The Teaching Award 2020
How do you convert experimental work in the laboratory into exciting virtual teaching during a lock down? According to Alexander Treusch and his teaching assistants, you make an extra effort and pack a large stack of ‘Lab@Home kits’ for your students. Even if it costs you extra hours and a lot of extra work.
Alexander Treusch is an associate professor at the Department of Biology and was both delighted and surprised when Dean Marianne Holmer and Head of Department Gary Banta appeared unannounced at his office and handed him the Teaching Award 2020.
As the physical attendance was suspended due to COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, Alexander and his team arranged for students to pick up pre-packed laboratory consumables in front of the goods delivery entrance. The students conducted the experiments at home and documented and reported the results by taking pictures and writing updates in personal blogs on Blackboard. Alexander gave feedback and guided them, also making sure that the returned samples were examined microscopically in order for the students to be able to see the results of their experiments so they could continue their studies from home.
– You are very serious about the concept of "activating teaching" and make great efforts to get the students involved in teaching situations; both in the laboratory and during lectures, Marianne Holmer declared at the surprise presentation.
– I'm very happy. But really, I'm just doing what I wish my teacher would do if I was a student at this point, Alexander Treusch explained, stressing that he could not have done it without the help of laboratory technicians and teaching assistants.
Apart from receiving the Teaching Award at the Faculty of Science, Alexander Treusch has also been recommended for the SDU Teaching Award, which will be handed out at the Annual University Celebration.
Congratulations!