Exemplary teaching celebrated by Aberystwyth University

Professor Tim Woods, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning, Teaching and Student Experience, presents Dr Laura Stephenson, Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, with her Exemplary Course Award 2021/22.

Professor Tim Woods, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning, Teaching and Student Experience, presents Dr Laura Stephenson, Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, with her Exemplary Course Award 2021/22.

15 July 2022

Academics from the Departments of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, and Psychology at Aberystwyth University have been presented with the Exemplary Course Awards for their innovation in teaching.

The awards were presented at this year’s Fellows Dinner, which took place during Graduation Week. As well as presenting the 2021/22 awards, accolades from 2019/20 and 2020/21 were awarded after been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Laura Stephenson from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies (TFTS) won the 2021/22 prize for her module ‘Gender and Media Production’.

TFTS’s Dr Andrew Filmer, Dr Maire Gorman from the Department of Physics and the Graduate School and Claire Ward from the Department of Lifelong Learning were Highly Commended for their modules.

For the 2020/21 academic year, Dr Hanna Binks from the Department of Psychology clinched the overall award for her ‘Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology’ module.

Prysor Mason Davies (School of Education), Dr Martine Garland (Aberystwyth Business School), Mary Jacob (Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit) and Dr Rhianedd Jewell (Welsh and Celtic Studies) were all highly commended for their modules.

Dr Lara Kipp (TFTS) won the 2019/20 prize for her module ‘Principles of Scenography’. Dr Rhianedd Jewell (Welsh and Celtic Studies) was Highly Commended for her work during that year.

The award is assessed across four categories: course design, interaction and collaboration, assessment and learner support. Applicants for the award identify three exemplary and innovative activities from their modules.

During the past two and a half years, all academics at the University have introduced innovative teaching methods such as discussion boards, blogs, journals, wikis and tests to provide the best quality educational experiences.

The awards are judged by an expert panel including former winners.

Professor Tim Woods, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning, Teaching and Student Experience, said: “The strength of competition to win these Exemplary Course awards illustrates the world-class nature of our teaching across the entire University.

“I would like to warmly congratulate the winners and also the wider teaching body for the extremely high standard of the entries. The courses that have received awards reflect the excellence, innovation, creativity and ambition at the heart of Aberystwyth University. The academics are specialists within the fields of arts, humanities and sciences, illustrating our breadth of expertise - many congratulations to them all."

Dr James Woolley, coordinator of the awards, said: “The breadth of activities in these modules is testament to the innovative learning and teaching practices taking place across the university. The winners provide a benchmark of exemplary practice which can now be shared with colleagues and show what is possible in our Virtual Learning Environment.”

Kate Wright, Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit Manager, said: “Well done to all the staff recognised through these awards. Their creativity, hard work, and commitment to a high-quality experience for their students is evident in their modules.”