Re Su co cc gn es is s in g Vo ten ice N ye s fro Fe atio ars m llo na o f w sh l Te the ip ac Sc hin he g m e Recognising Success Voices from ten years of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme 2 6 8 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 39 Back 40 44 Introduction History of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme A view from the Association of National Teaching Fellows Voices Professor Dudley Shallcross Professor Sue Thompson Professor Rob Pope Profesor Anthony Rosie Professor Stephen Gomez Dr Val Chapman Professor Claire Davis Christine Harrington Kirsten Hardie Sandra Griffiths Dr John Hilsdon Sidney Tyrell Guillaume Alinier Professor Gilly Salmon Dr Aru Narayanasamy Dr Helena Gaunt Professor Peter McOwan Dr Dave Allen Sir David Watson NTFS project strand Fellows 2000–2009 © The Higher Education Academy, 2010 ISBN 978-1-907207-21-1 The Higher Education Academy Innovation Way York Science Park Heslington York YO10 5BR +44 (0)1904 717500 enquiries@heacademy.ac.uk www.heacademy.ac.uk No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Editor. Such permission will normally be granted for educational purposes provided that due acknowledgement is given. 2 --fourteen Recognising Success Voices from ten years of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme 2 6 8 10 11 12 14 16 18 20 21 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 39 Back 40 44 Introduction History of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme A view from the Association of National Teaching Fellows Voices Professor Dudley Shallcross Professor Sue Thompson Professor Rob Pope Profesor Anthony Rosie Professor Stephen Gomez Dr Val Chapman Professor Claire Davis Christine Harrington Kirsten Hardie Sandra Griffiths Dr John Hilsdon Sidney Tyrell Guillaume Alinier Professor Gilly Salmon Dr Aru Narayanasamy Dr Helena Gaunt Professor Peter McOwan Dr Dave Allen Professor Sir David Watson NTFS project strand Fellows 2000–2009 Introduction Professor Sue Law Director: Academic Practice The Higher Education Academy The National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) has been one of the Higher Education Academy’s flagship activities over the past decade. As we celebrate its tenth anniversary, it is clear that it has had a major impact across the higher education sector. Currently funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department for Education and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI), the scheme celebrates excellence in teaching in our universities and colleges, and makes a crucial contribution to raising the status of teaching in higher education. From 2010, Wales will join the Scheme, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW). As NTFS reaches its tenth birthday, now seems a good time to reflect on the scheme’s successes and review just how far we’ve come in a decade. This celebratory publication helps to us to do just that: I very much hope you enjoy exploring, through its pages, the ways in which NTFS has impacted on the world of higher education teaching and learning since 2000. The scheme currently has two strands: the ‘individual’ awards and the projects. The indi- vidual awards were introduced ten years ago, and celebrate the achievements of colleagues who have made an outstanding impact on the student learning experience, whether as teachers or in learning support roles. The Academy makes up to 50 awards of £10,000 each year: this financial recognition of individual excellence provides a strong source of support for winners to pursue their further professional development in teaching, learning or aspects of good pedagogic practice. As even a quick glance at this booklet shows, the breadth of achievement among recipients of the individual award over the years is enormously impressive: there is evidence of clear benefits not only to the sector but in the development of effective teaching and learning practice more globally. Clearly, it’s impossible to try to summarise the range of work and the depth of achievement in this short introduction, but mention of two recent award winners helps to provide a flavour of what is being achieved. Lynne Barnes, a 2009 NTF, based at the University of Central Lancashire, has overseen the development of groundbreaking degree courses 2 in Deaf Studies and British Sign Language (BSL), including postgraduate qualifications in BSL and English Interpreting. This work has increased the number and quality of sign language interpreters in the UK, and Lynne has been a key influence in making higher education more accessible to deaf students and a key change agent in developing, for example, the innovative ‘Year Zero for Deaf Students’, which provided the first discrete access course of its kind for deaf students – an important bridge between the demands of further and higher education for this under-represented group. Professor Val Wass from the University of Manchester’s Medical School, and a 2008 NTF, has worked with colleagues in her institution to introduce holistic approaches to student learning through a strong focus on patientcentred communication, professionalism and cultural awareness. One first-year student said of her: “It showed me that being a bookworm won’t make a brilliant doctor. Practising medicine is an art and when dealing with it we need to be armed with tools such as empathy and compassion and a genuine interest in the patient.” Val’s medical education research has resulted in requests to support medical education in the Third World (particularly Asia) where more community-based health care is urgently needed. Dr Jan Sellers from the University of Kent was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship for her work in student learning support in 2005, which has led her to new opportunities to explore aspects of creativity and reflection as part of the student experience. She is currently working on the Creative Campus initiative and, within that remit, the Labyrinth Project, a key aspect of her NTFS project: bringing a labyrinth to the University to support teaching, learning and the student experience. The second NTFS strand is bid-based and focused on awards for project development – rather than on recognition for current individual success and achievement. HEIs work with existing National Teaching Fellows in order to harness expertise for both institutional and wider higher education sector benefits. Successful team bids have been awarded for up to a three-year development period. 3 We believe that the impact of NTFS and the excellent practice it continues to highlight speaks for itself and is a strong demonstration of the Academy’s raison d’etre. A key focus of our work is to encourage, exemplify and, where appropriate, lead the development of teaching and learning excellence in universities and colleges. NTFS is one wonderful example of the success – through a focus on sharing excellence and raising the status of teaching – of two key strategic aims supporting the Academy’s mission. The recognition and sharing of innovation represented by NTFS, whether through the dissemination of good ideas, the emphasis on the ‘how’ of changing practice across higher education or the recognition of individuals or teams themselves, is a demonstration of the way in which the scheme has now become one of the peaks in the landscape of higher education. NTFS has become a key element in our HE landscape and is helping to embed a consciousness about good practice and teaching excellence within institutions. The individual award, in particular, has become an iconic aspect of the Academy’s mission to lead and support not only the professional development of HE staff, but also the recognition of HE staff as key players in achieving institutional success around teaching and learning support. As a relative newcomer to the Academy (but a bit of an ‘old hand’ within the sector more generally!), I should like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues both within the sector and the Academy who over the past ten years have taken the National Teaching Fellow idea and turned it into a reality. I should particularly like to thank those colleagues who have supported – and still support – the day-to-day operation of NTFS, whether through involvement on one of our NTFS panels or as an NTFS reviewer who, each year, has the unenviable task of reviewing applications and contributing to the selection of the successful award winners: never an easy task! I should particularly like to take this opportunity to thank the chairs of the panels for overseeing the awards process so skilfully, and the Association of National Teaching Fellows for contributing to the Academy’s work. Clearly, while we cannot be certain what lies ahead in the landscape of higher education, 4 aspiring to and achieving excellence in teaching and learning will continue to be a crucial part of our work in higher education, whether in HE institutions or in the Academy itself. Even now, very many years after I left university as a young graduate, I can still vividly remember those individual lecturers who challenged and enthused me in equal measure through the excellence of their teaching. While not commonplace, they were undoubtedly inspirational. Higher education continues to play an absolutely crucial role in inspiring each new generation of students to maximise their potential through experiencing the high peaks of teaching and learning excellence. I am delighted to say that the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme has, over the past decade, played its own special role in celebrating excellence in teaching and learning practice. 5 History of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme The NTFS was launched in 2000 by HEFCE, the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland and the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE). In 2010–11, Wales will join NTFS, with funding provided by HEFCW. Now run by the Higher Education Academy, and funded by the funding councils of the participating nations, it is part of an overall programme to raise the status of learning and teaching in higher education, and recognises and rewards teachers and learning support staff for their excellence. It is open to all those involved in supporting the student learning experience in higher education in England and Northern Ireland (and from Autumn 2010, Wales). For the first six years of the scheme, awards of £50,000 were made to individuals for projects designed to make a significant contribution to learning and teaching. In 2004 the scheme was expanded, following the recommendations of the Government’s 2003 White Paper, The Future of Higher Education, which said that “the NTFS will be increased in size to offer substantial rewards to twice as many outstanding teachers as at present.” In 2006 following a review by the Academy in response to feedback from the sector, the scheme was relaunched with two strands: the individual strand and the projects strand with a total funding of £2.5 million each year. For the individual awards, up to 50 awards of £10,000 are made in recognition of individual excellence. The award may be used for professional development in learning and teaching. Nominations must demonstrate evidence of enhancing the student learning experience both within and beyond the nominee’s own institution, supporting colleagues and influencing support for student learning. For profiles of National Teaching Fellows, please visit: www.heacademy.ac.uk/ntfsdirectory. 6 The projects strand presents opportunities for institutions providing higher education to build on the expertise of National Teaching Fellows. Since 2006, up to ten NTF projects have been funded annually. Project teams, with a National Teaching Fellow at the heart of planning and execution, are able to bid for up to £200,000 to bring significant and meaningful benefits to students’ learning experiences, both in the host institutions and more broadly across the sector. Projects focus on HE practice, based on evidence-informed developments or research, and result in direct improvements to HE pedagogy. For details of funded projects, please visit: www.heacademy.ac.uk/ntfs. Bids and nominations are assessed by the relevant National Advisory Panels of senior academics from across the higher education sector. Professor Dame Janet Finch was the first chair of the Projects Advisory Panel in 2006. Professor Bob Munn has chaired the Panel since 2007. Over the ten years the Individual Advisory Panel has had four distinguished chairs: —  ir Martin Harris S Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, until 2002; —  rofessor Sir David Watson P Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, until 2005; —  rofessor Rick Trainor P Principal, King’s College, London, until 2007; —  rofessor Shirley Pearce P Vice-Chancellor of the University of Loughborough. The Academy is indebted to them all for their hard work and dedicated support. 7 A view from the Association of National Teaching Fellows Professor Lesley-Jane Eales-Reynolds Chair, The Association of National Teaching Fellows Director Westminster Exchange University of Westminster Run by the Higher Education Academy, the National Teaching Fellowship scheme was introduced ten years ago by HEFCE as part of its ‘recognition and reward’ plans for promoting excellent teaching within higher education. Not long after the first cohorts were conferred NTF status, the Fellows began to realise that collectively they had a lot to offer higher education both at a disciplinary and at an interdisciplinary level. Over the past ten years, there have been vast changes in HE. The explosion of technology and the massive growth of the information society, for example, mean that learners need support in different ways than previously. Disciplinary boundaries are blurring. The changes and challenges we face in higher education involve creativity and innovation in curriculum and pedagogy, and the National Teaching Fellows are well placed to meet this challenge. However, right from the start they realised it would be useful to work across disciplinary boundaries. There was strength in the collective and as a result they decided to form an association. In the early days of the scheme, Fellows were supported by the National Co-ordination Team who would organise events to allow Fellows to discuss their work (in the first three years of the scheme, NTFs were required to complete a piece of scholarly enquiry or research). At one of these meetings, Fellows agreed to elect an interim co-ordination group to look at setting up the Association of National Teaching Fellows. Led by Bob Rotheram, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in 2005 by the interim group and the Academy, and the Association of National Teaching Fellows was born. When I took over as Chair of the Association in 2006, we discussed setting up a website. We also decided that we wanted to produce a publication that would showcase the work of NTFS. We agreed that there needed to be more research on the impact of the award on winners. In addition, we wanted to reinstate the annual symposium. In 2006 the symposium was reintroduced and has run every year since, allowing NTFs to renew acquaintances, to help new Fellows join the community and provide opportunities for new ideas in collaborative work. This year was our fifth such symposium. 8 We have also achieved our aim this year in relation to the publication of NTF work. In line with the celebrations of the tenth anniversary of the scheme, a special edition of the online journal, Learning Exchange, will be published in July with contributions and papers from National Teaching Fellows. Our website was also established this year (www.antf.ac.uk). However, we still need contributions from NTFs to make it a vibrant and useful resource not only to others in the Association, but to all practitioners with a passion for learning and teaching. Finally, we are in the middle of a large Delphi study, exploring the impact of NTFS on Fellows, their institutions, their disciplines and their students. Preliminary findings were presented at this year’s symposium and promises to provide extremely interesting data about NTFS and its impact on learning and teaching. Here’s to the next ten years! 9 2004  Professor Dudley Shallcross University of Bristol Without exaggeration, the National Teaching Fellowship award has changed dramatically my academic life for the good. 10 2008  Professor Sue Thompson Liverpool John Moores University I think if I had to choose one word that describes the impact of my NTF it would be ‘affirming’ … Receiving the email that told me I’d been awarded a NTF probably ranks as one of the best ‘feel good’ moments in my professional life … The NTF award gave me the confidence and the opportunity to branch out in several new areas. It has certainly helped me in establishing a wider international profile. It has opened doors. I was able to fund a study tour to Australia, building on existing contacts and making new ones. 11 2000  Professor Rob Pope Oxford Brookes University What did the Fellowship do for you? What did you do for the Fellowship? Rather like the loaded question in Monty Python’s Life of Brian (“What did the Romans ever do for us?!”), it’s hard to answer without either an extremely long list or a growing sense of everyone else involved. (“Oh yes … apart from roads, viaducts, plumbing, law and order, education …” as one Python after another keeps on volunteering.) 12 Here, ten years on, is the beginning of just such a potentially open-ended list. First but not necessarily foremost, the Fellowship bought me the time to turn a short 50-page draft of a guide to Creativity into a big 300-page monograph on Creativity (subsequently appearing as Creativity: Theory, History Practice, Routledge 2005). This directly led to me co-convening an AHRC-funded workshop series with Joan Swann of The Open University and Ron Carter of the University of Nottingham, which itself has turned into a co-edited collection called Creativity, Language, Literature: the State of the Art (due out from Palgrave later this year). The Fellowship also enabled me to pilot a small-scale student project on ‘Re-writing and Re-searching Place’ that subsequently turned into a Fellowship in the Reinvention Centre for Undergraduate Research (the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning shared by my own institution, Oxford Brookes University, and Warwick). This has now involved over 500 students and recently turned into a course-based wiki with anthologies. Not last and not least – but all I have space for here – the Fellowship gave me the opportunity to do a really thorough second edition of an innovative textbook that, I guess, had helped me get the Fellowship in the first place. As I am currently doing a third edition, something seems to have worked and to be worth keeping on redoing (The English Studies Book: An Introduction to Language, Literature & Culture, Routledge, 1st ed. 1998, 2nd ed. 2002, 3rd ed. forthcoming 2011). In short, the Fellowship gave me a platform to get to where I am now. Without it perhaps I would not have got here at all. Certainly I would not have arrived – or want to keep on travelling – as quickly, as enjoyably and in such good company. 13 2001  Professor Anthony Rosie Sheffield Hallam University Whether it was a result of holding an NTF award or for other reasons I found myself doing new and different things from 2001 onwards. I had moved from being a programme leader to a post as a learning and teaching co-ordinator. But within a year I found myself on HEFCE’s QALT committee with the intriguing opportunity to see, and hopefully contribute to, policy development and implementation across all subjects and institutions. 14 This was during the period when the Higher Education Academy was created, the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) initiative introduced, and TQEF was being evaluated. I also became Director of the C-SAP subject centre and then found myself getting involved in UK contributions to the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. I have assessed numerous bids and applications including NTFS individual and project awards. I think holding a National Teaching Fellowship was a way in to this. It also meant that within my institution I was contributing to quite large-scale activities. For me it was important to maintain my day-to-day teaching. In thinking back on this period which extended from 2002 to 2007 I am struck by how new some of the initiatives were and the space and opportunity they afforded. This was not a free for all. There were clear parameters, but it was possible to develop pedagogic leadership as a distinct focus. At a personal level, the leadership of C-SAP was one of the most enjoyable opportunities to combine pedagogic leadership with a management role. We were able to run workshops in which NTFs came and spoke about their projects and the work they did in their institutions. One measure of impact, of course, is whether any of the audience went on to become NTFs themselves – yes two did. We did far more than that at C-SAP and it was exciting to be involved with a wide range of initiatives as the Academy came into being. One of the ongoing good things about NTFS is that several senior staff in institutions have been successful and this helps the business of gaining recognition for the scheme and for valuing teaching. My extensive links with a range of people in different institutions from 2002 to 2007 showed that for quite a few NTFS was not seen as a positive to be encouraged. This was noticeable at fairly senior levels. It was balanced by strong belief in the scheme by senior staff too and in fact you could have both pro and anti views in the same institution. Part of the acid test is how Fellowship serves institutional as well as personal needs. 15 2003 Professor Stephen Gomez University of Plymouth  (formerly of the University of the West of England) It seems like a lifetime ago that I received the prestigious NTF award but, though I’m terrible at remembering dates (one of the main reasons for dropping History at school), it was only in 2003. I have little recollection of anything else I did in 2003 but the Awards Dinner and Ceremony are etched in my memory. It was the first time that I had seen teaching and learning taking front stage and being celebrated so enthusiastically. 16 My application for NTFS revolved around work I had been doing in supporting students on placement. As an undergraduate student at a traditional redbrick university, I had arrogantly turned my nose up at placements as something that happened at polytechnics. Midway through my academic career I found myself in the role of Placements Tutor. When I visited students on placement, I witnessed the high level of learning that was occurring in the workplace and I instantly became a convert to work-based and placement learning. I realised that the majority of my learning at university as a student involved cramming for exams and instantly forgetting everything afterwards. Placements certainly allow for deep and situated learning and, being a scientist with an active subject-specific research profile in the neurosciences, I was intrigued to discover the factors in the workplace that allowed for a rich learning experience and how I could apply these factors in my teaching at university. I went about my study using scientific evidence-based approaches and without knowing it, I was undertaking pedagogic research! One thing led to another and a series of action-research projects were undertaken that specifically fed into further supporting placement learning and more generally helped developed my teaching practice. Some areas I developed were around: the impact of placement learning on academic learning; the use of e-portfolios to track and support students on placement; miniplacement schemes for students who could not go on placement due to personal or cultural reasons; and the accreditation of placement learning. My NTFS project was around the notion of an ‘extended academy’ of workplace supervisors or mentors for placement students. There was spillover of this work into my university teaching and I developed ways of providing feedback to students rapidly through digital audio and video files and personal response systems. With my interest in workplace learning, I have landed the perfect job as Head of Work-Based and Placement Learning at the University of Plymouth. I am so pleased that work-based activities are rife in the University, and my work continues in a number of fields including producing flexible CPD ‘shell’ credit frameworks for learners in the workplace. The Fellowship was instrumental in my personal and professional development and I am thankful to be part of a community of likeminded colleagues across the nation who have at their heart helping people learn and sharing their passion for knowledge and its application. 17 2004 Dr Val Chapman University of Worcester Following the award of National Teaching Fellowship in 2004, I established and managed the Centre for Inclusive Learning Support (CILS) at the University of Worcester (UW). My work at that point was largely focused on supporting the academic experience of disabled students in higher education and my NTFS project aimed to develop and build upon the good practice emerging from my existing HEFCE-funded project, ‘Academic Standards and Benchmark Descriptors: Developing Strategies for Inclusivity’ (aka SCIPS). 18 Since then, the SCIPS web-based resource (Strategies for Creating Inclusive Programmes of Study) has been further developed and continues to receive hundreds of thousands of requests for pages each year from all over the world. The SCIPS site (www.scips.worc.ac.uk) is page ranked 6/10 by Google, is used 24/7 , and is bookmarked by 78% of users. The SCIPS resources are also included on the Department for Children Schools and Families ‘Inclusion Website Catalogue’ (http://inclusion.ngfl.gov.uk) and so now helps provide support for teachers in secondary schools as well. Since CILS was founded, my colleagues and I have been successful in developing a variety of projects, programmes and initiatives to help support disabled learners, usually through helping teachers, trainers and/or employers to better understand and meet their needs and entitlements. I have been fortunate enough to have received over one million pounds of funding since 2005 to undertake national and EU-funded projects focusing on tertiary, vocational education and training, and adult education, and I have been privileged to work with partners in the UK and overseas (including Bulgaria, France, Greece, Poland, Romania and Turkey), where provision for disabled learners is a comparatively new concept despite the EU legislation that now ap- plies. My engagement in prestigious projects such as my current ‘Employability and Disability’ NTFS project, as well as the EU projects, has undoubtedly raised the profile of CILS and UW nationally and internationally and, as a result, I am fortunate to receive frequent invitations to give keynote presentations on inclusive learning and teaching at conferences in the UK and overseas and to contribute chapters and articles for publication. It seems that the NTF award appears to have accorded me a ‘kitemark of approval’ from my peers that has led to invitations to participate in national working groups and initiatives such as the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education’s Diversity Advisory Group and the ‘LearnHigher’ Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. The flexibility resulting from my appointment as Director of my own Centre allowed me to participate in United Nations Development Project, ‘Enhancement of Quality Assurance and Institutional Planning at Arab Universities’ (2006), which involved subject reviews in four Gulf State universities and which, in turn, led to a UNESCO-funded Chair in Special Education at Qatar University, Doha (2006 to 2008). The NTF award and funding has had a profound impact on my career and has helped enormously towards the achievement of my intention ‘to make a difference’. 19 2001  Professor Claire Davis University of Birmingham The award has given me the confidence to use new teaching approaches whilst working within a traditional department. I have been able to develop new learning resources, both to support my teaching and that of colleagues in the department. 20 2004 Christine Harrington University Campus Suffolk My NTF has facilitated exciting inter-disciplinary and collaborative research processes across disciplines within a range of universities in the UK, Europe, USA and New Zealand. I fully intend to pick up this work again from now on. As I am approaching the end of my professional career I have found the NTF opportunity a most fulfilling reward. Thank you. 21 2004 Kirsten Hardie The Arts University College at Bournemouth The National Teaching Fellowship enables me to work internationally with colleagues across the HE sector and beyond: to explore learning and teaching issues within my discipline and, excitingly, trans-discipline. It enhances my skills, knowledge and experience and opens many doors. The 2004 invitation to Her Majesty the Queen’s Reception at Buckingham Palace in ‘Celebration of the British Design Industry and Excellence in Teaching’ has been one of the most surprising outcomes. The most rewarding, are those that enhance learning – working with students. 22 The Fellowship has supported a number of projects that consolidate my commitment to learning, my passion for research and scholarship and my dedication to the development of teaching. My core project ‘On Trial’ has developed in partnership with students. Inspired by legal education and popular media, this student-centred role-play learning strategy has students as joint stakeholders. They shape the project and many work with me nationally, as workshop facilitators, conference co-presenters and as authors of work published internationally. The NTF award enables me to make significant contribution to my institution, my specialist sector and the wider HE world. As mentor, I share ideas and materials with colleagues. I develop collaborative projects uniting schools, companies and organisations in unique ways. I organise events and materials for my institution and across the sector. I developed my institution’s Learning & Teaching Fellowship Scheme, based upon my work (ongoing) with international teaching fellows and organisations. As peer reviewer and guest speaker for various organisations I also work closely with the Art, Design and Media Subject Centre (ADM-HEA). My activities include Chair of the Reference Group Art and Design; instigator of the Learning & Teaching Fellowship Scheme; workshop facilitator, published articles, keynote speaker at numerous events and co-presenter with ADM-HEA staff at international conferences. Surprisingly, and rewardingly, I’ve been able to develop cross-discipline work with the UK Centre for Legal Education. Collaborative project work (e.g. NTFS group project ‘Creative Interventions’), learning with and from other disciplines, enhances my pedagogy, enabling me to go beyond the traditional expectations of my specialism. Being an NTF enables me to publish and to present internationally and to create better learning and teaching. It’s liberating – a real learning experience. 23 2005 Sandra Griffiths Queens University, Belfast (formerly of University of Ulster) The imperative for inclusion is at the heart of what I believe to be good practice in education. However, delivering an inclusive agenda in teaching and learning practice in higher education is not a straightforward matter. Despite their willingness, staff often come unstuck when translating an inclusive university policy into practice at classroom level. Educational and staff developers also find the concept problematic. 24 My National Teaching Fellowship has allowed me to explore with staff, students and educational developers, through small surveys, focus groups and one-to-one interviews, what really matters to them about inclusive learning and teaching. The results have sometimes confirmed my thoughts but have often surprised me. For example, delivery of issues that students perceive as high priorities, such as being listened to and having a sense of belonging, is a very real challenge in these times of large student classes. Results of my research have been presented in keynote addresses at conferences, one of which was an Academy event, and through workshops at a HERDSA conference and in universities and colleges in the UK and Ireland. As my project developed I became more and more aware that staff were hungry for guidance on teaching and learning strategies that might foster inclusion. While there are no easy or quick solutions, an interactive guide launched early next year will contain some strategies that are more likely to work. The very best aspect of being an NTF has been the contact with students and staff from all over the UK and beyond. Many of the delicate and tricky issues they have raised have given me ideas for case studies and other activities contained in the forthcoming online learning guide. Opportunities to review other work on inclusion and advise on how inclusive policies for students with disabilities might be carried forward have also come about largely through being an NTF. I was also able to share my experience at a meeting of international teaching award fellows in Australia. It has been wonderful to explore afresh and in real depth an issue that has been a lifetime interest. 25 2005 Dr John Hilsdon University of Plymouth What is it like to be studying at university in the UK in the 21st century? This question yields many different kinds of answers. In my job as a learning developer I have always been especially interested the experience of learning and how studying can be undertaken effectively. I was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2005, largely on the basis of my work to set up the Learning Development in Higher Education Network (LDHEN). 26 This group now has over 450 subscribers in universities from the UK and Ireland. They get together annually to share ideas and materials on all aspects of learning, and in 2010 held a joint conference with LearnHigher, the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) associated with learning development. You can see some examples our work at www.learnhigher.ac.uk and footage from our 2009 conference at www.aldinhe.ac.uk/bmth09.htm. The great thing about LDHEN is that it is a network whose aim is peer support among professionals and across institutions. What unites us is the love of higher education and a desire to see as many people as possible benefit from all that universities can offer. Working with staff and students, our role is both to demystify and provide support. Some aspects of academic practice may seem alien to students – yet when they are ‘in the know’, they can really participate and in most cases their progress is quickly enhanced. Equally, subject teachers sometimes need an opportunity to renew their perspective on how their teaching sessions and learning materials are working – and how they communicate with students. Working with both groups, and institutionally at the level of policy development, Learning Development is a rich mixture of roles involving advocacy, advisory, tutorial and strategy issues. Having the NTF award, and generous help from the University of Plymouth, has made it possible for me to contribute time and energy to building the network of UK learning developers, LDHEN. I have also worked with colleagues from around the UK since 2007 to establish the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (see www.aldinhe.ac.uk ) and our journal, which recently published its second edition (www.aldinhe.ac.uk/ojs/index. php?journal=jldhe). The National Teaching Fellowship has certainly been the most significant achievement of my own career, and in affording recognition to learning development I believe the award has indirectly benefited many others in the field. 27 2003 Sidney Tyrrell Coventry University I am reminded of throwing pebbles in to a pond; the ripples reach out far and wide. My [NTF] project concerned the production of accessible teaching objects for statistics, and not only enabled me to expand my contacts in this area but enabled a colleague, who I employed, to increase her expertise and attend a variety of international conferences as a result. 28 The blind student we were initially supporting, and who was the impetus for my work, went on to be employed to help others. We even received an email from a US Army Colonel seeking advice for one of his staff blinded in Iraq, and our ex-student was able to help. 29 2006 Guillaume Alinier University of Hertfordshire As a young academic, being awarded the National Teaching Fellowship helped me to boost my confidence. To that effect, I took on the challenge of hosting and organising two conferences, one of which was international, namely the 2007 conference of the National Association for Medical Simulators (now known as the Association for Simulated Practice in Healthcare – ASPiH) and the 2008 conference of the Society in Europe for Simulation Applied to Medicine (SESAM). 30 I think the award has been more recognised within my institution than in my professional context, especially with my international network where the term ‘Fellowship’ caused some confusion. Although I already had a University Teaching Fellowship at the time of the award in 2006, gaining this external sign of recognition strengthened my position in my educational role, not only within the Faculty of Health & Human Sciences, but across the whole University. My institution is very proud of its National Teaching Fellows and uses its success in that scheme to demonstrate how staff from our University have been recognised in their effort to improving the quality of the student learning experience. Over almost the last ten years I have had the responsibility of developing the University’s clinical simulation centre (The Hertfordshire Intensive Care & Emergency Simulation Centre – HICESC) and its teaching-related activities. Although the remit of my activities has not really been changed as a result of the award and despite the merged of HICESC with the School of Postgraduate Medicine, my external roles are now partly accounted for in my workload as part of my NTFS remit. The NTF award has provided me with some very useful financial autonomy, which has allowed me to remain actively engaged with my professional community at an international level. Whenever I have had to attend a conference for which my travel expenses were not covered I have been able to rely on my NTF grant. I have remained committed to providing the best educational experience possible for our students, in my own teaching activities, but also by engaging with other educators and contributing to their professional development for the benefit of their own students. For example, in 2009, I accepted a Visiting Fellowship appointment from the University of Northumbria, and I also regularly organise workshops, seminars, and short courses for other educators in my area of expertise. 31 2006 Professor Gilly Salmon University of Leicester My award of the National Teaching Fellowship was because I’d thrown a few technology stones in my time and they rippled across the smooth blue pond of traditional teaching. In places the little waves gathered force, and one or two turned into white caps, visible from the horizon. 32 In the early days of working online at The Open University, I researched the impact of introducing online conferencing and the essential changes in the role of university teachers. I published a practitioner-based book called E-moderating in the year 2000 and was astonished that many different individuals and groups tried out the five-stage model and its sister, the E-tivities framework, and fortunately and critically, reported back. Our sails were set into the wind! As we acknowledge ten years of the amazing NTFS, I’d like to mention all the staff who paddled and played in the surf and helped me to understand the direction of the flow … and turned the tide to a force for the good of future learning. As we started to ride the growing waves, build better boats and join in convoys, I increasingly needed to bring together my understanding of the processes of innovation and transformation in education with the complex marriage between learning and technology. The occasional flash of lightening hit the water! In the last six years at the mixed-mode University of Leicester I have been privileged to work with a growing band of online sailors, all carefully navigating through low-cost, high-value technologies in the service of the students’ experiences. One hand on the tiller, the other on their iPods. Along with other Leicester NTFs, I have been able to explore immersive learning activities for students using Second Life in our NTFS project – SWIFT (www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/ ntfs/ntfsproject_leicester09) – we are always keen to try something new. Meanwhile the landscape is rapidly shifting and changing around us. From the depths of the pond came some astonishing opportunities – more mobile, contributory, engaging technologies. Now in its second year, I have also been able to be involved with University College Falmouth on the CALF project. With so many institutions looking at new ways of learning these projects are helping us understand emerging issues and point to the future. In the complex and messy world of the early 21st century, we have opportunities that no other educators have had before us. There’s never been a more important time for the pursuit of innovation and excellence in teaching, however stormy the seas. Being part of the special NTF network, from 2006 onwards, helped me keep completely grounded. 33 2008 Dr Aru Narayanasamy University of Nottingham My NTF experience entails a number of developments. The Ethnicity, Diversity and Spirituality (EDS) Teaching and Learning Hub that I founded was formally launched in September 2008. As the EDS Hub director I lead the development of diversity pedagogical innovations to support student learning. Subsequently I was granted three months’ sabbatical leave to consolidate my personal development related to diversity teaching and learning. 34 It offered development opportunities through the fellowship network and mentors as well as time and space to update on contemporary practices related to teaching developments and innovations. At the same time, I completed six publications related to diversity and spirituality pedagogy. Since the National Teaching Fellowship, as part of my professional development I carried out self-directed learning using SEDA Learning Packages to update on teaching and learning development and innovations: e-Teaching: Engaging learners through Technology; Leading Educational Change; Student Engagement; and Getting to Grips with Assessment. Furthermore, I was able to complete the Spiritual Journey Board Game as a teaching and learning tool, and subsequently presented at the workshop organised by the Subject Centre for Philosophy and Religious Studies in January 2010. I have designed diversity Web CT resources to support students’ learning as follows: Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Matters in Caring; and further resources on ethnicity and care planning for students on adult, children and mental health nursing courses. I have secured funding for two pedagogical research projects on the basis of my NTF award and acting as teaching innovation mentor. Finally, I was appointed to three executive committees in my school and act as the University’s adviser and reviewer for NTFS nominations. Both my School and University hold me in high regard because of my NTF award. Indeed, I was on the front cover of the Autumn edition of the University’s teaching and learning magazine, The Hub. In my School, I have become the learning and teaching czar and well respected by the Head of the School and faculty. It is a real privilege to hold this NTF award, in the words of Professor David Riley, PVC Student Experience, 2008: “for bringing distinction to the university”. 35 2009 Dr Helena Gaunt Guildhall School of Music & Drama As I write, a framed copy of my National Teaching Fellowship certificate is being mounted on the boardroom wall of the Guildhall School. A huge personal honour, this also symbolises the growing connection of the School to a mission of reflective practice and innovation in learning and teaching. My award, the first for this institution, is helping to open doors and create a community of trust and excitement in exploring learning and teaching. Development projects such as peer assessment in chamber music and mentoring development for staff have taken root. 36 I am currently writing a book for students, co-authored with Professor Susan Hallam at the Institute of Education, London, to be published in 2011. Titled Preparing for success: a practical guide for young musicians, the book draws on cutting-edge research and international thinking in the field. As a practical guide it will be presented with case-study vignettes of students and young professionals. Chapters, for example, on practising, making the most of individual tuition, health and well-being, and getting a career started, will include practical exercises and extensive resources to explore. The award has enabled me to engage research assistance to interview a wide range of students and young professionals for the book, and to create a web interface that will facilitate them in reading and critiquing drafts of chapters. The award is also enabling an ambitious five-year plan, involving a partnership of ten conservatoires across the world, to be realised. This is spinning out from work in the last few years under the umbrella of the Association of European Conservatoires, bringing together conservatoire teachers at an international level to share practice, reflect and innovate. It is now critical to embed sustainable development and extend the community. The award will lend financial support to developing key resource and networking features of the project’s website. Finally, as my own personal role in the Guildhall brings an increasing emphasis on leadership, I am investing in a series of coaching sessions, ensuring that personal development remains at the heart of the Fellowship. 37 2008  Professor Peter McOwan Queen Mary, University of London On a personal level the award has served to fortify me at times when the inevitable discussions often REF dominated academic life turn to the appropriate balance between the relative values of teaching vs research. It also does give me confidence to try new things. 38 2007 Dr Dave Allen University of Portsmouth Receiving this award was delightful – especially after more than thirty years in teaching – and it has been very valuable in supporting specific local projects that could not have happened otherwise. 39 NTFS project strand The project strand of the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme presents opportunities for higher education institutions to work with National Teaching Fellows (NTFs). Teams bid for funding of up to £200,000 for projects that are expected to bring substantial benefits to student learning experiences in the HE sector through innovations or developments in HE policies or practices. Since 2007 29 projects have been funded, , each project having a lifespan of two or three years. They bring significant and meaningful benefits to students’ learning experiences, both in their host institutions and more widely across the sector. Key to this is the way that they model ways in which research- and practice-based evidence can be used to improve student learning while building on and contributing to the body of knowledge around HE pedagogy. There are benefits to students both during and after the project. For example, the University of Manchester’s project around the piloting of Higher Education Achievement Records (HEAR) involves students in action research. The student-centred findings will form the basis for recommendations for national implementation. 40 The projects cover a wide range of disciplines and pedagogic themes. Within projects National Teaching Fellows from diverse backgrounds unite to develop practice and enhance students’ learning experiences. They have enabled cross-institutional work, building capacity and capability within the sector. The University of Bolton leads a group of practitioners from 16 institutions participating in action research, supported by regional networks, to explore the implementation of student personal development planning practice. Maintaining this engagement throughout the project indicates the perceived benefit and value from participants. The issues being explored have allowed for greater links to be made between regional FE colleges and the HE institutions; for instance, the First Level Assessment Project at Leeds Metropolitan University aims to improve assessment for first-year students at the University and its partner FE colleges. Achievements at lead and collaborative institutions are growing as the 29 projects progress, and there have been further-reaching effects for some teams through partnerships with regional employers, voluntary organisations and work in the local community. At the core of all the projects is the expertise of the National Teaching Fellow or Fellows. Their experience and the skills they bring to the teams are invaluable. The project team at the Royal Veterinary College are able to draw on the knowledge of Professor Stephen May, who is a senior veterinary educationalist, to enhance the clinical work placement as a learning environment. The three projects summarised below demonstrate the diversity and value of the projects as a whole, and show the benefits to the student learning experience. 41 Creating future-proof graduates Led by Birmingham City University Funded in 2007 The first of the projects to complete, this project focused on the employability skills of a diverse range of students. During the course of the project the team led by two NTFs – Anne Hill and Nick Morton – designed, deployed and evaluate methods for engaging students in transformative learning to enhance their skills for employment. They did this by developing a suite of simulated critical incident case studies, the result being a ‘compendium of resources’ – a collection of multimedia tools that allow students to ‘practice in the classroom’ to develop skills and confidence. They cover a number of areas such as professional ethics, cultural awareness and research skills. While relevant to students during their time at university, the use of these tools has also been appreciated by the partner employers for use with their own staff. “The project has made a significant impact in our own institution. It arose at a time when the University was reviewing its mission statement and learning and teaching strategy. In this context we have developed the project with support from across the University and we have benefited from a determination at its highest levels to embed these innovations” (from the final report of the Creating Future-Proof Graduates project). While students are the ultimate beneficiaries of these projects, institutions also get great value from them as the quote below shows: So far this has been a fantastic opportunity, and we have benefited enormously from working cross-institutionally. Programme leaders have valued the opportunity for reflection across their programmes, and have found the methodology for mapping programme assessment a compelling evidence-based tool. We are excited at the potential for programmelevel change in assessment, and its impact on universities more generally. 42 CALF: Creating academic learning futures Led by University College Falmouth Funded in 2008 Trans-institutional mixed learning models: understanding and performing classical and modern play texts Led by the University of York Funded in 2009 Involving students throughout has added richness to this project and the regular briefings to managers and teachers are based on these ‘student voices’. In the context of new ways of learning and increased use of digital and web technologies, the team, including NTFs Gilly Salmon and Liz Anderson, is exploring alternative teaching methods in HE. Students have participated through a number of creative events at both Falmouth and its partner institution, the University of Leicester. Events include seminars in the Second Life Media Zoo, online forums and wikis, synchronous events in Adobe Connect, and pod- and video-casting. This project comes at a time when there is increased pressure to make informed decisions on deploying innovative services and enhancing students’ experiences with limited resource. The findings from this project will undoubtedly be of significance within the sector for shaping future plans and strategy. At the heart of this project is the passion for the discipline that comes from NTFs Mary Luckhurst and David Carey. This is an ambitious research and teaching collaboration that will develop ways of enhancing drama training and knowledge transfer in HE. The experience of students is central to the approach – through the project Drama students are introduced to the contrasting teaching methods favoured by universities and conservatoires. A programme of workshops led by experts teaching outside their home institutions and accustomed learning cultures enable students to gain greater insight into performing both classical and modern play texts. The appeal of the project extends beyond the academic community and is viewed with interest in the theatre sector. 43 Fellows 2000–2009 2000 Dr Roger Carpenter Peter Edwards Dr Patricia Egerton Professor Peter Hartley Professor Mick Healey Dr Keith Hirst Professor Desmond Hunter Dr William Hutchings Professor Paul Hyland Professor Reginald Jordan Terry King Professor John Klapper Susan Lea Professor Carol McGuinness Professor Maggie Nicol Professor Rob Pope Professor Michael Short Dr Angela Smallwood Jayne Stevens Viv Anderson 2001 Susan Armitage Professor Christopher Budd Nick Byrne Dr Claire Davis Professor Lesley-Jane Eales-Reynolds Dr Philip Frame David Grantham Professor Ian Hughes Dr Leslie Jervis Margaret Johnson Professor Charles Knights Professor Ursula Lucas Dr Michael McCabe Professor Paul O’Neill Dr John Peters Professor Anthony Rosie Dr Christopher Rowland (deceased) Professor Ruth Soetendorp Caroline Walker-Gleaves Professor Mick Wallis 44 2002 Diane Bailey Dr Alan Booth Professor Brian Chalkley Professor Alan Clements Professor Angela Clow Dr Anne Davidson (deceased) Dr Gloria Gordon Peter Hughes Nick Jackson Professor Pauline Kneale Dr Pamela Knights Professor David Nicholls Professor Martha Pennington Professor Margaret Price Robert Rotheram Professor Kay Sambell Dr Michael Tinker (deceased) Professor Gweno Williams Dr Michael Winstanley Jocelyn Wyburd 2004 Dr David Acheson Nicola Aries Dr James Atherton Paul Bartholomew Nicholas Beech Joe Bennett Christopher Bond Dr Val Chapman Professor Peter Childs Dr Iain Coleman Nigel Duncan Professor James Elander Professor Eric Evans Professor Graham Gibbs Dr Victoria Goddard Kirsten Hardie Christine Harrington Dr Tracy Harwood Elizabeth Hoult Professor Brian Hudson Dr Celia Hunt Andrew Ireland Martin Jenkins Kate Kirk Dr Kenneth Lynch Dr Iain Mackie Professor Stephen May Professor Liz McDowell Dr Janet Mills (deceased) Dr Beverley Milton-Edwards Professor Bernard Moss Marina Mozzon-McPherson Professor Deborah Murdoch-Eaton Paul Murray Dr Katy Newell-Jones Dr Tony Nicholson Dr Sue Palmer Dr Moira Peelo Chris Pegler Ruth Pickford Dr David Pollak Christopher Powis Dr Derek Raine Priska Schoenborn Professor Dudley Shallcross Professor Mary Thornton Dr John Timmins Dr Guglielmo Volpe Judith Waterfield Elaine Wilson 2003 Dr Emma Baker Professor Nigel Bax Robert Brannen Pat Brown Professor Amanda Chetwynd Ian Dawson Professor Robert Ellis (deceased) Dr Stephen Gomez Dr Barbara Graziosi Professor Clive Holtham Frank Lyons Dr Michael Manogue Professor John McLachlan Allan Owens Professor Vicki Tariq Professor Imogen Taylor Dr Rosemary Turner-Bisset (deceased) Sidney Tyrrell Keith Ward Professor Michael Watts 45 2005 Professor Patrick Bailey Professor Philip Barker Colin Beard Moira Bent Dr Helen Burchell Dr Deirdre Burke Christopher William Butcher Karl Donert Dr Jonathan Dron Dr Jason Dykes Paul Elmer Dr Maria Fasli Sally Fincher Richard Francis Sandra Gilkes Dr Phil Gravestock Dr Alan Greaves Sandra Griffiths Professor Alison Halstead John Hilsdon Julie Hughes Dr John Issitt Arti Kumar Professor Duncan Lawson Professor Ranald Macdonald Duncan Mackrill Dr Karen Mattick Dr Catherine Moore Lesley Moore Dr Barbara Newland Professor Andrew Northedge Peter Ovens Professor Tina Overton Dr Robert Partridge Philip Plowden Michael Powell Professor Michael Preston-Shoot Moortooza Puttaroo Symon Quy Mark Russell David Sadler Professor Mike Savage Dr Janet Sellers Professor J. Thompson Dr Philip Vickerman Josephine Webb Dr Christopher Willmott Professor Gina Wisker Dr Andrew Young 2006 Guillaume Alinier Professor Alasdair Blair Professor Michael Bradford Professor Elizabeth Davenport Professor John Dickens Professor Timothy Dornan Dr Andrew Folkard Dr Gregory Garrard Graham Gibbs Dr Melanie Gibson Dr Kathleen Green Dr Mary Hartog Dr Fraser Hatfield Dr Deirdre Heenan Professor Anne Hill Professor Andrew Hugill Dr Keith Johnstone Indra Jones Dr Helen King Dr Robert Lambourne Dr Daniel Lloyd Dr Mary Luckhurst George MacDonald Ross Dr Julia Magill-Cuerden Dr Christopher Megone Dr Mark Miodownik Dr Jennifer Moon David Morley Dr Nick Morton Dr Jenny Naish Gill Needham David Oddie Dr John Phelps Jill Raggett Catherine Reynolds Professor Carolyn Roberts Professor Trudie Roberts Professor Gillian Salmon Dr Chris Sangwin Kimberley Scarborough Dr Michael Sosabowski Susan Starkings Simon Sweeney Dr Peter Thompson Cecile Tschirhart Rogelio Vallejo Simon Walker Helena Webster Professor Evelyn Welch Professor Peter Wiegold 46 2007 Dr David Allen Elizabeth Anderson Linda Anderson Julie Baldry Currens June Bianchi Tim Bilham Professor Susan Bloxham Jennifer Blumhof Dr Elizabeth Boath Professor Andrew Booth Dr Katharine Boursicot Professor Michael Bramhall Sharon Brown Dr David Burnapp Professor Tim Cable David Carey Dr Robin Clark Dr Deanne Lynn Clouder James Derounian Martina Doolan Professor Mark Fenton-O’Creevy Dr Joanne Fox Dr David Gibson Dr Graeme Gooday Professor Glenn Hardaker Penelope Harnett Dr Clare Hemmings Dr Christine Hockings Dr Pat Jefferies Dr Adam Longcroft Professor Gill Marshall Professor Stephen McHanwell Professor Mike Neary Professor Jonothan Neelands Professor Lin Norton Professor Edward Peile Ian Pickup Professor William Race Dr Alan Rice Dr Gaynor Sadlo Dr Mark Sandle Dr Jane Sunderland Professor Stephen Swithenby Dr Jill Taylor Jamie Thompson Dr Paul Tosey Professor Dominic Upton Dr Duco van Oostrum Elizabeth Warr Professor David Young 2008 Barbara Allan Dr Trevor Barker Lynne Barnes Femi Bola Dr Stephen Bostock Professor Sally Brown Dr Penny Burke Avril Butler Dr Annette Cashmore Professor Anthony Croft Dr Jocelyn Darling Dr Joanna Drugan Dr Kate Exley Dr John Fieldhouse Dr Derek France Rayya Ghul Professor Angela Goddard Lyn Greaves Dr Mark Greenwood Jane Henry Professor Paula Hixenbaugh Professor Alastair Hudson Dr Peter Knight Dr Michael Kölling Dr Loykie Lominé Anthony Mann Dr Kristine Mason O’Connor Dr Deborah Mawer Professor Susan McKnight Professor Peter McOwan Dr Aru Narayanasamy Dr Briony Oates Robert O’Toole Dr Julian Park Dr Derek Peters Dr Duncan Reavey Dr Christopher Ricketts Dr Anne Ridley Susan Robson Dr Michael Russ Professor Susan Thompson Professor Paul van Schaik Dr Catherine Walter Professor Valerie Wass Professor Sir David Watson Professor Brian Whalley Dr Carrie Winstanley Nigel Wynne Professor John Yates Professor Miriam Zukas 47 2009 Dr Sean Allan Colin Bryson Dr Elizabeth Burd Sue Burkill Dr James Busfield Ged Byrne Jude Carroll Professor Mike Clements Dr Anthony Cook Professor Glynis Cousin Dr John Craig Professor Mark Davies Dr Chrisina Draganova Ian Fribbance Clare Furneaux Dr Helena Gaunt Dr Annie Grant Dr Nick Greeves Dr Karen Gresty Rose Griffiths Dr Richard Hall Alan Hayes Dr Des Hewitt Dr Faith Hill Dr Stuart D Lee Professor Martin Levesley Dr Cheri Logan Sharon Markless Stewart Martin Professor Lindsey McEwen Dr Gill McGauley Professor Patrick McGhee Berry O’Donovan Dr Jonathan Parker Dr Julia Pointon Dr Paul Raffield Ellen Roberts Denise Robinson Professor Maggi Savin-Baden Dr Graham Scott Professor Pam Shakespeare Mike Sharp Dr Gurnham Singh Dr Arran Stibbe David Taylor Dr Helen Walkington Dr Anita Walsh Penny Wiggins Dr Shirley Williams Professor Alison Wride 48 2009 Dr Sean Allan Colin Bryson Dr Elizabeth Burd Sue Burkill Dr James Busfield Ged Byrne Jude Carroll Professor Mike Clements Dr Anthony Cook Professor Glynis Cousin Dr John Craig Professor Mark Davies Dr Chrisina Draganova Ian Fribbance Clare Furneaux Dr Helena Gaunt Dr Annie Grant Dr Nick Greeves Dr Karen Gresty Rose Griffiths Dr Richard Hall Alan Hayes Dr Des Hewitt Dr Faith Hill Dr Stuart D Lee Professor Martin Levesley Dr Cheri Logan Sharon Markless Stewart Martin Professor Lindsey McEwen Dr Gill McGauley Professor Patrick McGhee Berry O’Donovan Dr Jonathan Parker Dr Julia Pointon Dr Paul Raffield Ellen Roberts Denise Robinson Professor Maggi Savin-Baden Dr Graham Scott Professor Pam Shakespeare Mike Sharp Dr Gurnham Singh Dr Arran Stibbe David Taylor Dr Helen Walkington Dr Anita Walsh Penny Wiggins Dr Shirley Williams Professor Alison Wride 48 49 2008 Professor Sir David Watson Institute of Education I am immensely proud to be a National Teaching Fellow. I believe I am still the only former Vice-Chancellor (of the University of Brighton between 1990 and 2005) to have the honour. I know I am the only former chair of the NTFS Advisory Panel (2003–2005) to have been selected. In 2006 I was privileged to be invited to present the newly inaugurated Teaching Awards at the University of Oxford. I concluded my introductory speech as follows: ‘After many years in the business I remain convinced that being an effective teacher is high up the list of intangible benefits that attract bright women and men into academic careers. Events like this evening’s mean that for many it is still the feature which gives them most satisfaction. Some people in and around higher education would quarrel with this view. They believe, for example, that (in the words of Lord May, President of the Royal Society) success in the Research Assessment Exercise is “the only game in town,” or that commercial exploitation of university-based knowledge is the path to personal as well as institutional enrichment. I think that they are wrong.’