1. Using Student-Led Teaching Award Data to Identify Student Perceptions of Excellence
Tanya Lubicz-Nawrocka
Edinburgh University Students’ Association

2. Teaching Awards Background
Our Teaching Awards are the longest-running in the UK, now in their 9th year
We normally receive 2,000 – 3,000 open-ended nomination comments from students
There are eight award categories, including:
Best Overall Teacher
Best Feedback
Best Personal Tutor
Best Student Who Tutors
Best Research or Dissertation Supervisor
Best Support Staff
Best Course
Innovative Assessment

3. Teaching Awards Research
Funded by a Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme (PTAS) small grant
Research carried out by a Research Assistant (Kieran Bunting, Masters student) from Feb to Aug 2016
Analysing themes across all 2,296 nominations from using NVivo
The vast majority of student nominations fell into the Best Overall Teacher category
Follow-up during carried out by Elizabeth Harris on similar trends and identifying new areas of interest

4. Teaching Award Nominations Distributed Across All Colleges
This is roughly in line with the student populations of each College

5. Four key themes in student perceptions of excellence in teaching and supporting students’ transitions

6. Theme 1: Concerted, Visible Effort
This theme highlighted staff effort in areas including:
feedback on students’ work
acting on student feedback to improve the course material, delivery and/or learning community
Students felt that these staff were approachable and prioritised students
These staff helped students with transitions by:
Improving students’ future work through quality and quantity of feedback that provide opportunities for ‘feedforward’
Showing it is ok not to know all the answers, following up on student questions if they did not know the answer
Providing transparent goals for classes and showing how each class fits into a holistic view of the course as a whole

7. Theme 2: Charisma, Personality and Engaging Teaching
Students highlighted the importance and impact of teachers who:
are engaging, exciting and energetic
demonstrate care for students, a passion for teaching and up-to-date subject knowledge
These staff helped students with transitions by:
facilitating student engagement in interactive lectures including groupwork and problem-solving
including examples from the teacher’s own research, real-life examples or perspectives on exciting developments in the field
stimulating students’ further interest in the academic subject
inspiring students to pursue a new research project, secondary degree, or career in the lecturer’s field of expertise

8. Theme 3: Breaking Down Student-Teacher Barriers and Fostering Student Engagement
Students highlighted the importance of teachers getting to know students as individuals and showing them care and respect:
developing a strong academic community
providing personalised feedback and support
working in partnership with students by listening and acting on student feedback
These staff helped students with transitions by:
ensuring all students develop confidence and feel comfortable participating in discussions
developing shared ownership over the learning experience as active learners by including student-led seminars or presentations, deciding on their own assessment topics, or co-creating elements of the curriculum

9. Theme 4: Consistency, Predictability and Stability of Support
Students highlighted the importance of predictability and stability of support from staff by:
‘always’ being there for students
demonstrating a proactive and positive attitude
communicating transparent expectations and (where needed) support services available
These staff helped students with transitions by:
demonstrating availability and approachability
organising scaffolded lectures with clear themes and content that builds
ensuring transparency, consistency and fairness
developing students’ resilience to overcome personal struggles that affect the academic experience
encouraging students to persevere with their studies

10. 2016-17 Teaching Award Nominations

12. Themes from 2016-17 Teaching Award Nominations
This year we saw a continuation of the main four themes of last year.
Interesting sub-themes emerged this year:
Technology
Innovative Teaching
Engaging the Unengaged

13. Technology Sub-Theme Top Hat
facilitating quizzes during lectures to let students and staff assess students’ understanding of the content ‘which is excellent if you’re too shy to ask questions.’
Podcasts and short recordings
creating recorded vocabulary lists for language-learners to hear the pronunciation and tonality
creating podcasts to summarise each lecture and present ideas in new ways
Lecture recordings
very helpful for revision and better understanding of concepts especially when ‘there is so much covered in each one that being able to go back and listen/watch again is amazing!’
“Not only does he explain difficult concepts very clearly, he takes on board student comments, gives excellent feedback to assignments, records his lectures (which is AMAZING and so helpful - why doesn’t every lecturer do this?!) and he even re-enacts lectures on his own when the recording equipment fails in class in his own time!!!”
Student nomination comment for Mits Ota for the Best Overall Teacher Award

14. Innovative Teaching Sub-Theme
Using non-traditional methods in teaching
field trips
mindfulness at the start of classes to set intentions and improve focus
using props or other physical examples of concepts
making digital 3D models for students to understand anatomy
playing rock music on an electric guitar in lectures to demonstrate the clipping of sound waves
Lecturers encouraged students to engage with outside learning opportunities
inviting students to relevant seminars in the department
helping students to attend conferences
“Students were continuously encouraged to share feedback, ideas and study tips as a way to increase the overall performance of the class. More examples of this includes a short mindfulness activity in beginning of the class helping to improve focus, discussion rules made by the students for a fair and just conversation and weekly opportunities for students to comment on the running of the course through online feedback forms.”
Student nomination comment for Rachel Howell for the course Responding to Sustainability Challenges: Critical Debate for the Best Course Award.

15. Engaging the Unengaged Sub-Theme
Helping all students feel comfortable with the content or with participating
calming fears about perceived difficult content
creating discussion forums on the VLE so students can ask questions anonymously if they’re worried about asking in person
creating a learning environment where all students feel comfortable contributing
Reaching out to students who haven’t come to tutorials or seminars to check if everything is ok
Lecturers deeply engaged students in what were considered to be boring subjects
students pursuing new research/career areas because of the course
“For well-educated, fun and inspiring lectures in thermodynamics. He managed to salvage a course that we despised in second year and turned it into a favourite of senior honours. He is charismatic, friendly and always puts the extra effort into his students.”
Student nomination comment for Graeme Ackland for the Best Overall Teacher Award.

17. Thank you!
The full report ‘What Does Good Teaching Look Like to Students: An Analysis of Teaching Award Nomination Data’ is available via on the Teaching Awards Research tab.