Academic’s drive to improve teaching recognised with Fellowship
A Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) academic has been awarded a fellowship by the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA).
Dr Nirma Samarawickrema’s work as a teaching-focused academic was acknowledged at the society’s annual conference held in Auckland, New Zealand recently. Dr Samarawickrema was among seven new fellows this year acknowledged as having made a significant personal commitment to the improvement of teaching and learning in tertiary education.
“I was absolutely thrilled,” Dr Samarawickrema said.
“It’s that recognition of your hard work that makes it all the more worthwhile, and gives you the confidence that your teaching and teaching approaches are meeting the Society’s expected standards. That official endorsement is important, it’s very inspiring,” she said.
Dr Samarawickrema said becoming a Fellow gives her the opportunity to forge collaborations, not just within HERDSA, but with leaders in education and others.
HERDSA, a scholarly society for people committed to advancing higher and tertiary education, sets a high goal for potential Fellows, asking them to submit a portfolio detailing their teaching philosophy, teaching context, and an evidence-based approach to demonstrating the applicant’s concern for and improvement of student learning and effectiveness of teaching over the years.
As one example, Dr Samarawickrema designed an activity that mimicked the peer review process in journals, asking her students to review each other’s work and their own over several weeks. She then improved the exercise over iterations with the students’ input.
Dr Samarawickrema, who joined Monash in 2006 and is now a senior lecturer in the Monash BDI’s Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, said the turning point in her career came when she ‘converted’ to becoming an education-focused academic.
“Monash went down that path around 2009 or 2010, and with it came a revival of teaching and a move away from lecturer-focused to student-centred pedagogy. As a result of this institutional context I began to actively participate in university-led professional development opportunities. These were really beneficial in making that transformation,” Dr Samarawickrema said.
“We’re constantly striving to not only improve our teaching but to also improve our units. There is always an evidence base to the way we teach and whatever research we do in the area of teaching and learning, we can see a direct impact in our classrooms and this always gives me that buzz,” she said.
HERDSA was established in 1972 to promote the development of higher education policy, practice and the study of teaching and learning. It encourages and disseminates research on teaching and learning and higher education development.
To read more about The Fellowship Scheme, visit their website.
About the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute
Committed to making the discoveries that will relieve the future burden of disease, the newly established Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute at Monash University brings together more than 120 internationally-renowned research teams. Our researchers are supported by world-class technology and infrastructure, and partner with industry, clinicians and researchers internationally to enhance lives through discovery.