FAQs

August 2021

Q: What criteria were used for the awards?

Inspirational Teaching Award

  1. Fostering enthusiasm for their subject and inspiring student engagement with learning
  2. Raising academic attainment by challenging students to achieve their full potential
  3. Transformational impact on students in their transition in, through and out of their programme of study.

Outstanding Student Support

  1. Supporting students and enabling them to achieve
  2. Impact on student retention and progression
  3. Providing exceptional support above and beyond what might normally be expected.

Outstanding Academic Advising

  1. Provided outstanding personalised guidance and support to aid academic progression including signposting to additional support mechanisms as required
  2. Had a transformational impact on students being able to identify and articulate their personal/professional strengths and areas for development
  3. Provided exemplary support for pastoral needs by signposting to additional support as required in a timely and sympathetic way


Q: How were students informed about the survey?

Staff from Student Experience, Teaching and Learning (SETL) worked together to inform students via personalised emails and other established student communication channels, including social media and the Students’ Union.

Overseas students were surveyed separately as part of the TNE Student Experience Survey .

Postgraduate research students also received a separate survey to nominate inspirational research supervisors.


Q: What were the questions about inspirational teachers and outstanding student support that were asked in the student survey?

Nominate an Inspirational Teacher – We invite you to nominate a member of teaching staff who, through their teaching and academic support, has inspired you and had a transformative impact on your learning experience at any point in your time at Sheffield Hallam. This could be, for example:

  • that they have been excellent at helping you to understand complex concepts, principles or issues
  • instigated your curiosity and interest in a particular subject, discipline or topic
  • empowered and challenged you to achieve
  • the ways in which they are good at explaining things, make the subject interesting or challenge you to achieve your best work

Your nomination will be considered by a panel who are trying to identify those individuals who really made an impact on student learning and the experience of being at university. By nominating a member of staff you are saying ‘this person really made a difference to me’. To help your nominee have the best chance of being chosen above other very good nominees, you need to explain why they made a difference and in what ways.

How have they inspired you and made a difference to your learning experience? For example: – they have been excellent at helping you to understand complex concepts, principles or issues; they have instigated your curiosity and interest in a particular subject, discipline or topic; they have empowered and challenged you to achieve; the ways in which they are good at explaining things; they make the subject interesting or challenge you to achieve your best work

Nominate a member of staff for Outstanding Student Support – We invite you to nominate an individual or group of individuals who has/have provided you with outstanding support for your University experience outside of the classroom. This could be, for example, a tutor, a student support adviser, an employability adviser, a member of library staff, technician or any member of staff who has made a real difference to you in your time at Sheffield Hallam.

How has the support they provided made a difference to your student experience?

Nominate a member of staff for Outstanding Academic Advising – We invite you to nominate your Academic Adviser who, through their support, has inspired you and had a transformative impact on your learning experience at any point in your time at Sheffield Hallam. This could be, for example, that they have encouraged you to develop your academic, personal or professional skills; or helped you when there have been issues affecting your studies by providing guidance and referring you to our specialist services. Further information is available on the Academic Advising webpage.

How have they supported you and made a difference to your learning experience?

Students were informed: “We would also like to use anonymous extracts from your comments for the following purposes: staff development activities and sharing of good practice; marketing, publicity and promotion; reference to these awards within and outside Sheffield Hallam University (e.g. in academic research papers, conference presentations, journals, case studies, Teaching Excellence Framework submissions).  Please tick this box if you do not want us to share your comments in these ways.”

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