Three inspiring academics were awarded in the inaugural UTS Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building Teaching and Learning Awards on Tuesday 12 June.

“The awards were established to recognise the importance of teaching and learning for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, and the roles of both full-time and sessional teaching staff,” said Associate Professor Louise McWhinnie, Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning in the faculty.

The aim of the awards is to improve the quality of teaching and learning by raising awareness among other staff of excellent teaching practices, which will ultimately improve the learning experiences of the students.

Winners for the 2011 academic year are:

·           Jennifer Macdonald, School of the Built Environment, winner of the DAB Innovation in Learning and Teaching.

·          Joanne Kinniburgh, School of Architecture, winner of the DAB Learning and Teaching Award for a Sessional Staff Member

·          Dr Zoe Sadokierski, School of Design, winner of the DAB Learning and Teaching Award for a Full-Time, Contract or Fractional Staff Member

Jennifer Macdonald introduced the use of smart boards, 3D animations and videos as a way of improving the teaching of the potentially dry construction and materials science subjects.

Both Joanne and Zoe introduced new methods in their teaching, including peer tutoring and the use of social media tools to increase the enthusiasm of students and thus their learning.

All three academics have seen a strong increase in student satisfaction in their subjects.

They each receive funding of $1,000 for professional development.

“We congratulate Jennifer, Zoe and Joanne for their outstanding achievements in the classroom, and look forward to seeing their methods in broader use,” said A/Prof McWhinnie.