Dr Georgina Blakeley, Director of Teaching and Deputy Head of School in FASS at The Open University has been announced as the winner of the prestigious 2019 European Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The award is given by Central European University (CEU) and accompanied by the €5,000 Diener Prize. She is pictured receiving her award at the Budapest ceremony.
As well as having an extensive research background in Spanish politics and issues of citizen participation and urban governance, Dr Blakeley’s teaching has concentrated on producing and then presenting the Level 1 Introduction to Social Sciences foundation module, Introducing the social sciences (DD102).
Chair of the judging panel, Marvin Lazerson praised Dr Blakeley for her brilliance in connecting complex ideas to compelling teaching methods in ways that have global resonance. Through her work she has transformed the student learning experience and provided a roadmap for other courses throughout the university.
“Dr Blakeley has excelled and shown leadership, being both a University leader in the production of outstanding modules and an inspiring teacher who insists on teaching and engaging directly with students. I know of no other colleague who has excelled in these roles in the way that Georgina has,”
Having joined the OU in 2006, Dr Blakeley spent four years as an Associate Lecturer in order to continuously evaluate how students experienced the teaching materials she prepared.
Dr Blakeley said:
“Above all, my experience of teaching OU students taught me never to make assumptions about a student’s prior knowledge and to begin from the student’s starting point.
“I am honoured to receive this prestigious award not just because it is a recognition of my work at the OU but, most importantly, because it is a recognition of the work of the OU in providing educational opportunities to all regardless of background. In that sense, the award belongs to all of my colleagues at the OU and to all of our students. I am especially grateful to the students who nominated me for this award.”
