Teaching Awards 2000

---

Three members of faculty are to receive awards in recognition of their excellent teaching.

The annual Alumni Society Teaching Awards scheme, now in its fourth year, is open to all academics at Sussex who teach courses or supervise higher degrees.

Shortlisted nominees prepare a portfolio of evidence for consideration by a judging panel, which is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alasdair Smith. This year's panel, while impressed by the achievements and sustained commitment of all those on the shortlist, chose Rodney Hillman, Jon Mitchell and James Peyton-Jones as the winners for 2000.

Rodney Hillman, Lecturer in English, is one of the longest-serving members of faculty at Sussex, where the English degree has a rep-utation for the prominence that it gives to critical theory. Rodney, on the other hand, emphasises close reading of the texts he teaches.

The energy and enthusiasm with which Rodney transmits his extensive knowledge of these texts brings an overwhelmingly positive response from students, who also appreciate Rodney's pastoral care for their work and development as individuals.

"They all need criticism, so that they can learn to develop through self-criticism," he says. "But they all need encouragement, so that they can learn to trust their own abilities and value their own work. I try to get the balance right between criticism and encouragement."

"I would, in some sense, liken the 'Rodney experience' to going to the gym," confirms Stuart Anderson, a second-year undergraduate. "It will cause a degree of pain and fatigue, despite the fact that it is healthy - but when it is over, it makes one feel invigorated and revitalised."

Dr Jon Mitchell, aged 31, took his first degree at Sussex. He returned as a Lecturer in Social Anthropology only three years ago but has already made a big impact: "I have been keen to involve myself at all levels of the teaching and learning process, from curriculum design and course planning to teaching itself, and audit," he says.

The judging panel praised Jon in particular for his commitment to curriculum development, at both national and institutional levels. As well as being a committee member for an HEFCE-sponsored project on new forms of student writing in social anthropology, he recently chaired a review of course content and teaching methods for first-year anthropology students at Sussex.

It is on first-year teaching that Jon has made his greatest impact. He believes that all students - even at introductory levels - are capable of understanding the most difficult material. "The more one asks students to do," he says, "the more they will achieve, providing the tasks are properly organised and explained to them."

Dr James Peyton-Jones, a Senior Lecturer in Computer & Control Engineering, was also commended by the judging panel for his innovative teaching methods. "My fundamental aim in teaching is to involve students in a learning experience which will capture their imagination, with substantial hands-on experience, live demonstrations and participatory lectures," he says.

For example, James breaks up his lectures with short hands-on tasks to test if students really understand the topic just presented. He also structures all laboratory exercises to build on each other and on recently taught lecture material, in sequence. And in courses that are assessed by examination, he provides students with a series of graduated questions (up to exam standard) in self-paced worksheets.

The result of these innovative teaching methods is a high level of support from students and colleagues. "Your enthusiasm is infectious," commented one student in written feedback. "Exercises during the lecture helped me see if I had a clear understanding of the material being taught," wrote another. And one put it more simply: "Best lecturer ever!"

Rodney Hillman	Jon Mitchell	James Peyton-Jones