Dr Anne Goodenough

National Teaching Fellow 2013 Dr Anne Goodenough has a highly applied teaching style. She encourages students to engage with material through real-life projects in both field and laboratory in ways that also facilitate development of transferable skills. She has published over 50 papers in leading journals, which underpin her teaching in modules as diverse as avian biology, conservation ecology and biogeography. Adam Hart, Professor of Science Communication and NTF said: "Ecology combines theory and practical work in a way that is challenging for teacher and learner alike and Anne is easily one of the finest teachers that there is." Anne has developed innovative projects to help students acquire the practical skills necessary to make them immediately employable. These include practical modules based around improving local biodiversity and assessing ecological impact. She also develops applied internship and dissertation opportunities with link organisations to answer real-life questions. Such projects often lead to co-publications with students and change practice for link organisations, a testament to both the academic and practical effectiveness of this approach. One graduate from 2009 said: "Our field project was developed into a published paper, something I had never thought I would achieve in a million years. It was a truly rewarding experience to be able to work in a team alongside my mentor." Anne is passionate about developing novel, high-quality, teaching materials. This has seen her working collaboratively with students in the Savannah grasslands of South Africa to plan, present, and film short videos on field techniques; co-develop an e-learning environment to teach experimental design; and create interactive species profiles to facilitate debate of species conservation priorities. This typifies Anne's approach to teaching; not asking, or expecting, students to learn dry facts but rather to question and debate biological concepts in ways that allow high-level holistic understanding to be developed. A 2012 graduate commented: "Anne is inspirational, enthusiastic and down to earth. Her enthusiasm shines through and she is very motivational, getting students thinking about more involved interactions, as well as ensuring we understand the basics."