Class of 1922 Outstanding Innovation in Helping Students Learn Award
Each year the Class of 1922 alumni sponsors an award for Outstanding Innovation in Helping Students Learn. This award honors a faculty member, graduate student or administrative professional staff member who has improved students’ educational experiences. It specifically promotes innovative teaching practices that contribute to improved learning.
If a single recipient is selected, the $6,000 prize will be divided between a $4,000 cash award and a $2,000 academic expense account. If there are multiple winners, the distribution of the prize will be modified accordingly.
Eligibility
All Purdue University faculty, staff, and graduate students who have developed innovative techniques to help students learn are eligible for consideration. The work presented must be your own creation. Candidates may either petition directly for this award or be nominated by Purdue colleagues, students, or alumni.
For purposes of this award, an innovation is defined as something which is new, involving creativity and change, and which has for its purpose helping students learn. It includes any procedure, concept, or format which differs significantly from established or traditional teaching methodologies and which purports to help students learn more effectively.
An innovation in teaching at any level (graduate, undergraduate, extension, continuing education, etc.) will be considered. Please note that the nominee must have used the innovation during a class in the academic year for which the award will be given.
Criteria
The deadline for submitting nominations for the Outstanding Innovation in Helping Students Learn Award is 5 p.m., Monday, January 30, 2023. Please submit your nomination form (below) to the Center for Instructional Excellence at cie@purdue.edu.
Applications may not exceed five pages. Please address the following questions:
- How does the improvement facilitate learning? Describe the pedagogical method and theories driving the innovation as well as the innovation itself.
- How is this work creative and/or innovative? Discuss the novelty and practicality of the current advancement.
- What are the broad impacts? Make sure to discuss the number of students affected as well as the applicability of the method to other domains and universities.
- What is the evidence of student learning? It is extremely important to show evidence of actual student learning. In the past, successful applicants were very detailed in their demonstration of the effects of the intervention.
Nominations
Nominations should be accompanied by a completed cover sheet, which is attached to the nomination form (below), and a statement of no more than five double-spaced single pages.
The statement should describe the innovation, its rationale and objectives, the impact the innovation has had on student learning, and the potential the innovation has for further development and/or application in other disciplines. Other information which the nominee feels is pertinent also may be incorporated; however, the selection committee will not read more than five single pages.
Since the initial screening, at least, will be based on a review of the statement and references, additional materials – tapes, disks, CDs, syllabi, etc. – should not be submitted.
Selection
The recipient(s) of this award will be determined by a selection committee composed of students, faculty, and alumni. The winner(s) will be announced at the Faculty Awards Convocation in April.