GMIT Business lecturer receives National Teaching Excellence Award

Colm Kelleher, a lecturer in GMIT’s School of Business, has won a National Teaching Excellence Award from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. He was presented with his award at a formal ceremony in Dublin Castle last evening (Thursday 10 December 2015). The National Teaching Experts awards aim to identify expert teachers who are models for excellence in teaching and whose knowledge about learning impact is strong and evidence based.

Colm, who lectures in Human Resource Management and Management Studies, was nominated by his Head of School, Dr Sean Duignan, and endorsed by GMIT President, Dr Fergal Barry.  His application underwent a rigorous assessment process by an international Teaching Experts Panel including a seven minute TED type talk on the topic of ‘Heroic Assessment’ which examined the villainy of meaningless assessment.

The Chair of the Forum, Professor Sarah Moore, wrote that Colm’s submission “differentiated itself through its evidence of the ways in which your work has clearly impacted student learning, and has given rise to strong engagement in professional development by other academics whose focus on teaching and learning, and on innovation and enhancement, you have clearly influenced. The sheer commitment with which you have given rise to such impact has been commended strongly by the panel. Equally, your keen scholarship and interest in gleaning and learning from evidence has been noted as exemplary.”

Commenting on the award, Dr Sean Duignan, Head of School of Business, added: "This is a fantastic achievement, not just for Colm personally but for the Institute also, and serves as a national endorsement of the teaching excellence and expertise that exists in GMIT".

As part of his submission Colm created two teaching exemplars that illustrated some of the approaches he has adopted in his teaching.  The first exemplar details how he designed an assessment that required student groups to create mock recruitment agencies and to complete the recruitment and selection process including conducting shortlisting and interviews.  Student feedback was very positive as the project was more meaningful, gave them more autonomy, and there was lots of opportunities for feedback.  The second exemplar details how he implemented an assessment approach that enabled him to award an individual mark to students for participation in a group project where students self-regulate. 

Colm, originally from Dublin, lives in Ballindereen where he is very active in the Community as a coach and member of the Executive of the Hurling Club. He chaired the group that developed the Astro Turf facilities in the parish and recently was part of a team that represented Ballinderreen in the National Pride of Place Awards.