TWO UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER ACADEMICS RECOGNISED AMONG UK’S BEST TEACHERS

Two outstanding academics at the University of Leicester are being recognised with national awards for teaching excellence.

Dawn Watkins of Leicester Law School and Dylan Williams of the Department of Chemistry are the recipients of National Teaching Fellowships from the Higher Education Academy (HEA) – bringing the total number of Fellowships Leicester has received to 18.

The duo are among 55 new National Teaching Fellows (NTFs) announced by the HEA, alongside the fifteen team finalists – including Leicester – for the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE).

Dr Watkins’s approach to teaching is interdisciplinary; exploring in particular the interrelationship between law and narratives. She has also embraced developing technology, most recently in a public legal education context. As her role has become more strategic, it has remained collaborative and she is dedicated to working with others to effect positive change.

Dr Williams’s work on Context and Problem Based Learning has changed the way chemistry is taught at Leicester. An increasing number of institutions have started using his methods in order to enhance the student experience.

Professor Paul Boyle, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester, said: “It is a great honour to be recognised at the highest national level for the excellence of your contributions to student learning. I congratulate Dawn and Dylan on their remarkable achievements – they are exemplars for how inspirational teaching at Leicester is helping to transform the student experience of higher education. This continues a very strong record of success in the National Teaching Fellowships for Leicester academics.”

The new NTFs are have been selected from the three participating nations – Wales, Northern Ireland and England – and come from across mission groups and from a broad range of subject areas. The NTFs were nominated by their institutions and submissions had to show evidence of three criteria: individual excellence, raising the profile of excellence and developing excellence.