Recognising those who inspire our students
Published on 12 April, 2011
They're a diverse bunch, spread across various campuses and teaching everything from maths to midwifery and from psychology to programming.
What unites them is an ability to engage and inspire their students, so CQUniversity has singled them out for special praise through the latest tier of the Faculty/Deputy Vice-Chancellor awards for Excellence in Learning and Teaching.
Dr Pierre Viljoen (right) congratulates Dr Steven Pace and Anne Eaton in Mackay
Professor Phillip Clift congratulates Dr Matthew Rockloff
Whether they teach mature adults returning after a large gap in study, new arrivals for whom English is a second language, those with work and family responsibilities, or those who are remote from their campus, all have empowered and excited our students.
Daniel Abell from Brisbane is praised for designing and implementing student-centred learning experiences that ignite critical, independent thought. His students become engaged with the content as authors and users. Daniel's Brisbane colleague Dr Mary Tom is known for transforming computer programming into a more engaging and less daunting experience, using effective analogies and peer-supported collaborative learning, among other tools.
Greg Cranitch from the Gold Coast builds a classroom community, using current media articles and getting his IT students to solve exercises together. Meanwhile, Melbourne's Phillip Minca uses a diversity of tasks to stimulate learning, while improving the link between curriculum and assessment and boosting student satisfaction.
Professor Graham Pegg congratulates Lisa Bricknell (left) and Associate Professor Kerry Reid-Searl
Rockhampton's Dr Roland Dodd makes IT and maths a positive learning experience, encouraging student cooperation, providing prompt feedback and communicating high expectations. His campus colleague Dr Ananda Wickramasinghe inspires student cohorts across all our campuses to be authentic and context-sensitive learners, using case-studies, simulations and scenarios from national and international perspectives.
Professor Kevin Tickle (left) congratulates Dr Ananda Wickramasinghe and Dr Roland Dodd
Daniel Abell from Brisbane receives his trophy from Professor Ken Hawkins
Mackay's Dr Steven Pace is awarded for arranging a series of digital media master classes by 'superstar' role models who have worked on Oscar-winning films, while Rockhampton's Associate Professor Kerry Reid-Searl has created the MASK-ED simulation teaching strategy, providing authentic character types to interact with nursing students.
Lisa Bricknell is based in Rockhampton but manages to challenge her students to examine environmental health issues from both national and global perspectives, while contributing to the scholarship of learning and teaching.
Dr Mary Tom from Brisbane is congratulated by Professor Ken Hawkins
Her Mackay colleague Anne Eaton becomes a learning facilitator by bridging the theory/practice gap in a blended learning environment, enabling midwifery students to interact from diverse geographical locations.
Meanwhile, Bundaberg's Dr Matthew Rockloff has developed an online self-study coure in Statistics for Psychologists, which is freely available to the public.
A full list of the awards follows:
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (International) Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching 2010
- Mr Daniel Abell (CQUniversity's Brisbane Campus)
- Mr Greg Cranitch (CQUniversity's Gold Coast Campus)
- Dr Mary Tom (CQUniversity's Brisbane Campus)
- Mr Phillip Minca (CQUniversity's Melbourne Campus)
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Health Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching 2010
- Ms Lisa Bricknell (School of Health and Human Services)
- Dr Matthew Rockloff (School of Health and Human Services)
- Associate Professor Kerry Reid-Searl (School of Nursing and Midwifery)
- Ms Anne Eaton (School of Nursing and Midwifery)
Faculty of Arts, Business, Informatics and Education Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching 2010
- Dr Ananda Wickramasinghe (School of Management and Marketing)
- Dr Steven Pace (School of Creative and Performing Arts)
- Dr Roland Dodd (School of Education)
