Dr Stefan Rossbach, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the School of Politics and International Relations (POLIR), has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship (NTF) for his outstanding impact on student outcomes and the teaching profession in higher education.<\/p>\n
In particular, his\u00a0NTF\u00a0<\/a>recognises the ways in which he has\u00a0enhanced transformative learning<\/strong>\u00a0through his teaching on\u00a0why and how individuals and groups offer resistance and face the consequences<\/strong>. These include the creation of an undergraduate\u00a0module\u00a0<\/a>which uses political biography, leadership theories and other tools to critically investigate how three individuals (Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi<\/strong>) became global political icons. As predicted, many students used the seminar discussions to share their own experiences of moral choices, thus allowing for\u00a0experiential and authentic learning<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Realising that there is much to be learned about politics by looking through the eyes of those who resist, and having been encouraged by the success of his undergraduate module, Dr Rossbach next helped create the\u00a0MA in Political Theory and Practices of Resistance<\/strong><\/em>, which has been\u00a0described by students as \u2018life changing\u2019, \u2018inspiring\u2019 and having a \u2018lasting effect\u2019<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A core module of the MA, which ran from 2011 to 2017, requires students to\u00a0perform\/enact a \u201cpractice of resistance\u201d and analyse the experience<\/strong>. As almost every class member shared personal concerns and political views, a strong sense of community emerged which helped students overcome fears and anxieties as they\u00a0moved out of their comfort zones and engaged in something they \u2018had never done before\u2019<\/strong>. Many of their projects were personal, with some acquiring significance even outside the module e.g.\u00a0Hollie Mackenzie\u2019s sculpture \u2018Breakthrough\u2019 winning the Signature Art Prize: People\u2019s Choice Award 2014<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Both of these programmes contributed to a popular\u00a0University-funded MOOC<\/strong>(massive online open course) on\u00a0\u2018Politics, Art and Resistance\u2019\u00a0<\/a>and eventually led to new collaborations with important institutions outside higher education e.g.\u00a0Tate Modern<\/strong>. The collaboration with the Tate resulted in Kent becoming a Founding Associate Partner of the\u00a0TATE Exchange<\/a>\u00a0initiative, providing\u00a0POLIR\u00a0<\/a>students with the\u00a0opportunity to create a resistance-themed exhibition for one week each year<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The NTF also recognises the ways Dr Rossbach has helped transform the student learning experience through\u00a0outstanding and sustained contributions to curricular and extra-curricular provision<\/strong>. These include the development of a\u00a0\u2018Teaching Institute\u2019<\/strong>\u00a0to support research students working as Graduate Teaching Assistants, and\u00a0POLITICS+<\/strong>, which has raised the profile of the School\u2019s learning opportunities beyond the formal curriculum. In its first two years, almost 50% of UG students participated in the POLITICS+ scheme.<\/p>\n