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National teaching excellence award for academic
29/08/2017
An inspirational University of Wolverhampton expert has received a top national award recognising excellence in teaching.
Dr Megan Lawton, Senior Advisor in Academic Practice, has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) by the Higher Education Academy (HEA).
Dr Lawton has worked at the University for 26 years, and is one of 55 new National Teaching Fellows announced today.
The award recognises Megan’s commitment to supporting all students to reach their potential, through creativity, innovation and technology-supported learning.
Dr Lawton, who is part of the College of Learning and Teaching at the University, said: “I am incredibly proud to have been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship, as it is assessed by your peers and very competitive. My role involves working with colleagues across the University to look at how we can improve our teaching practice to enable students to learn better.
“I love working at the University of Wolverhampton because it is so diverse, we have people from many difference backgrounds. The University allows people like me to be creative and try different approaches and I really value that.”
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Dr Anthea Gregory said: “The award of a National Teaching Fellowship is fitting recognition of Megan as an inspirational teacher whose work has had such a positive impact on students’ and her colleagues’ learning experiences.”
Dr Megan Lawton started her teaching career in a boy’s school as a Craft, Design and Technology teacher. In 1991 she set up the Visual Language Centre in the University’s School of Languages proposing that British Sign Language (BSL) should be seen as a language in its own right. She created a Communication Support Unit which has since supported 244 Deaf students to gain higher education qualifications and designed revolutionary new degrees including the first degree in Europe for Interpreting (BSL)/ English).
In 2000 she took up a new post in a central department for learning and teaching, leading student focused initiatives across the University. She was a founding member of the European First Year Student Experience network, leading to a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning based on the first year student experience.
HEA Chief Executive, Professor Stephanie Marshall, said, “A National Teaching Fellowship is the most prestigious individual award for excellence in teaching in higher education. These awards represent a fantastic achievement by all 55 new NTFs.”
The Fellowship will be presented at a celebration event at Church House, Westminster, London, on 1 November 2017.
The NTFs were nominated by their institutions and submissions had to show evidence of three criteria: individual excellence, raising the profile of excellence and developing excellence.
For further information visit www.heacademy.ac.uk/ntfs
Further information
For more information please contact the Media Relations Office on 01902 32 2736 or 01902 518647.
Date Issued: Thursday, 31 August 2017
For more information please contact the Corporate Communications Team.
