Academics lauded in national teaching awards

The prestigious Australian Awards for University Teaching have recognised Associate Professor Cliff Da Costa (School of Science), Dr Christopher Cheong (School of Business IT and Logistics) and Associate Professor Craig Batty (School of Media and Communication) for their exemplary teaching practice.

The Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning were presented at a ceremony in Melbourne on 13 September.

In announcing the awards, the Minister for Education and Training, Simon Birmingham, said the award winners were assisting in the creation of a world-class higher education system in Australia.

“Creativity and innovation in learning and teaching are the bedrock of a quality higher education system,” Minister Birmingham said.

“We are fortunate to have so many dedicated people who consistently go above and beyond to deliver better teaching and student outcomes. Excellent teachers deserve celebration to ensure even more Australians can benefit from their work.”

The Australian Awards for University Teaching program, through the Australian Government’s Office for Learning and Teaching, recognises and rewards quality teaching practices and outstanding contributions to student learning.

Recipients, with the support of their institutions, further contribute to systemic change in learning and teaching through ongoing knowledge-sharing and inspiration.

Applications are accepted from universities across Australia and are assessed independently by experts in the field, taking into account student and peer feedback and evidence of excellent teaching and student outcomes.

RMIT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Vice-President, Professor Belinda Tynan, said the awardees exemplified the University’s commitment to creating life-changing experiences by offering transformative education and connected pathways to students from all backgrounds.

“Imaginative and student-centred teaching is at the heart of a transformative student experience and is central to RMIT’s purpose,” Professor Tynan said.

“These teachers have made an outstanding effort to inspire and engage with their students and ensure they are graduate ready for life and work. Citations are a nationally recognised way of acknowledging the work of these outstanding teachers.”

Associate Professor Craig Batty’s citation acknowledged his achievements in building an innovative peer-to-peer pedagogy for creative writing research degree candidates, enabling them to transform from creative practitioners into creative practice researchers.

Dr Christopher Cheong was recognised for implementing a student-centred, technology-enhanced and research-informed problem identification and solving approach to improve students’ learning experiences and outcomes.

Associate Professor Cliff Da Costa received his award for his success in developing engaging learning environments for statistics students with a non-mathematical background to promote self-directed learning and an appreciation of statistics in their lives.

Story:  Pauline Charleston