Praise for innovative teaching

The awards recognise teaching which is inspirational, innovative or of a particularly high standard. Dr Loraine Day of Modern Languages and Dr Veronica Spencer of Film will be presented with their awards at summer graduation.

Loraine, a Senior Lecturer, specialises in contemporary French writing. Her third-year module, Re-reading Gender: stories of love and desire in contemporary French culture, encourages students to explore the challenging literary works of authors such as Pauline Réage and Marguerite Duras. The seminars, planned and led by the students themselves and guided by Loraine, develop skills in research-led learning as a result. All the students on the unit nominated her for this award.

Veronica, who is Student Support Coordinator in Film, was nominated for her work on student-centred learning and curriculum development. She has supported many students with diverse needs. Veronica is particularly interested in developing creative forms of assessment. Her popular second year Technical and Creative Writing module – which encourages students to explore the skills required to write professionally for a variety of audiences - has introduced a form of student assessment based on peer review. Veronica’s colleagues nominated her.

Head Humanities, Professor Anne Curry said: “Well done to both Loraine and Veronica. These awards are given in recognition of dedicated and innovative teaching and the extent to which an individual's work is appreciated by colleagues and students alike.”