1. Key Assumptions
The ECIU Team Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning is based on the assumption that innovation is multi-faceted and has the most impact for sustainable and transformative teaching innovation if groups and interdisciplinary teams of people are working together. Moreover, in accordance with the ECIU Teaching and Learning Statement, innovations usually involve creative, learning-centred and future-focused teaching approaches that foster social entrepreneurship and smart use of technology in the service of challenging conventional thinking.
2. Rationale
We recognise that innovative teaching requires more than one individual to make sustainable and transformative changes. This ECIU-award recognises the efforts that are necessary by teams to achieve and accomplish such endeavours.
3. Objective
Teaching and learning is a core activity of ECIU members. Member institutions share a commitment to the development of high quality educational practices, which promote innovation, and the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning. Therefore, the ECIU Team award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning aims to promote, celebrate and showcase innovations in teaching and learning activities that involve groups and/or interdisciplinary teams, in keeping with ECIU’s mission of “Challenging Conventional Thinking” for tomorrow’s world, today. More specifically, the award is designed to:
Recognise teaching and learning innovations of groups and/or interdisciplinary teams amongst ECIU member institutions; Recognise and acknowledge those groups and/or interdisciplinary teams within and across ECIU member institutions who undertake innovations in teaching and learning; Utilise the ECIU as a key hub and driver for the promotion of sustainable teaching and learning innovations in Europe.
When we use the term group and/or interdisciplinary we mean different people and stakeholders bringing different skills and perspectives who contribute and collaborate in achieving teaching and learning innovations.
4. Type of Award
Each year there will be one team award winner of the ECIU Team Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. However, the selection panel may confer ‘Highly Commended Awards’ amongst applicants when they reflect a particularly high level of innovation.
5. Selection Criteria
Since the definition of innovation adopted for this award relates to renewal or improvement, with transformation being a consequence of this improvement, the intention is to recognise the results of group and/or interdisciplinary team-based innovation efforts.
Each application needs to demonstrate how the particular teaching and learning innovation meets the following criteria:
N.B.
6. Application Process
Information about the application process will be available through the ECIU website. Each member university is able to submit just one application for the award. It is up to each institution how they identify their single nominated applicant. Applications must be submitted by the closing date using the latest application template which is available as a Google form. Late applications will not be accepted but the ECIU reserves the right to extend the application deadline. The selection panel consists of a sub-committee of the ECIU Steering Committee: Innovation in Teaching and Learning with a minimum of three members and a representative of the award winning team of the previous year. The selection panel will contact all applicants about the outcome of the evaluation process and the feedback. The selection panel will present to and inform the ECIU steering committee about the evaluation. Members of the selection panel cannot be applicants and members of the Steering Committee cannot be lead applicants.
7. Key Dates
The following key dates apply to the awards:
i. Award Notice – February 1st
Final Date for Submissions – 1st May Selection Panel Evaluation - June to August Approval of Panel’s Recommendation - September Notification of Outcome to Applicants – November 30 Presentation of Team Award at ECIU Board meeting in Brussels – TBA Press Release Showcasing Award Winner - TBA
8. Value of Award
This is a prestigious award and should be seen as such amongst ECIU member institutions. The award has a value of €2,500 that will be paid to the lead institution for distribution amongst applicants. In addition, one member of the successful team will be funded to attend an ECIU Board meeting where they will be formally presented with the award. It is an expectation that they will also give a brief presentation on the innovation. Other members of the award winning team may attend this presentation at their own expense. Highly commended awardees will be presented their awards by the relevant ECIU Board member or designate at their local institution.
9. Award Publicity
The awards should be celebrated and publicised widely within and beyond the ECIU network. An ECIU press release will be issued after the awards have been announced and we encourage opportunities for individual member institutions to recognise awardees during other events celebrating innovations in teaching and learning. Winners will be expected to produce a 2-3 min video about their innovation that can be embedded on the ECIU website. Team recipients of the award and highly commended categories are also expected to make themselves available for photographs publicising the awards on the ECIU website.
10. Summary
The ECIU Team Award for Innovation in Teaching and Learning aims to recognise the role that teams of people play within and/or across universities in successfully developing and implementing educational innovations. In this respect the Award differs from many existing awards, which recognise the efforts of individual teachers. The Award is open to all staff in member institutions but only one application per institution can be submitted each year. The intention of the Award is to promote, celebrate and showcase how the ECIU supports sustainable and transformative innovations in teaching and learning, especially in terms of challenging conventional thinking.