Top teacher knows his class
by Michèle Nardelli
It
may have been a delightful surprise for Associate Professor Mahfuz
Aziz when he was named the Prime Minister's University Teacher of
the Year for 2009 in Canberra at the end of November, but it would
have been no shock to his students.
Lecturer in engineering, Dr Aziz is well known among
engineering students at UniSA as someone who really cares about
them.
Third-year Bachelor of Engineering: Computer Systems
student, Simon Kupke says what is clear about Dr Aziz is his
personal commitment to his students.
"Dr Aziz is our lecturer but it is nothing for him to pop
into our tutorials and practical sessions just to see how we are
going and make sure we have a full understanding of what we are
learning," Kupke says.
"He also is careful to make the relevance of what we are
learning a key part of how he teaches, so he'll share his industry
experience of the working applications of the theory.
"Everything we study with him is made relevant because he
shows us why things are applied in certain ways. He also gives us
extra exercises that support our chances of getting good jobs when
we graduate. You always know he cares about how you are doing."
The premier university teaching award follows Dr Azis'
earlier recognition in the Australian Teaching and Learning
Council's Awards for Teaching Excellence the field of physical
sciences.
The $50,000 award recognises an academic with an
exceptional record of advancing student learning, educational
leadership and scholarly contribution to teaching and learning.
Prof Aziz leads first year engineering programs across
UniSA's Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the
Environment.
His approach to teaching is deeply rooted in his belief
that "one size fits all" never applies to people in a learning
environment.
"I have to know my students – both their academic and their
cultural backgrounds if I am to give them the best learning
opportunities," Dr Aziz says.
"Increasingly, diversity is the hallmark of student
populations – they are a mix of mature age and school leavers; local
and international students; and those who have come to university
via TAFE. It is vital to understand how both their educational and
cultural experiences impact on how they learn.
"Interacting with students therefore is vital. You have to
do more than just deliver lectures – you need to see how they are
coping across the spectrum of their learning engagement – in tutes,
practicals and all their other activities."
Dr Aziz says the award is a great honour but in no small
part reflects UniSA's investment over the past three years in
reinvigorating approaches to teaching.
"I'm grateful to be working for a university that is committed to delivering real excellence in teaching.
"The changes
made in engineering – such as a common first year, a new specially
designed experiential learning space and systems to identify
students who are struggling – help to prepare our students to
succeed and our graduates to work in multidisciplinary teams.
"At a School level, I am also very grateful for the support
and collaboration of my colleagues."
The Prime Minister's Teacher of the Year Award acknowledges
Dr Aziz's sustained contributions in teaching and learning, locally
and internationally over the past 20 years.
Moving from Bangladesh to Australia in 1999, Dr Aziz has
used his experience of teaching in a new context to create programs
that help students adapt to the new social and educational
environment that university provides.
UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor Peter Høj said the entire
university community is very proud of Dr Aziz's achievement.
"Mahfuz is a wonderful example of what it takes to be an
excellent university teacher – he is dedicated to his students and
has a real passion to ensure that they have a quality educational
experience at university – one that is relevant, informed by the
latest research and delivered with genuine enthusiasm and care,"
Prof Høj said.
"We have made a significant investment at UniSA in reshaping the student learning environment so that all students can benefit from the elements of good teaching that Mahfuz so clearly has brought to his students. This approach is invaluable because it helps us deliver the best graduates for the workforce."