University of Queensland academics have won Australian Awards for University Teaching for the third consecutive year since the awards were established in 1997.
Federal Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs Dr David Kemp today announced in Canberra that UQ teachers had won the following sections of the prestigious 1999 awards:
o humanities and arts category - Dr Lloyd Davis, of the University's Arts Faculty; and
o law and legal studies co-winner - Professor Gabriel Moens of the TC Beirne School of Law.
The University had three finalists in what is seen as the higher education equivalent of the Oscars, held at Canberra's Parliament House.
A third entry: UQ Student Services Network: Connecting students to their environment, was also a national finalist in the institutional awards category.
Individual awards are valued at $40,000 each, while the recipient of the Prime Minister's Award for University Teacher of the Year provides an additional $35,000 to the overall winner from the individual teaching awards.
In 1997 the University of Queensland's Dr Nadja Alexander of the TC Beirne School of Law won the inaugural Australian Award for University Teaching in the law and legal Studies category.
Last year UQ won three awards: health category - Associate Professor Laurie Walsh of the Dental School; social science category - Associate Professor Doune MacDonald of the Human Movement Studies Department; and institutional award - University of Queensland Cybrary entry prepared by University Librarian Janine Schmidt.
Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay said the success of University of Queensland staff showed that UQ continued to be a national leader in high quality education.
"The University places great importance on innovative teaching practices that meet the social and intellectual needs of its students," he said. "Teaching quality is a major contributor to positive outcomes for graduates, a criterion that earned for us the 1998-1999 University of the Year award from the Good Universities Guides.
"I congratulate Dr Davis and Professor Moens who have already received UQ's own awards for teaching excellence. Our students are the beneficiaries of their expertise."
Details of the two UQ winners are attached. Media: Further information: UQ Office of Marketing and Communications, telephone 07 3365 1120.
Background details on the winners
Dr Lloyd Davis
Dr Lloyd Davis believes that University education is a social and intellectual process that relies on personal interaction and understanding of students' life situations.
Dr Davis seeks to develop students' abilities to become self-directed learners and thinkers, who can work collaboratively with others. He wants his students to attain a sense of their own intellectual and social agency.
"My personal philosophy is that teaching is a holistic practice, which strives to do more than impart subject content," he said.
"I try to place myself in students' positions and imagine their views of the material. It is important to try to come up with new approaches to make the texts and ideas interesting for both the students and myself. I find that the best way to promote learning is to show students that I am keen to share ideas and intellectual interests and that I value their contributions and efforts."
As Director of Studies in the University of Queensland's Faculty of Arts, Dr Davis has a larger group of students to assist than most. More than 7000 students are enrolled through programs administered by the Faculty.
"My involvement with students from equity groups has greatly increased since I became Director of Studies," he said. "I need to be concerned not just with their results in a subject that I happen to be teaching, but also with the future of their university studies.
"One of my main tasks now is to help at-risk students participate positively in their courses. Some of these students have been excluded and many more need to apply for late withdrawal from subjects and courses or for deferred exams. Some of the problems facing these students stem from psychological, social or family problems which, to an extent, arise independently from their involvement with the University. However, experience in dealing with these students has confirmed my belief that these social and cultural factors are interweaved with University teaching and need to be taken into account as much as possible when planning courses, subjects and teaching methods."
Dr Davis, who received UQ's own award for Excellence in Teaching in 1998, is a specialist in Renaissance studies (including Shakespeare). Two of his books, on academic writing and cultural studies, are widely used across Australia as University textbooks. He also enjoys speaking to the public about English studies, with appearances on ABC radio and at community events.
Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Alan Rix said Dr Davis was an "outstanding" teacher. "He has brought to the Faculty a highly student-centred approach to academic management in the BA and a rigorous approach to improving departmental teaching practice," Professor Rix said.
"Lloyd is a natural teaching administrator and planner. He is always seeking new and interesting ways to adapt curriculum to enhance student learning, and is always ready to think ?outside the square'. Lloyd is a real asset to the Faculty and its students in the way he applies creative thinking for improved learning."
Media: Further information: Dr Lloyd Davis, telephone 3365 2254
Professor Gabriel Moens
Professor Gabriel Moens believes that if people want to be good teachers, they should first know their subjects.
"Students quickly discover if you are not knowledgeable," he said.
Professor Moens is Garrick Professor of Law and Director of the Australian Institute of Foreign and Comparative Law at UQ's TC Beirne School of Law.
"Good teachers aim for clarity, simplicity and precision in communicating difficult information to students," he said. "A good teacher is always enthusiastic - if you're dull students will turn off very quickly. Importantly, a good teacher will have respect for students; go an extra mile in being helpful and look after both their intellectual and general welfare."
Professor Moens uses interactive teaching methods in the best Socratic tradition. Students have to sift through the often stilted language of legal cases to discover rulings, brief findings, and answer hot-seat questions asked by a persistent teacher - but in a supportive environment.
Little wonder his students come well-prepared to classes, ready to contribute to discussion - and that they point to his ability to make them think, rather than just memorise. He favours an integrated skills approach, an internationalist perspective and an interdisciplinary approach in the study of law.
"Professor Moens consistently receives superb evaluations from students who are impressed with his knowledge, his adaptability to different subjects and audiences, and his enthusiasm," Head of the School Professor Tony Tarr said.
"It is in no small measure attributable to Professor Moens' expertise, diligence and enthusiasm that the University of Queensland team achieved and has maintained its first place worldwide ranking in the Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Mooting competition in which it has competed in Vienna for the past three years.
"The students are in awe of Professor Moens' commitment to this exercise where he commonly spends up to 15 hours a day for weeks on end working with team members. This is a good example of the dedication he brings to his teaching and educational role."
Professor Moens teaches and researches in constitutional law, banking law, European Union law, international commercial law, international arbitration law, comparative law and human rights law. He also teaches international business law European Union law in a number of international universities. In 1995 he was honoured by His Majesty King Albert II of Belgium with a Knighthood for services to education.
Professor Moens, who is a winner of a UQ Excellence in Teaching Award, this year became one of only eight Australian Associate Members of the International Academy of Comparative Law in Paris. UQ will host the 16th congress of the Academy in 2002.
Further information: Professor Gabriel Moens, telephone 07 3365 2220
