Prelock Online Teaching Award
Prelock Online Teaching Award
Nominations for the 2025 award are now open
Purpose of Award
The award recognizes superior online synchronous and asynchronous teaching, provides models of excellence for fellow faculty, and encourages all faculty to continue to improve and advance their online teaching pedagogy. It is named in honor of Provost Patricia Prelock, an early adopter of online teaching at UVM.
The award recipients will receive a framed certificate, a letter outlining their accomplishments to aid in their professional development, and a taxable cash award of $1000.
The awardees may be asked to assume a leadership role in promoting online instruction at UVM and serve on the award selection committee.
Categories
- Award for Excellence in Synchronous Remote Teaching: for courses (credit or non-credit) that require meeting synchronously on a regularly scheduled (not ad hoc) basis at which all students are expected to attend.
- Award for Excellence in Asynchronous Online Teaching: for courses (credit or non-credit) that do not have any scheduled meeting times—all work and interaction can be done on the students’ own schedule.
Eligibility
All faculty, credit or non-credit, who have taught a fully-online course either synchronously or asynchronously in Brightspace.
Nomination
Nominations for the award may be made by
- Students who have taken the course
- Faculty members
- Department heads or staff who have access or experience with course materials. Nominators may request course access from the instructor.
- Self-nominations are also accepted.
Award Criteria
Nominations will be scored by the committee according to the rubric below:
| Technique | 4: strong evidence | 3: some evidence | 2: minimal evidence | 1: no evidence |
| Course design, organization, and expectations | Nominator shared a personal example that was connected to the design of the course and had a significant impact on the learner | Nominator shared a personal example that was connected to the design of the course and had minimal impact on the learner | Example given but impact on the learner was not connected to the design of the course | Nominator did not give a specific example |
| Imaginative Approach | Nominator described a significant impact on their curiosity or made a connection with their personal goals | Nominator described a minimal impact on their curiosity or made a connection with their personal goals | Example given but impact on the learner was not connected to a specific technique chosen by the instructor | Nominator did not give a specific example |
| Inclusive and Diverse: | Nominator described a significant personal benefit due to the instructor’s use of inclusive practices | Example was connected to an inclusive practice and nominator minimally described impact on their learning. | Example of an inclusive practice was given but personal connection was not clear | Nominator did not give a specific example |
| Creating Community: | Nominator described significant impact on their learning resulting from their connection to other students that was attributable to techniques used by the instructor. | Nominator described minimal impact on their learning from their connection to other students—not necessarily connected to techniques used by the instructor. | Example of community given but impact on the learner was not connected to the community aspect of the online course | Nominator did not give a specific example |
Selection Timeline
- June 1, 2024: Call for nominations opens.
- September 15, 2024: Nominations due.
- Initial review is based on the strength of the nomination.
- Final review is based upon a brief presentation to the committee from the nominee.
- December 2024: Award winners announced.
For more information
Contact the PACE Online Learning Team at distance@uvm.edu
Past Winners
2024:
Asynchronous Category: Langdon Lawrence for his course “Climate Change Emergencies” (PH 6310)
Synchronous Category: Justin Garwood for his course “Behavior Management” (EDSP 2170)
2023:
Asynchronous Category: Arby Ghemari for his course “Language Policy Issues, Race & School (ECLD 056)”
Synchronous Category: Lizzy Pope for her course “Fundamentals of Nutrition (NFS 43)”
2022:
Asynchronous Category: Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie for her course “Global Disability Studies (EDSP 200)”
Synchronous Category: Marie Vea for her course “Ways of Knowing (NR 395)”
Media acknowledgement:
- UVM award recognizes online educators (WCAX.com)
- Marie Vea and Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie (UVM PACE blog)
2021:
Susan Whitman for her course “Intro to Integrative Health (HLTH 101)”
Media acknowledgement:
- 6 Tips For Asynchronous Teaching From An Award-Winning Educator (Tech & Learning)
- UVM Lecturer Susan Whitman receives online teaching award (Vermont Business Magazine)