Professor Vicki Tariq

National Teaching Fellow 2003 Institution at the time of award: Queen's University, Belfast Vicki Tariq is currently Professor of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education, in the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of Central Lancashire. She received her individual NTF award in 2003, whilst a Senior Lecturer in Biology in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at Queens University Belfast, teaching her specialisation of mycology (fungi) and leading various initiatives promoting good practice in learning and teaching. She encouraged greater student motivation and achievement through increasing student participation in all stages of their learning experience, from curriculum design through the development of active learning processes to assessment and evaluation strategies. Vicki used her NTF award to collaborate with the Educational Broadcasting Services (EBS) Trust in developing Biomathtutor, an innovative multimedia e-learning resource aimed at supporting post-16 mathematics learning in the life sciences (2003-2006). She also developed the Fungi Online website (www.fungionline.org.uk/), sponsored by the British Mycological Society, through its Small Grant Scheme. In 2006, Vicki was awarded one of the Higher Education Academy's e-learning research grants to investigate the effects of blending multimedia e-learning resources with traditional teaching methods to support mathematics learning within the life sciences (2006-2007). Vicki is currently Project Director of the Every Student Counts: Promoting Numeracy and Enhancing Employability 3-year project, funded under the Academy's NTFS Project Strand in 2007. The focus of the project is undergraduates' mathematical literacy skills, in the context of their curricula and their future graduate employability. Further details of the project may be obtained by visiting the project website at: www.uclan.ac.uk/information/services/ldu/research/every_student_counts.phpVicki possesses an extensive publication record in teaching and learning in higher education, including the fields of mathematics learning, key skills, assessment, e-learning, and project- and work-based learning. Recent publications include: Tariq, V. N. (2008) Defining the problem: mathematical errors and misconceptions exhibited by first-year bioscience undergraduates. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 39(7), 889-904.Tariq, V. N. & Jackson, V. (2008) Biomathtutor: evaluation of a new multimedia e-learning resource to support mathematics in the biosciences. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology 39(8), 1003-1021.