A passion for teaching chemistry has been the fuel for success for Griffith’s Dr Andrew Pearson who has been awarded a Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning from the Australian Government.
Responsible for supporting the learning of 1000 new students each year in the Schools of Medical Science, Allied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine and Pharmacy, Dr Pearson has developed a strong specialist interest in facilitating the early transition and success of all of his students.
“It’s really exciting to be nominated for this award as I really try to inject a lot of fun into what can sometimes be a difficult subject, and make it interactive and enjoyable for the students.”
Dr Pearson designs, delivers and convenes courses, implements innovative co-curricular processes, manages specialist learning environments and provides academic leadership as the First Year Coordinator in the School of Medical Science.
In addition, Dr Pearson has also been recognised for his development and implementation of a suite of curricular and co-curricular strategies designed to improve readiness for learning by identifying and redressing potential barriers to success.
“These strategies have produced measurable positive outcomes for a significant number of first year students studying chemistry and physics in diverse health programs.
“These have included testing students’ assumed knowledge on commencement and subsequently, delivering targeted academic support to at-risk students and providing systematic opportunities for academic recovery for students who fail early assessment tasks.”
The Australian Government’s Office for Learning and Teaching invites will celebrate the presentation of the QLD Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning at a ceremony in Brisbane on Thursday 24 September.