the computing curriculum in the School of Engineering Sciences and introduced new learning and teaching methods. He has modified the structure of the lectures, and introduced laboratory sessions in which students tackle tasks in a self-paced manner to improve their problem-solving skills. He introduced a help session in which interested students can seek practical advice either to catch up or to extend their skills beyond the course expectations. The new course structure and the modified content was warmly welcomed by the student body.

Hans' general approach to teaching is that it is crucial to start the learning process where the students currently are. If this is impractical for everybody, there must be other routes (such as self-explaining tutorials) for the least able students to quickly reach the understanding of the majority of the group. Having established this baseline, the learning experience should be enjoyable and rewarding. He aims to achieve this through (i) his own enthusiasm, (ii) by providing links to the real world to show that the course content is relevant to the students' later career and (iii) by selecting entertaining examples where possible.

School of Geography

Sally Hayward

I graduated from the University of Reading in 1987 with a BSc. in Physical Geography with Agriculture, and continued there as a Post-Graduate. I researched periglacial geomorphology in Norwegian mountains, experiencing first hand the challenges and rewards of working in such a beautiful but harsh environment.

My lecturing began in 1991 at LSU College of Higher Education, which then became University of Southampton New College, before finally moving up to the School of Geography on the Highfield campus 4 years ago. During this time I worked with a range of students and was very much involved with widening participation, developing a commitment to quality academic and pastoral support for students. I developed these experiences and my enthusiasm through a series of initiatives beginning in 2004/5 when I offered Skills to Succeed drop in sessions covering a number of core skills, attracting attendances of over 100 at times.

In 2005/06 I undertook some innovative developments to the year 1 Geographical Skills unit (GEOG1007), as well as offering one-to-one support as a geography study support advisor. GEOG1007 aims to provide a consistent quality of student experience across different learning opportunities including supervisions, fieldwork and the introduction of lectures. Skills covered in the lectures are designed to enable students to make the transition up to degree level learning and begin the first steps towards employability (for example, critical thinking, writing essays, effective reading and note-taking, making the most of lectures, presentations as well as the vital skills associated with reviewing and reflection). An initial evaluation on the PDP experience resulted in 80% of the students either totally or mostly positive about it.

In 2006/07 I introduced a Buddy scheme with 120 (out of 150) first years being “buddied” to 40 second years. My teaching reflects my sense of vocation and determination, and personal experience in overcoming the disabilities of long-term illness in order to help all students as individuals really find out more about who they are and to fulfil their own special potentials in whatever ways are appropriate. These initiatives are being very much linked to other developments within the School of Geography, in particular to do with employability. In addition to my educational interests, my geographical research informs my level 3 unit GEOG3004 Arctic and Alpine Geomorphology

School of Mathematics

Dr Paul Harper

I am a Senior Lecturer in the School of Mathematics. I hold a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from Bath University, and an MSc and PhD in Mathematics and Operational Research from Southampton. I have also worked as Management Consultant for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. My research interests are in stochastic and healthcare modelling, where I have utilised mathematical modelling techniques for a number of healthcare issues, including the early detection, prevention and treatment of diseases/medical conditions (research topics have included diabetic retinopathy, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and HIV/AIDS) and modelling for the management of health services (examples include hospital capacities and workforce planning). I have worked with numerous NHS Trusts, Strategic Health Authorities and Primary Care Trusts, and currently hold grants from the EPSRC and the NHS.

I teach at both UG and PG levels on a range of programmes. I believe that my teaching award was in recognition of the high ratings and positive feedback I regularly obtain from students and peer observations; the praise on the quality of my work I received on successfully completing PCAP (which provided for an excellent opportunity to study learning and teaching theory and allowed me to reflect on my own teaching and apply some of the concepts learnt); for my outreach activities (currently School Liaison Officer and Assistant Admissions Tutor); and for my work on assessment feedback. Concerned about the level and quality of feedback for coursework assessment, I decided to examine ways in which feedback could be more readily available and more timely and constructive for students. I created an innovative e-feedback tool which myself and colleagues utilise to deliver feedback via the web to students.

School of Physics and Astronomy

Dr Betty Lanchester

Dr Peter Lanchester

Dr Betty Lanchester holds a BSc(Hons) degree in Physics and an MSc in Physiology, both from Monash University, and a PhD in Physics from Southampton University. She is currently a Reader in Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy. Dr Peter Lanchester holds a BSc(Hons) degree from Queensland University and a PhD from Monash University. He is a Senior Lecturer in Physics in the School of Physics and Astronomy, and also a Deputy Director in the Optoelectronics Research Centre.

A Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award was awarded jointly to the Drs Lanchester for their work in revitalising teaching of the first year physics curriculum, following a First Year Teaching Review in 2002 which was chaired by Betty Lanchester. Through their efforts the first year has undergone significant changes, with revisions to the curriculum and the introduction of new modes of delivery which are better matched to the knowledge and experience of incoming physics students.

Innovations have been introduced into both theoretical and practical elements of the curriculum with Betty taking the lead on theoretical aspects and Peter on practical work . Building on established research in pedagogy and observations of the conceptual difficulties many physics students have, a series of weekly workshops have been established, alongside traditional problems classes, aimed at improving generic problem solving skills. Changes have also been made in the exercises which form part of the core physics courses, in order to develop conceptual skills. Laboratory work has been enhanced by offering a variety of activities, including mini-projects which encourage students to develop their creativity. Attention has also been given to improving students’ preparation for laboratory work, and to providing clear and comprehensive guidance to postgraduate demonstrators.

Institute of Sound & Vibration Research

Dr David Simpson

After schooling in Austria, I graduated in Biomedical Electronics from the University of Salford (1981), and then worked as a mathematics and physics teacher in Nigeria. I completed my PhD in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College (London) in 1988, and from 1989 to 1998 was a lecturer in the Biomedical Engineering Program at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). I then became a research fellow in the Medical Physics Department of Leicester Royal Infirmary before moving to the University of Southampton (ISVR) in 2001, where I have been a senior lecturer since 2004.

My teaching has always been at the interface between engineering and medicine / healthcare, and it is mainly for this that I received the Teaching Award. Such cross-disciplinary teaching to non-engineers requires an approach that conveys primarily the concepts and rationale of engineering (in my case signal processing) techniques, rather than the usual mathematics-based structure. Students need to be able to tie their learning into their prior knowledge, which in this area of cross-disciplinary learning comes from the applications, rather than the engineering fundamentals. In order to achieve this, presentations are based on extensive real-world examples, in which the students are invited to suggest solutions based on their pre-existing and new knowledge and understanding. Laboratory work, with hands-on computer programming activities (taking up almost half of the teaching time) provide practical insights into how methods work and invite students to experiment and explore. These activities provide the students with immediate feedback on the work they have carried out and the impact different methods have on results. Student feedback suggests that this is one of the most important contributors to their learning. Interactive class-room demonstrations allow further interactive experimentation on ‘real data’. This teaching is facilitated by small groups and short (one week) duration. My teaching is strongly based on my (and colleagues’) research, and this approach seems to work well with engineering students also, as it provides them with an insight into how engineering techniques can be used in real-world medical applications – which many find motivating.

Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences

School of Social Sciences

Dr James Brown

I graduated from the University of Southampton in 1993 with a BSc in Mathematics with Actuarial Studies. After a stint teaching Mathematics in rural Zimbabwe I came back to the University and completed the MSc in Social Statistics (1996) before undertaking a PhD on measuring census coverage. Since 1999 I have been a lecturer at the University coordinating the MSc in Official Statistics from its inception.

I was nominated for the teaching award in recognition of my work in developing and running the MSc in Official Statistics. This innovative programme run in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics allows statisticians working within Government and related sectors to develop statistical skills that are relevant to their professional needs while still working full-time. The approach taken in the development of teaching on the Programme is that it should motivated and supported by real-life examples from the Government Sector. As such, my own research with the Office for National Statistics and the Home Office is crucial in helping make my teaching relevant to students on this Programme.

School of Management

Dr Mel Ashleigh

Before undertaking a BSc in Psychology in 1992, I ran my own recruitment business. I completed a PhD in 2002 from the School of Engineering and joined the School of Management in 2003. I have published articles in journals such as Strategic Change, Decision Support Systems and Journal of Management in Engineering. I have recently co-authored a text book on Contemporary Management (Mcgraw Hill due out in Jan 2007).

My interests in internationalism and the increase in diversity across student cohorts has motivated me to explore new and different ways of enhancing the learning experience for students which has influenced my teaching style and methods. I believe in a constructivist approach where students are encouraged to actively seek out knowledge and learn through experiential activities and reflective practice. My innovative methods of teaching, including e-learning discussion groups, role play and debating seminars have been welcomed by my students as refreshing and inclusive. I believe that by setting explicit criteria for assessment, giving transparency in marking and leading by example motivates students to want to learn more.

School of Education

Dr Jane Seale

I am currently senior lecturer in the School of Education. I teach on a range of programmes including the Masters in Educational Practice and Innovation, the Research Training Programme and the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice where I specialise in issues relating to disability, inclusion and e-learning. Prior to joining the School of Education, I set up the first interdisciplinary Masters Programme in Assistive Technology in the UK, at Kings College London and was involved in designing and delivering disability and technology related courses for the first joint Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy School in the country. I have served on several national teaching related committees including the Association for Learning Technology and the Department of Health e-learning steering group for social work education. I have also written and presented a wide range of teaching-related materials that have been disseminated nationally and internationally.

I was nominated for the Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Award for my work in developing interdisciplinary courses where learners are challenged to apply knowledge from other disciplines to their own discipline. This work is underpinned by the creation of facilitative learning environments where learners are encouraged to build on their prior experience, integrate theory with practice and evaluate available evidence in order to develop their own conceptions and theories of best practice.

WinchesterSchoolof Art

The Analogue and Digital Debates Team

Alex Veness, David Gibbons, Matt Grover & Mark Allen

Mark Allen (Manager for IT & Media Resources) – IT skills, art & design software
Dave Gibbons (Learning Support Officer – Photomedia) – Photography & video
Matt Grover (Learning Support Officer – Time Based Media) – Moving image & sound
Alex Veness (Lecturer Fine Art) – Painting, Net art

Special mention should also be given to Dr Marko Daniel, an original contributing member of the team, who has now moved on to other employment

The Analogue & Digital Debates Unit is a core unit for all Level 1 students at Winchester School of Art. It was introduced in 2005 as part of the School’s new under-graduate curriculum. It breaks new ground for the School in unifying new media practice with theory, by incorporating new media practical skills and techniques into the curriculum which had traditionally been extra-curricular. These skills and techniques are contextualised by a lecture series exploring their historical development and relevance to modern art practice.

All students benefit from practical workshops in IT core skills, IT presentation and digital photography. One of the main challenges facing the team was to deliver the unit to such a large number of students. This was achieved through the use of Blackboard, by trying innovative methods of delivery and by sheer hard graft. Printed and on-line Learning Support Material is crucial in re-enforcing the information given to students and meeting their on-going support requirements. Another first for the School was the use of a group project to assess the learning outcomes of the unit. This has worked well and introduced the students to collaborative work, an important reality of professional art & design practice.

Our general approach to teaching and learner support is one of openness. We try to make the technologies accessible and available to all. This is done through a variety of lectures, workshops, documentation, tutorials and one-to-one support. As well as teaching, most of the team are also responsible for the support of these technologies, so our first-hand experience of supporting students feeds directly into the teaching, constantly improving the overall service on offer.

School of Humanities

Dr Andrew Fisher

I am a composer with interests in jazz, classical music, the musical and film music. I studied at York University, The Royal College of Music and at the University of Southampton, where I completed my PhD with Michael Finnissy in 2004. I joined the staff at Southampton in September 2004 as a part-time Lecturer in Composition, where I have taught Songwriting, Orchestration and Arranging, Composition, and Harmony and Counterpoint.

I was nominated for the award for excellence in teaching (as demonstrated by consistently highly rated student feedback over many years) and particularly for the Songwriting unit which I debuted in 2005.

I believe the best teachers are clear communicators whom also have the capacity to inspire through their enthusiasm and love for the subjects they teach.

Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences

School of Biological Sciences

Dr Matthew Bellamy

I did my first degree at Southampton, followed by a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Canterbury. I then worked in the School of Biomedical Sciences at Wolverhampton University as a demonstrator, before transferring to Applied Sciences where I was a biological learning resources associate involved with e-learning. For the last three years I've been a Teaching Fellow (e-learning) in the School of Biological Sciences at Southampton.

I receieved the award for various e-learning components including the creation of interactive virtual practicals for first year courses and on-line Perception tests.

Being heavily involved in e-learning I try to ensure that I'm not simply replicating conventional material in electronic form, instead taking advantage of the aspects that go beyond paper (such as animation and interactivity), as well as the reduction or removal of space and time constraints that govern conventional teaching, to give an enhanced learning experience.

School of Health Professions & Rehabilitation Sciences

Rebecca Pockney

I have been an Occupational Therapy (OT) lecturer at the School of Health Professions and Rehabilitation Sciences for the past 11 years. Prior to this I worked as a clinical therapist in a multidisciplinary team for adults with learning disabilities in South East London. Since joining the school I have contributed to developing both the OT and Physiotherapy Undergraduate programmes and have been responsible for devising and delivering two joint OT/Physio modules and five new OT modules. I am particularly proud of being able to introduce a learning disability module to the curriculum.

I was nominated for the award for my innovative and motivating teaching methods as my modules have been consistently well received by both the students and my colleagues during my time at the school. Students report valuing my well structure courses, creative teaching methods, enthusiastic and approachable style and self-directed learning material.

My philosophy to education has always been to make the learning environment accessible, interesting and enjoyable. This is something that I have tried to do by using a variety of teaching methods and materials (such as interactive discussions, small group work, practical workshops, video material, community visits and self-directed study sheets).

School of Medicine

Widening Access to Medicine Team

Carolyn Blundell, Sally Curtis, Dr Christine Platz & Linda Turner

Caroyln Blundell: I have been the BM6 Programme Director (the 6 year BM widening access to medicine programme) in the School of Medicine since the admission of the first cohort in 2002, having been a member of the steering group that developed the programme. Our first cohort will graduate as doctors next year. I also contribute to the teaching and learning and curriculum development of the other two School of Medicine undergraduate programmes, BM5 and BM4. I am Deputy Director of the School’s Medical Education Development Unit and also play a role in staff development including ‘Teaching Tomorrow’s Doctors’.

The BM6 has gained national recognition as an example of an innovative widening access programme. First featured as a case study in the 2002, UUK Report ‘From the Margins to the Mainstream’ and more recently as an example of a successfully embedded initiative in the 2005 follow up UUK Report, ‘Embedding Widening Participation in Higher Education ‘. It also featured in the Department of Health’s report : Medical Schools ; delivering the doctors of the future : London 2004. In four years our BM6 programme has progressed from initial under recruitment to a hugely oversubscribed course and one of the most popular of such programmes in the UK.
The BM6 team was nominated for the Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Award as an example of good practice. The BM6 consistently receives excellent student feedback for learning and teaching and student support and has a high student progression rate.

My approach to student learning is based on contextualising learning to future practice to make it relevant, exciting and real. It is about developing students’ understanding of principles and concepts so that they are able to apply them in new situations and to new problems. It is also to encourage independent thought and self direction by building confidence through appropriate support and feedback.

Schoolof Nursing and Midwifery

Susan Smith

I have a joint appointment with the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Dept of Neonatal Medicine, Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust. My initial responsibility was to collaborate with medical colleagues to develop and establish the first educational training programme for Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners in the United Kingdom. This national programme has been in progress for more than ten years now and continuous iterative formal and summative evaluation has enabled the ongoing development of the postgraduate programme.

I was nominated for the Teaching Award for my involvement in the development and enhancement of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice. The underpinning ethos is to offer students the opportunity not only to increase their academic knowledge but also their personal and professional career opportunities. The programme integrates a broad scope and depth of biomedical science and evidence based practice with research led teaching and the students’ own experiential clinical expertise.

I have responsibility for students who are based throughout the country and I particularly enjoy nurturing and stimulating them as they develop their knowledge, confidence and the intellectual and cognitive skills they need to prepare for new roles within the health and social care sector. Recruitment from throughout the country is good and attrition on the programme is very low as we aim to focus on each student as an individual, identifying their specific needs and aspirations both during the programme and beyond.

School of Psychology

Dr Tony Brown

As a lecturer on the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology and a practicing Consultant Clinical Psychologist specialising in learning disability, autism and the treatment of severe challenging behaviour, my academic and clinical career has served to generate data to facilitate and conduct basic research whilst measuring the impact on improving skill development and minimising behavioural dysfunction in clinical practice.

The combination of e-learning, the use of actors and teaching in real life challenging environments, across an interdisciplinary forum was considered worthy of an award.

Working with the rubric of “hear it - see it - do it” my approach to teaching has incorporated traditional lectures with video vignettes leading into practice scenarios designed to test the transitional of acquired knowledge to applied clinical efficacy.

Professional Development

Vice Chancellor Teaching Awards 2006

Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics

Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences

Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences

Centre for Excellence in Inter Professional Learning in the Public Sector

Profiles

Faculty of Engineering, Science and Mathematics

Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences

Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences

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