Dr Aisha Spencer cops UWI/Guardian Life Premium Teaching Award

THE FIRST University of the West Indies/ Guardian Life Limited Premium Teaching Award was held in 2004, with the recipient being Dr Willard Pinnock, senior lecturer in the Department of Chemistry.

The decision to work towards establishing an award specifically for teaching at the UWI arose from the concern of the coordinators of the Instructional Development Unit (IDU) (now Centre for Excellence in teaching and Learning) on all three campuses that the teaching function was not given the attention and value it deserves.

The prevailing view was that it was difficult, if not impossible, to judge good teaching. In this regard, the coordinators saw the need to increase the awareness of the UWI faculty, staff, students and the public that there are approaches to adjudicating good teaching and, more specifically, that the UWI attaches great importance to good teaching.

It was decided that a teaching excellence award could be offered every other year, featuring a guest speaker, focusing on aspects of teaching in the intervening year. Awardees would be evaluated and selected on the basis of a teaching portfolio which articulated a personal philosophy of teaching.

This approach was chosen because the portfolio was understood to be a self-reflective document, including supporting documents as evidence of outstanding teaching. It was also decided that the portfolio would be objectively judged by academics having no acquaintance with the nominees. Hence, over the years, three judges from overseas institutions have been chosen to evaluate the portfolios and name the winner.

The 2018 award was held on November 8 at the Mona Visitors’ Lodge, with the recipient being Dr Aisha Spencer, lecturer in language and literature education in the School of Education, UWI, Mona.

She also serves as the school’s undergraduate coordinator and is deputy dean representing the School of Education and the dean’s office for the Faculty of Humanities and Education.