Our very own Dr Frédérique Bracoud, Lecturer at the UQ School of economics, was recently awarded one of only 4 UQ wide Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.
Her efforts were celebrated at Brisbane’s Customs House, when UQ Provost Professor Aidan Byrne presented the 2016 Awards for Excellence in Teaching and Learning on 31st October 2016.
Dr Bracoud was awarded for encouraging students studying economics, arts and business to acquire proficiency in finance through “original learning resources and activities, which foster engagement and accommodate diversity.”
For ECON3210 Financial Markets and Institutions, Frédérique designed the course content with original resources and activities to really capture the interest of students from all disciplines, accommodating their diverse skills and raising them to proficiency in finance.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said the university had long recognised the value of excellent teachers.
“As we evolve the learning experience through the Student Strategy, it is vital that we spotlight and showcase the exceptional and transformational teaching going on, often under the radar,” he said.
“These are the people who are not only creating change in their field, but they are equipping graduates to be game-changers too by ensuring the learning environment is relevant and flexible and offers dynamic connections and partnerships that are so vital in today’s global workforce.”
UQ Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Joanne Wright said the award recipients had developed high-quality teaching practices and created inspirational learning environments for students.
“This is just one example of how our teachers are going above and beyond to transfer knowledge leadership to tomorrow’s graduates.”
One such student praised Dr Bracoud’s course, “I am left wishing that all of my courses at UQ were nearly as enjoyable as this one! I never thought I'd be interested in finance but she really made it engaging for me.”
Another student commented about Frédérique, ‘‘I met you and finance, both of them kind of changed my life!”
Dr Bracoud is now working to complete her textbook. She is also increasingly engaged in assisting colleagues to improve the finance content of their courses, particularly in Macroeconomics. She has reviewed and made recommendations on money and banking chapters for two other textbooks and has presented her findings to the Australasian Teaching Economics Conference (ATEC) in Melbourne earlier this year.
