This episode and blog post accompany our “EUSA Teaching Awards 2021 Podcast Series”.
In this episode, Grace, a final-year Religious Studies Student, sits down with Judy Hardy, Dean of Learning and Teaching for the College of Science and Engineering, and Elizabeth Bomberg, a Professor of Environmental Politics at the School of Social and Political Science, to discuss their nominations for the Edinburgh Teaching Awards. With Judy being nominated for personal tutoring and Elizabeth for her work in teaching, the trio dive into a fascinating conversation reflecting on how they’ve adapted in their roles during online learning. Thankfully, common themes emerge giving listeners takeaways regardless of their position within or outside of academia.
The sense of connection between staff and student. That is absolutely crucial to a positive learning environment. And if you can make a challenge a shared challenge, I think it can work to strengthen that connection.
Elizabeth Bomberg, Professor of Environmental Politics, School of Social and Political Science
Judy, Elizabeth, and Grace entertain thought-provoking questions in their reflection. Have we changed our approach for this year? Is there a typical day in academia, online or in-person? What aspects of our old routines have we surprisingly missed? And of course, what will we be taking forward from this year? In fluid conversation, Judy and Elizabeth bounce between relatable anecdotes from the past year and helpful insights. They connect over the themes of connection and engagement while discussing the ways they’ve prioritized these themes in the online world. We hope you enjoy their conversation and continue your personal reflections as we inch closer to the next academic year.
Elizabeth Bomberg
Professor Elizabeth Bomberg is Personal Chair of Environmental Politics in the subject area of Politics and International Relations. She is originally from California but has now made Scotland her home. Bomberg’s broad area of expertise is comparative environmental politics, with a particular emphasis on climate policy and activism in the US, UK and EU. Her central passion lies in delivering teaching that is research-led, practice based and – above all – inspiring. Her teaching experience is vast, crossing different levels, methods, traditions, institutions and countries. But at its core is a desire to inspire students to become independent, engaged learners and researchers.
Judy Hardy
Judy is Dean of Learning and Teaching for the College of Science and Engineering and Professor of Physics Education in the School of Physics and Astronomy.
Grace Lavender
Grace is a final-year Religious Studies Student and a Student Council Facilitator for the Edinburgh University Students Association.
Produced and Edited by:
Eric Berger
Eric is a Mathematics and Statistics student at the University of Edinburgh and a podcasting intern for Teaching Matters. Eric is passionate about university student mental health, interviewing researchers for the Student Mental Health Research Network at King’s College London, leading the University of Edinburgh’s WellComm Kings Peer Support Scheme, and conducting research on stigma for People With Mental Illnesses (PWMI). In his free time he enjoys watching and playing sports, over-analysing hip-hop songs, podcasts, and any sort of wholesome shenanigans.
