Sharp Words Editing and Writing Services ALTC Citations Workshops RMIT University 2 & 7 December, 2010

A Citation nomination is a real privilege  There are about 45,000 academics in Australia’s universities  In 2010:  297 Citations nominations were submitted  193 Citations were awarded  There is no model or template for writing an application. Every learning, teaching and assessment story is unique.

The criteria are the keys You can think of two bundles of criteria:  Meta-criteria  Specific criteria You must respond to both.

Meta-criteria 1. influenced student learning, student engagement or the overall student experience 2. gained recognition from fellow staff, the institution, and/or the broader community 3. been sustained over time. The nomination will be judged against the criteria on the extent to which it shows evidence (in the written statement) that the nominee’s contribution has:

Specific criteria 1. Approaches to the support of learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn. 2. Development of curricula, resources and services that reflect a command of the field. 3. Approaches to assessment, feedback and learning support that foster independent learning. 4. Respect and support for the development of students as individuals. 5. Scholarly activities and service innovations that have influenced and enhanced learning and teaching. Respond to one or two of the following:

How you respond is your call 1. fostering student development by stimulating curiosity and independence in learning 2. contributing to the development of students’ critical thinking skills, analytical skills and scholarly values 3. encouraging student engagement through the enthusiasm shown for learning and teaching 4. inspiring and motivating students through high-level communication, presentation and interpersonal skills 5. enabling others to enhance their approaches to learning and teaching. Approaches to the support of learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn. This may include reference to:

How you respond is your call 1. influenced student learning, student engagement or the overall student experience 2. gained recognition from fellow staff, the institution, and/or the broader community 3. been sustained over time. Approaches to the support of learning and teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn. Your written statement must include reference to the meta-criteria – show how your contribution has each of these characteristics:

Responding to the criteria  Make a claim  Provide an interpretation of the claim  Present evidence for the claim. Ensure that students are always at the centre of your written statement. The written statement isn’t really about you – it’s about them.

Cautions on evidence Think carefully before:  using tables, graphs and figures  individual student testimonials/quotes.

The application You application has two parts:  a four page written statement  Summary  Response to criteria  evidence  two referee reports of one page each. Consider them as a piece, rather than as separate entities

Your referee strategy  One referee must be the head of the nominee’s faculty, department, school or administrative unit.  The other is of your choosing. References must not exceed one page Brief your referees well Referees can back up your ‘intangible’ claims

Other things to keep in mind  Set aside enough time  Group nominations frequently take longer  Discipline specific language  Layout constraints – font/point size/ paragraph breaks  Seek out feedback/review/discussion about your developing written statement