Learning and Teaching Awards: Results 2005

The winners of the fifth annual Learning and Teaching in Economics Awards have been announced. The awards, organised the Economics Network of the HE Academy, aim to recognise and reward exemplary practice from within the academic economics community.

Mr. Stuart Sayer of Edinburgh University has been awarded the Outstanding Teaching prize. Some of the comments from the judging panel included:

"(Sayer) seems both an excellent teacher and someone who has conceived of and implemented a significant structural improvement to the course. This is an altogether riskier venture."

"I thought there was very impressive evidence of someone who is making a substantial and very important positive differences to teaching and learning in their department. I was particularly interested in the re-structuring of the intermediate year to make it more technique-related structure which 'de-emphasises the traditional micro/macro distinction'."

The panel also awarded a special commendation to Dr. Steven Cook of the University of Wales Swansea.

The joint winners of the Student Nominated Award are Dr. Anand Prathivadi Bhayankaram from the University of Bradford and Mr. Jon Guest from Coventry University. We received over 20 nominations for the Student Nominated Award. However the judging panel felt that these nominations displayed all the qualities of commitment, enthusiasm, innovation and evident success that represent excellent teaching practice.

The eLearning award was given to Dr. Geoff Wyatt of Heriot Watt University for his web site www.geoffwyatt.com. Wyatt's open-access site, used in his third-level Macroeconomic Modelling module, shows how causal graphs can help explain the relations between macro variables. It uses Java interactivity to help users construct a model in their web browser. The judges were impressed by Wyatt's original approach to the teaching of macro models, as well as the high standard of web design and focused use of interactivity.

Winners each receive £250 in gift tokens and free attendance to the Developments in Economics Education Conference.