INSTRUCTIONAL AWARDS--2007

The instructional awards may be given to an individual faculty member, a group of faculty members, or a faculty-led team. Self-nominations are welcomed. The awards are open to all full-time faculty members at GSU. Because submissions may vary over time, one or both of the awards may not be given every year. Nominees should send the documentation to the Director, Center for Teaching and Learning, within thirty days of the close of nominations. The documentation may be in the form of web pages (in which case, the nominee would send the URL for a contents page) or in the form of word processing files (sent as email attachments). Either form may incorporate references to additional files that would be helpful in documenting the instruction and learning effectiveness, e.g., publications in the scholarship of teaching and learning.

INSTRUCTIONAL INNOVATION AWARD ($1,500)

 The purpose of the Instructional Innovation Award is to recognize and share at the university level outstanding innovations in teaching that result in improved learning. Nominees for the award should submit the following information about the instructional innovation:

·         A summary of the innovation and the learning associated with it (150-word maximum)

·         A discussion of the following aspects (1,000-word maximum altogether):

o        Why the innovation was thought to enable improved learning

o        How the learning principles or theories were applied in the instruction

o        How the evidence of improved learning was attributed to the innovation

For this award, the evaluation criteria are the strength of the learning principles or theories, the persuasiveness of the analyses of evidence of improved learning, and the potential of the innovation as a model for application across other courses and programs.

INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AWARD ($1,500)

The purpose of the Instructional Effectiveness Award is to recognize and share at the university level outstanding approaches in instruction that are effective in enabling learning. Nominees for the award should submit the following information about the instructional approach and its effectiveness:

·         A summary of the approach and the learning associated with it (150-word maximum)

·         A discussion of the following aspects (1,000-word maximum altogether):

o        Why the approach was thought to enable improved learning

o        How the learning principles or theories were applied in the instruction

o        How the evidence of improved learning was attributed to the approach

For this award, the evaluation criteria are the strength of the learning principles or theories, the persuasiveness of the analyses of evidence of learning effectiveness, and the potential of the approach as a model for application across other courses and programs.

DEPARTMENTAL INSTRUCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS AWARD

The Departmental Instructional Effectiveness Award is to recognize and share at the university level outstanding work in promoting and documenting student learning. The Provost will award two departments a $250 per tenure-track faculty supplement to their non-personal budget for the fiscal year following their selection. Winning departments will also have their name added to a plaque that recognizes the annual winners. Departments will be in one of two categories: professional programs with accreditation associations; programs without accreditation bodies. No nominations are necessary. A faculty committee will select the winning departments from the annual reports on student learning outcomes that are submitted by all departments as part of their Annual Report.