Ms Ruth Dineen

National Teaching Fellow 2011 Ruth Dineen is a passionate believer in the transformative power of education and considers teaching the best job in the world. She has extensive experience in higher education, primarily enthusing about the joys of typography with undergraduate and masters' students, and also running creative problem-solving workshops for PhD students from humanities and science backgrounds. Ruth has had a prominent role in enhancing learning and teaching within and beyond the institution. She initiated the Welsh Institute for Research in Art & Design (WIRAD) Creative Pedagogies Research Group and has delivered numerous lectures and workshops on creative teaching methods to colleagues in the UK and China. She produced a comprehensive report on the delivery of a quality education for Mainyang College in Sichuan Province, and worked in a similar capacity with Sichuan Fine Arts Institute for many years. Ruth is particularly committed to raising the profile of learning and teaching through acknowledging and valuing the experiential knowledge of academic and technical staff, ensuring that the voices of ordinary lecturers are heard. Initiatives have included: an action research project to define an ideal pedagogic model for the development of student creativity and the related attributes of motivation, confidence, enthusiasm and independence; a related and highly successful project which tested the capacity of the model in the conformist culture of China; an international conference, 'Creativity or Conformity: building cultures of creativity in higher education', sponsored by HEA; an international exhibition and seminar series on Creativity in Education sponsored by the British Council, the Welsh Assembly Government, and the Chongqing Government, China; a proposal/strategic vision for a Welsh Centre for Creative Pedagogy, and an HEA Gwella-funded action research project on assessment and motivation. Last year she was awarded the University of Wales Teaching Fellowship in recognition of her achievements. Ruth's current interest is in co-production and wellbeing. She is about to undertake a cross-sector research project into co-production methods and strategies, working with Spice and the  New Economics Foundation who are leading exponents in this field. Ruth currently works with UWIC's Learning and Teaching Unit, and was previously the Head of Department of Creative Communications in the School of Art and Design.