7 December 2004 Lincoln University's Top Teachers

Ecologist Professor Steve Wratten and Marketing Senior Lecturer Dr David Dean are Lincoln University's top teachers for 2004.

Excellence in Teaching awards were announced for the pair at today's Lincoln University Council meeting (7 Dec.). Professor Wratten's award is for Sustained Excellence and Dr Dean's for Excellence in Innovation.

Their names will go forward as the University's nominations for the National Tertiary Teaching Awards in 2005.

The citation for Professor Wratten describes him as a "charismatic and inspirational" teacher who recognises the importance of the factors that influence student motivation.

In the 11 years he has been at Lincoln University, Professor Wratten has shown an outstanding determination to hone his teaching techniques, particularly in the areas of maintaining the attention span of students, motivating class members and encouraging a clear focus on learning outcomes.

Student evaluations consistently rate him in the top 10 percent of Lincoln University teachers of undergraduates. He uses a wide range of teaching media and his 30-centimetre silhouettes of active beetles projected on to a screen are renowned for grabbing his audience's attention!

Last month (Nov.) his contribution to science in New Zealand was acknowledged with his election as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

As Lincoln University's Academic Programme Director, Postgraduate, for five years in the 1990s, Professor Wratten set out to improve postgraduate students' oral and written communication skills, supervisor-student relationships and skills for working in teams. Many of his initiatives are now part of the fabric of Lincoln University’s postgraduate procedures. Professor Wratten is currently supervising his 70th PhD student; to date all have been successful.

The citation for Dr David Dean notes that he has developed 11 new subjects in business management and marketing at Lincoln University since his appointment in 1993. It says he is passionate about teaching and it’s a passion based on his own love of learning.

He receives outstanding evaluations from students across a wide range of subjects taught within Lincoln University's Commerce Division.

One of his innovations is to invite students to submit case studies every week for immediate feedback on their learning and for credit. This is a significant commitment to extra marking by Dr Dean but he finds that it greatly enhances the performance of students in these classes. 

Dr Dean's classes are renowned for getting the students involved with local businesses where they can see the practical application of theory. This includes group projects that over the years have involved more than 200 local firms as well as class visits to local businesses to observe core concepts in practice.

Dr Dean has also displayed innovative ability when teaching Lincoln University's commerce programme in Malaysia.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand