The document summarizes discussions with students about what constitutes excellent teaching. Several students provided their perspectives, emphasizing qualities like enthusiasm, approachability, providing feedback, and inspiring critical thinking. The discussions also covered evaluating teaching through student surveys and awards. The aim was to better understand student views on teaching excellence beyond just metrics like the Teaching Excellence Framework.

1. Edubites
Teaching Excellence Series #3
Student Perspectives

2. Teaching Excellence Series
We see this as a fantastic
opportunity to engage in some
wide-ranging discussions with a
number of stakeholders
This is not all about theTEF!

3. Introduction
• TES #1 – What’s the evidence (James)?
• Introduction to the series
• Sources of evidence
• Literature
• TES #2 - Educator Perspectives (Katie and JC)
• Innovation versus Excellence
• Personal Perspective on Lecturing
• VC Teaching Excellence Award
• TES #3 – Student Perspectives…..

4. Initial Thoughts…..
How do we discover what students think is
“Excellent Teaching”?
• Anecdotal
• SSC
• SLTSEC
• BoS
• Module/Stage Evaluations
• TEAs
• Literature
• NSS
• TEF
The aim of today is to find out more…..
Excellent (adjective)
- extremely good; outstanding.

5. Initial Thoughts…..
How do we discover what students think is
“Excellent Teaching”?
• Anecdotal
• SSC
• SLTSEC
• BoS
• Module/Stage Evaluations
• TEAs
• Literature
• NSS
• TEF
The aim of today is to find out more…..

6. Initial Thoughts…..
How do we discover what students think is
“Excellent Teaching”?
• Anecdotal
• SSC
• SLTSEC
• BoS
• Module/Stage Evaluations
• TEAs
• Literature
• NSS
• TEF
Excellent (adjective)
- extremely good; outstanding.
The aim of today is to find out more…..

7. Plan for today….
• Student perspectives
• Teaching Excellence
Awards (TEAs)
• Discussion

8. Student Representatives
Welcome to all the student
representatives, and in particular to:
• James (Music)
• Lucy (Biomedicine)
• Stuart (Dentistry)
• Emma (Modern Languages)
• Kitty (Maths & Stats)
• Lucy (Modern Languages)
Everyone has been asked the question:
“What is excellent teaching?”

9. Student Perspective
Name: James
Stage: Stage 1
Subject: Music
“I think excellence in teaching is the ability to engage students whilst in
a lecture through stimulating discussion, but also being able to make
the students feel comfortable to contribute to discussion in front of a
larger group of students. Furthermore, an excellent teacher is one who
can be approached for discussion outside of a lecture to aid students
with their questions.”

10. Student Perspective
Name: Lucy
Stage: 1
Subject: Biomedicine
“Teachers that particularly stand out to me are those that seem
enthusiastic about the topic and obviously have a thorough knowledge of
it. I like when they're approachable so you feel comfortable going to
them if you have a question or a problem and you know they'll happily
help you. I always find it really helpful when teachers give you detailed
feedback on quite a regular basis. Also when they give clear definitions of
what we need to learn.”

11. Student Perspective
Name: Stuart
Stage: 3
Subject: Dentistry
“I feel that ‘teaching excellence’ is not only about sharing knowledge with
students but also inspiring and challenging them to improve and further
their own knowledge and understanding of a subject.”

12. Student Perspective
Name: Emma
Stage: 1
Subject: Interpreting and Translating with German
and Chinese
“In my opinion the most important things (besides being professional) are that
the teacher/ lecturer shows interest towards the topic and conveys the curriculum
with enthusiasm. They should show the students how interesting and enjoyable
the topic is maybe with mentioning smaller, out-of-context examples and details.
I believe this can be very helpful in many ways. It helped me keep up the interest
and also remember things better.“

13. Student Perspective
Name: Kitty
Stage: 1
Subject: Maths
“Making learning fun which can include a staff member incorporating
jokes into their teaching at various intervals, thus making the lesson to be
learned more memorable. Providing the relevant materials at the
relevant times and in relevant amounts as well as ensuring that all is
understood by setting summary questions on the topics recently covered.
On top of this teachers should be fair, open-minded and a good role-
model.”

14. Student Perspective
Name: Lucy
Stage: 2
Subject: Modern Languages with Interpretation and
Translation Studies
Excellent teaching is instilling in you the confidence and knowledge
required specifically for the assessment whilst also teaching you about
the subject in a broader manner, sharing with you their infectious passion
for the subject and equipping you with the skills needed to go forward
into the world of work. "

15. Teaching excellence is…
Student Perspectives

16. “being taught by experts within the field of study.
For example, on the MA Translation course several
teachers have real-life experience of working as
translators so can provide you with invaluable
advice and support. The teachers are also
approachable and happy to help students with
any query they may have”.
“understanding and responding to the students
needs to help them reach their own goals”.
“(besides being professional) […] the teacher
shows interest towards the topic and conveys the
curriculum with enthusiasm. They should show
the students how interesting and enjoyable the
topic is maybe with mentioning smaller, out-of-
context examples and details. […]
“is being so enthused by your subject that your
students cannot help but want to know more.
“is a teacher's ability to coherently and logically
explain a topic in a way which connects to the
individual listener. […]. A teacher that would
utilise these different approaches would benefit a
wider range of students and give a greater
understanding”.
“when the teacher encourages students to find
different solutions instead of just sticking to one
answer”.
“a true dedication and investment into your students'
learning, rooted in a true passion for your subject that is
conveyed to those you are teaching. Also providing the extra
time and resources some students may need to gain
sufficient understanding, and the ability to stimulate interest
and a desire to learn in all those who you teach”.
“the circumstance such that the student learns and achieves
without any unnecessary additional stress”.
“when you’re not afraid to ask a question and when you can
never annoy someone by knocking on their office door”.
“motivating students to do their best and being able to get
the most out of their student! Guiding students with
independent learning also”.
“is getting a student to understand, not learn”.
“is when the lecturer incorporates practical activities in to
the lecture to consolidate what has been taught, making the
lecture engaging and accessible to all different learning
styles”.
“when you can tell the teacher is really passionate about
what they are teaching it inspires the student, also people
that can make their content engaging instead of just reading
slides, especially in younger stages. Also, someone who
takes time to answer questions thoroughly”.
“when no one falls asleep in the lecture”.
“is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theatre”.
“when the teacher encourages students to find
different solutions instead of just sticking to one
answer”.

17. Teaching excellence is…
Staff Perspectives

18. “Stretching the learners into the realms of questioning.
Enthusiastic delivery, clear teaching materials which
allow the learner to engage with and take ownership of
the knowledge and understanding”.
having a thorough understanding of your students to be
able to deliver fresh and inspiring material in ways that
challenge the students to learn”.
is the ability to inspire and enthuse learning and
understanding however, class diversity, size and subject
need to be taken into consideration and so flexibility and
adaptability of the teacher is essential for success”.
“the ability to make students want to learn and produce
graduates who in 5 years time look back and think that
was a positive pivotal moment in their careers”.
“when both educator and learner passionately engage in
the co-creation of knowledge”.
“is negotiating the learning responsibilities and
resource acquisition required to enable students
to be self-determined learners”.
“is helping students to develop a capacity for self-
negotiated action”.
“not actually teaching per se, sometimes you
need to stand back and let the learners think,
ideally when you have set a scene that makes
them curious to know more”.
“is helping others to see themselves in new ways
so that they might see the world in different
ways”.
“Innovative, inspiring learning frameworks with
explicit linkages to theories and opportunities for
reflection…experiential where possible. Where
students are challenged to think critically and
explore ways of using what they
learn…Definitely NOT just number of contact
hours”.
“is creating an environment that makes the process of
learning as efficient, impactful, and engaging as possible”.

19. Teaching excellence is…
External Perspectives

20. External Perspectives
Derounian, James G. (2017) "Inspirational teaching in higher education:
What does it look, sound and feel like?," International
Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Vol. 11: No. 1,
Article 9.
52 Respondents
Final Year, UG,
Criminology, Sociology
and Applied Social
Sciences

21. Teaching Excellence Awards
• Separating the TEF from the Chaff
• Pastoral Support
• Blended / Holistic approaches
• Lectures as a “conversation”
• The future of the TEAs

22. Peers 1-2-1 TEAs
Evasys SSC Literature HEA
TEF NSS

23. Discussion

24. Teaching Excellence Series
We see this as a fantastic
opportunity to engage in some
wide-ranging discussions with a
number of stakeholders
This is not all about theTEF!

25. Eat!