Prizes for pedagogy and study environment

Anders Sundell, Department of Political Science

The motivation for Anders Sundell highlights his successful and innovative work in developing the teaching of quantitative methods and the teaching materials he has produced to support students in addition to the regular teaching. In 2009, Anders Sundell started the blog "SPSS-akuten" where he posted guides, explanatory videos, exercises and answers to questions sent in by students or asked in class. When the department switched its statistical software to Stata, he started a new website called "Statistikhjälpen", with the same kind of material as on SPSS-akuten, covering everything from how to start up the software to how to perform advanced analyses. Students at other universities also use SPSSakuten and Statistikhjälpen, and former students and researchers use the blogs' guides in their professional practice.

Christel Backman and Sara Uhnoo, Department of Sociology and Work Science

Christel Backman and Sara Uhnoo have for several years developed, worked with and disseminated a model for local pedagogical development work based on the everyday pedagogical problems of teaching colleagues. Together, the two have built a pedagogically developing and supportive quality and sharing culture in the teaching team. In addition, they have spread knowledge about, and generously shared, the model with several staff members within the faculty and the university.

The model developed by Christel Backman and Sara Uhnoo has, according to the motivation, led to the department's pedagogical quality work now being based on the everyday pedagogical problems identified by the teachers, on the employees' inner motivation, challenges, desire and interest, which creates a very favourable situation for systematic quality assurance and quality development of teaching. In addition to the work on the pedagogical model, the support provided by Christel Backman and Sara Uhnoo during the pandemic and the transition to distance learning is highlighted, as they developed various forms of support material and acted as a sounding board for their colleagues.

Magnus Lundgren, Department of Political Science.  

"Magnus Lundgren is proposed to be awarded the excellence in teaching prize for his pedagogical efforts to promote students' inner motivation, autonomy and competence - three ingredients that together create a high-quality learning environment. "

Louise Holm, School of Public Administration, and 

"Louise Holm is awarded the excellence in teaching prize for having developed an innovative teaching method that promotes student-centred learning, challenges and awakens the desire for knowledge, and contributes to increased quality in education. "

The teaching team in quantitative method, Sofia Björk, Patrik Vulkan, Erica Nordlander, Caroline Hasselgren and Jesper Prytz, Department of Sociology and Work Science

The motivation states that the teaching team “has through a goal-oriented, structured and student-centered development work promoted the quality of teaching about quantitative methods. The development work has been based on the assumption that there is great variation in the students' pre-understanding of quantitative methods, and in motivation to learn these methods. Another point of departure has been to make quantitative method teaching social science-relevant. (…) The variety of teaching methods has, in a successful way, been adapted and developed in relation to the heterogeneous student group."

Louise Skoog, David Karlsson and Kerstin Bartholdsson, School of Public Administration

"To have developed a formative examination that successfully stimulates student activity and commitment and motivates students to take independent responsibility for their learning. The teaching team has taken on a number of pedagogical challenges related to the course's common thread and content and students' need for broadening when it comes to mastering the production of different types of texts.

The examination form means that the students during the course write their own course literature in the form of a student anthology. The process includes elements of peer review and continuous feedback. Through the work on the examination assignment, the students develop the ability to write pedagogical texts at the same time as they deepen their subject knowledge in the field of administration. "

The teacher team Andréas Litsegård, Maria Stern, Johan Karlsson Schaffer and Linnea Gelot at the School of Global Studies.

From the assessment group's motivation:

"The nominated teacher team is rewarded for, in the course Introduction to International Relations, for a number of years having systematically developed, and with great success, a clear educational idea based on scientific ground.

Through the collaboration with the Unit for Academic Languages (ASK), the teacher team has in its teaching in international relations integrated academic writing training through peer review. The teacher team works on the basis of a clear student-centered approach that stimulates the activity and motivation of the students. The students' writing ability develops gradually during the course, and while simultaneously training the students in giving and constructive feedback, their ability to develop critical and scientific thinking enhances."

Lenka Rovna, at Charles University in Prague, together with Jonathan Polk and Jan Rovny at the Department of Political Science.

From the assessment group's motivation: 

"... the teacher team is rewarded for a successful innovative pedagogical idea, developed through several years, that gives students the opportunity to put their academic knowledge in practical use in a voluntary project outside of formal teaching. The teacher team’s work on the project called Rebuilding Europe is collaborative and transnational.

The project helps to create a sense of reality of what the students learn theoretically in the Europe Programme and through clear student-driven learning activities student involvement in the education is stimulated. "

Tone Försund, Stina Larsson and Anneline Sander at the Department of Sociology and Work Science.

From the assessment group's motivation: 

 “...the team of teachers has with great commitment developed a drama pedagogical method in a breadth of courses both within and outside the department (...) Their work contributes in particular to shaping profession-related problematics and in an innovative fashion developing students’ understanding of how theory and practice are related to each other.”

Caroline Fällgren and Maria Lilleste,  Department of Political Science

Caroline Fällgren and Maria Lilleste receive the Study Environment Award for their organisational and social efforts to create a safe and clear structure, and for their continuous work to support and guide students in the often confusing academic environment.

Adam Shehata and Magnus Fredriksson,  Department of Journalism, Media and Communication.

Adam Shehata and Magnus Fredriksson receive the study environment prize for their work on developing the pedagogical environment for doctoral students - something they have achieved by creating social meeting places, promoting alternative forms of feedback, breaking isolation and creating safe forms for familiarisation with the role of researcher. 

Brännpunkt Europa

For the first time, the faculty awards a prize to encourage and reward work in promoting a good study environment. This very first prize goes to the student organization Brännpunkt Europa, which, according to the evaluation group, has “succeeded in engaging highly topical and profiled speakers in important subjects. The lectures are combined with mingling and food and become a meeting place for students as well as teachers and researchers. Brännpunkt Europa is a student-driven organization that, with a high-quality program, contributes to a stimulating study environment and an increased interest in European issues.”

The prize money of SEK 50,000 for each prize goes to the department where the prize winners operates, to be used for the prize winners' development.