Teaching / teaching awards

I teach the first year course Foundations of Mineralogy which gives an excellent introduction to various aspects of mineralogy such as crystallography, mineral systems, to mineral identification using a microscope

I also enjoy teaching metamorphic geology and petrology to our second year students as part of the Igneous and Metamorphic petrology course unit.

I also teach selected lectures on the MRes course that cover analytical techniques applied to the identification of rocks including X-Ray Diffraction and Analytical and Transmission Electron Microscopy. Furthermore, transferable skills are taught through learning graphics packages to produce posters and enhance presentation skills.

Our course material is available on CD ROM and is accessible for distance learners as well as face-to-face students. I have been instrumental in driving this distance learning initiative and have been recognised with various teaching awards.

Teaching awards

• 2005. HEFCE eLearning Capital Allocations to HEIs. To develop an Interactive Digital Practical Workbook to support distance learners.
• 2005. Birkbeck Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund. To develop video footage of fieldwork for CD-Rom based virtual learning environment.
• 2004. Birkbeck Award for Innovative Teaching – BAIT award.