Lecturer recognised for excellence in teaching
DR. Fionnuala Tynan, from Castlebar, and lecturer in the area of inclusive educational methodologies in the Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Education at Mary Immaculate College (MIC), was selected as the overall winner of the Regional Teaching Excellence Awards held in MIC on Tuesday.
The annual Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Award ceremony, now in its 11th year, showcases excellence in teaching and learning within the three third-level institutes of the Shannon Consortium: Mary Immaculate College, the University of Limerick and Limerick Institute of Technology.
Each institution may put forward a maximum of three candidates, who are then put through a rigorous short-listing process based on an extensive teaching portfolio submission supplemented with a recording of their teaching.
Accepting the award, Dr. Tynan, who has been lecturing at MIC since 2016, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be the recipient of this award. I am passionate about teaching and know the life-changing influence of great teaching.
“In an era defined by the marketisation of education, with increased pressure to publish, there can be a sense that our teaching in higher education matters less and less. This award is testament to the fact that here in Limerick, through the Shannon Consortium, teaching in higher education is valued and celebrated.
“I feel privileged to work in an institution that supports me to flourish as a person and as a professional in my teaching. I am indebted to my colleagues who have engaged in peer observation of my teaching and allowed me to observe them, those who have stimulated discussions about educational practices and challenged my thinking. We become good teachers, not in a vacuum, but through dialogue.
“Teaching matters, we need to continue to make it count.”
Commenting on the award, Professor Eugene Wall, President of MIC, said: “We at Mary Immaculate College are delighted once again to have a member of staff selected as the overall winner of the Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Award. Fionnuala is a committed and innovative member of the MIC community and has made an outstanding contribution to MIC since she joined three years ago.
“I heartily congratulate her on this very significant recognition of her many talents as a teacher.”
Dr. Gwen Moore, Director of Teaching and Learning, MIC, said: “Dr. Tynan has demonstrated professional excellence, scholarship and capacity for reflection on her teaching. We, in the Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Centre at MIC are extremely proud and delighted that she has won the award.