Application process 2012-14

All colleagues whose roles involve teaching and/or learning support are eligible to apply for a Brookes Teaching Fellowship. For those with less than six years’ experience, the Scheme provides Associate Fellowships.

Applications are made by submission of a claim for excellence and a development project proposal according to the following guidelines. An internal panel, including existing Teaching Fellows, considers applications and the selection process will normally involve an interview. Successful applicants receive a stipend of £1,500 per year for two years, and £3,500 each year to fund their project.

Please note that applications will be judged on two overarching criteria:

  • Evidence of the applicant's excellence in teaching and/or learning support;
  • The quality of the proposed development project and its contribution to enhancement of the student learning experience at Oxford Brookes University.

Applicants will therefore have to make a case in their application as to how they meet these two criteria, on no more than five sides of A4 (with the budget as an additional appendix). Your application will be reviewed by a panel chaired by the PVC Student Experience and if you meet the overarching criteria you will be invited to attend an interview.

The closing date for applications is 23 May 2012 and the date for the interview is Wednesday, 13 June 2012.

If you are interested in applying, get in touch with one of the existing Brookes Fellows (see the list on the Fellowships pages) for some initial advice or seek support from one of the PLs for Student Experience.

These are:

In order to support the development of your project proposal, you are strongly encouraged to get formative feedback by pitching your ideas in front of a panel of friendly “dragons” – i.e. existing Brookes Teaching Fellows and educational development consultants from OCSLD. The BTFS Den will run on: Thursday, 22 March 2012 and you will be given an individual time slot of 30 minutes for you to make a short pitch and receive verbal feedback. Contact Frances Deepwell if you are interested in finding out more.

Important dates

  • Briefing session: 12-1pm on Wednesday, 25 January 2012, in CG15 (Gipsy Lane Campus)
  • BTFS ‘Den’: Thursday, 22 March 2012 (times tbc, on GLC)
  • Application deadline: by email to Beverley Blackman no later than 4pm on Wednesday, 23 May 2012
  • Selection interviews on Wednesday, 13 June 2012.

Claim for excellence: what should be in your application?

Your application is a claim for your excellence in learning and teaching, supported with evidence from a variety of sources. The following notes should be taken as guidance. If you would like to discuss your initial thoughts, please contact Frances Deepwell or one of the SESE PLs in your Faculty.

Brookes Teaching Fellowships

One of the overarching criteria is “evidence of excellence”, this should particularly focus on the following four core criteria:

  • Influencing and inspiring students’ learning.
  • Influencing and inspiring colleagues’ teaching.
  • Innovation and development of practice.
  • Personal reflection on your practice.

Your claim may include some of the following:

  • Innovation in the design and delivery of learning activities.
  • The ability to organise course materials and present them effectively and imaginatively.
  • The provision of effective and sympathetic guidance, supervision and assessment of students that enables student advancement at all levels.
  • A reflective approach to teaching and the support of learning in order to sustain self-development.
  • The ability to arouse curiosity and to stimulate independent learning and the development of critical thought in students.
  • A recognised commitment to the scholarship of both subject knowledge and learning and teaching.
  • Participation in professional activities and research related to learning and teaching.
  • Recognition of the value of student diversity.
  • The ability to share and promote good practice, through publications, conferences or networks, workshops or other means.

Your claim may also be supported by evidence of:

  • Further qualifications in relevant aspects of education.
  • Membership of learning and teaching networks and associations.
  • Active involvement with the Higher Education Academy and/or contributions to external teaching-related events.
  • Previous pedagogic research.
  • Pedagogic publications.
  • External reputation for learning and teaching.

Sources for such evidence might include

  • A personal statement on your philosophy of teaching.
  • Personal reflection on teaching practices and innovations.
  • Student feedback.
  • Testimonials from colleagues, managers or students.
  • Reports from external examiners or other external assessors.
  • Reports of peer observation of teaching or peer enhancement of teaching and learning.

For staff engaged in learning support roles it is recognised that it may not necessarily be possible to demonstrate working closely with students, while still making a significant contribution to their learning experiences. There will therefore be even more focus on the four core criteria, which are:

  • Influencing and inspiring students’ learning.
  • Influencing and inspiring colleagues (in their professional practice in relation to teaching, learning and assessment).
  • Innovation and development of practice.
  • Personal reflection on your practice.

Brookes Associate Fellowships

Evidence of excellence should particularly focus on the following three core criteria:

  • Influencing and inspiring students’ learning.
  • Innovation and development of practice.
  • Personal reflection on your practice.

Proposal for a development project: what is required?

It is expected that the learning and teaching development project will articulate with the University Strategy and the Strategy For Enhancing The Student Experience 2010 - 2015. The project should bring together scholarship and practice, be action-oriented, and contain implementation and evaluation components from which recommendations on effective practice will be derived for dissemination.

There is no standard form for proposals. Within your proposal you will need to include:

  • Its potential contribution to achievement of the strategic outcomes of the University in relation to learning and teaching.
  • Timescales, milestones and deliverables.
  • An evaluation strategy.
  • A dissemination plan, which should include a clearly identified external publication, as well as publications and presentations within the University.
  • A statement on the project’s likely effectiveness and anticipated size of impact on/benefit to students and/or colleagues, and/or the wider community.
  • Evidence of awareness of previous work in the area.
  • Evidence of the applicant’s previous ability to successfully undertake and complete projects.
  • A phased budget for the proposal.

In order to support the development of your project proposal, you are strongly encouraged to get formative feedback from a panel of friendly dragons – i.e. Brookes Teaching Fellows. Contact Frances Deepwell if you are interested in finding out more.

Stipend

A stipend of £1,500 per annum will be paid.

Development fund

A fund of £3,500 will be available per annum to support the pedagogic/learner support development work being undertaken by each Fellow. This will be payable in stages which relate to the deliverables and work schedule agreed at the outset of the work. The proposal to undertake learning and teaching development work will need to include a proposed budget.

Final Note

The Brookes Teaching Fellowship scheme is co-ordinated by OCSLD. For more information about the next round of awards, or to discuss a potential application, please contact Frances Deepwell in OCSLD. Your completed application should be submitted by email to Beverley Blackman, by 4pm on Wednesday, 23 May 2012.