"What makes a good lecturer?"
Win £250 and have your work published

Are you a Computing or Library and Information Science student? Would you like the chance to win £250 and have your work published? If so, then take this opportunity to express your views on what makes a good lecturer.

The Higher Education Academy - Information and Computer Science Subject Centre, is offering you the chance to offer your opinions and experiences in an essay. This opportunity is open to anyone studying Computing or Library and Information Science as part of their Higher Education course. International students studying at a UK institution are more than welcome to enter. However, UK or non-UK students studying at institutions outside of the UK are unfortunately not eligible for the Award.

To enter this competition all you need to do is write 900-1,100 words on what makes a good lecturer?

Prize Available...

The finalist will have their essay published on the Information and Computer Sciences Subject Centre website and be invited to attend the Higher Education Academy 2008 Annual Conference in Harrogate in July 2008, all expenses paid. There, you have a chance to become the overall winner of all the Subject Centres attracting a top prize of a Toshiba laptop.

How to enter...

Submit your entry to Hazel White (email: h.white1@ulster.ac.uk) by 28th March 2008. The email should have the subject line "Student Award 2008", and must include your name, place of study, Course title, Year of Study, Term address and Home address, Contact telephone number and Contact email address.

You must download a cover sheet to submit with your essay
Download cover sheet and full details >>>

For an example of what makes an award-winning essay take a look at last years winning essay; it may help you get started.
Last years winning essay >>>

You can also download the promotional flyer for your discipline:

Competition rules...

  • Entrants must be currently registered on an Undergraduate or taught Postgraduate / Masters level Computing or Library and Information Science course in the UK.
  • Naming of individual teachers and fellow students in essays in not permitted.
  • Essays should be between 900-1,100 words in length.
  • Only one entry is permitted per student.
  • The prize winner must be available to attend the Higher Education Academy's Annual Conference to be held in Harrogate International Centre 1-3 July 2008 (specific day, to be decided), where the prize will be awarded.
  • No alternative prizes will be offered.
  • The judges' decision is final

Deadline for entries is Friday 28th March 2008

Criteria...

Submitted essays will be assessed against the following criteria. Your work should:

  • Answer the question by describing what makes a good lecturer in your discipline.
  • Give the reader an overview of the factors that led to your answer.
  • Define and differentiate between your expectations and your experience to date.
  • Include examples of good and/or innovative teaching, learning and assessment methods you're experiencing in your course.
  • Be sensitive to cultural, contextual and institutional differences (i.e. it should not expose particular individuals or openly criticise an individual department. Ideally you should anonymise the essay or, if used, we will.)
  • Provide an individual and honest account.
  • As far as is possible, see things from others' viewpoints and provide potentially perceptive observations and helpful ideas for teaching staff.
  • Be entertaining and interesting to read.
  • Be well written in terms of structure, grammar and spelling.
  • Not vary from the 1,000 word guideline by more than 10% either way.
  • Be submitted on the application form in electronic format.

NB A glowing report may be pleasant to read but we anticipate that a thorough, fair exposition of what you found, if critical, fully argued and explained, is the most likely to win high marks from the judges.