Teaching Excellence Award 2017/18

The Teaching Excellence Awards 2017/18 is a biannual award bestowed on teachers who have demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching. This year, one of the awardees Prof Paul WHITLA also received the Distinguished Teacher Award, which honours teachers who have received the Teaching Excellence Award for three times.

Teaching Excellence Award

Prof Whitla has established a unique methodology to instill into his students the theoretical knowledge that is applicable to everyday situations. Weighing both academic progression and personal growth as key to a successful career path, Prof Whitla attaches great importance to cultivate students’ attributes and competencies. In his belief that the development   of creativity, critical thinking and communication, the “three C’s”, are rooted in each of the courses he offers, his teaching philosophy has always been in line with the University’s approach to position itself as a liberal arts institution.

Prof Paul WHITLA, Department of Marketing and International Business

Prof Hiradhar’s exemplary teaching performance stems from her unceasing effort to create a proactive learning atmosphere for her students in all courses she teaches. She places great emphasis on in-class participation and the distinctive result of which is backed by the wise use of digital resources. Aside from her endeavours in innovating and advancing her teaching practices, Prof Hiradhar has also contributed to the larger Lingnan community by leading projects including the Mini Action Research Project (MARP) and the Transforming Outcomes Through Action Learning (TOTAL) Experience, aiming to give insights and share ideas for the purpose of achieving better learning outcomes.

Prof Preet HIRADHAR, Department of English

Mr LeBane is a very experienced English language instructor and educator. Using technology to enhance assessment, learning and teaching, Mr LeBane demonstrates innovative ideas and approaches to foster students’ language competence within the University and beyond. The discipline based mini-lectures, integrated e-books and English Language Support Service (ELSS) developed and provided by Mr LeBane to promote a student-centred environment have attained great success, through which Lingnan’s commitment to instil in our students strong analytical and critical thinking skills is reiterated.

Mr Marc LEBANE, Centre for English and Additional Languages

The Selection Panel comprised four staff members and three students representing all three faculties, chaired by Prof Shalendra SHARMA, Associate Vice-President (Academic Quality Assurance & Internationalisation).

Teaching Excellence Team Award

Prof Sonia Wong from the Department of Finance and Insurance led a team of four faculty members, namely Prof Joseph CHENG, Prof Winnie POON, Prof LAI Wei and Prof Xiaofeng ZHAO and demonstrated academic excellence in incorporating the notion of social responsibility with the teaching of financial knowledge. Devoted to foster the next generation of professional business leaders, the Team employs a diverse range of strategies to bring out the well-rounded talents of their students while highlighting the importance of moral obligations as market practitioners.

Outstanding Teaching Award for Early Career Faculty

Prof Burak Ho, who joined the Department of Sociology and Social Policy in 2014, adopts active learning approaches to engage students in various activities. Providing students with a sociological perspective whilst contributing to their whole- person development is a key component of her pedagogy. With a constant focus on raising students’ awareness in their daily experiences, she utilizes social topics to create a positive impact on her students, enhancing their development of critical thinking and analytical skills.

Certificates of Merit in Teaching

Three other members of the faculty were awarded a “Certificate of Merit” in recognition of their quality teaching, namely Prof CHEN Yu Jen, Department of Marketing and International Business; Prof Vincent WONG, Department of Marketing and International Business; and Dr TANG Lili, Chinese Language Education and Assessment Centre.