Ross Anderson

• Co-founder of the Biomechanics Research Unit (BRU) within UL - BRU has an excellent track record in research with €1.14 million of funding, 29 collaborators, 56 Journal Papers, 127 Conference Papers, 1 book, 13 current postgraduate students, 26 graduates at PG level, and 2125 delegate days of conferences.
• Expertise in the area of movement variability in sport; specifically the technology and algorithms underpinning the measurement and application of results to the athlete/patient
• Other areas of research include - biofeedback and its uses in sport, wireless technology and communications in sport and medicine, data-logging in sport, and more generally the application of engineering to sport and medicine

Teaching Philosophy - I recognise that becoming an excellent university educator is a continuing life-long professional challenge and also understand that teaching is both art and science.  To aid my development as an effective educator I have developed an educational ethos based on the following principles

• Formative evaluation
• Presentation of new information to fit differences in learning styles
• Formulation of questions that foster engagement and confidence
• Promotion of mutually beneficial communication by reflective listening
• Fostering of active, constructive participation
• The assignment of formal cooperative tasks
• Offer support to learner actions with well-timed and encouraging positives
• To promote a logical agreement of goals and objectives, flowing to measures of performance, criteria, and grading between faculty and student
• To facilitate mutual awareness of how one learns to learn
• And finally to provide the student with the skills to take the lead and reflect upon their learning  

I feel that having initially developed and regularly referencing this ethos, it assists me in my aim to become an excellent and effective university educator.  Having attended a number of courses offered within UL by the Teaching and Learning Office, I am continually trying to develop novel approaches to the education of our students and further curriculum development.  My educational ability has continued to improve throughout my time here at UL, and I will hopefully continue this trend. 

Feedback on Teaching I have continually sought feedback on my teaching and developed a new version of the PESS module evaluation form in 1999. I have used this constantly throughout the past 10 years (see section 3.1) to enable me to benchmark between different year-groups.  The response rates for this analysis mode are higher than module evaluations I have undertaken via CTL.  As a result I feel that this is a valid method to get feedback from the student cohort to make changes to a course.  The CTL assessments I have undertaken allow me to benchmark across campus but I dont feel this is necessary (or possible given CTL resources) on an annual basis. 

Engagement with CTL Initiatives I have engaged with the centre for Teaching and; learning on all levels to improve my teaching.  I regularly attend the CTL lunchtime sessions and half day seminars and find these useful to try new ideas or reinforce current practice.  I have had my teaching externally assessed though a videotaped lecture when offered as a service by CTL and found the feedback useful and resultantly altered my presentation style.

Engagement with CTL through AD-AA Role as EHS AD-AA I chair the EHS Teaching and; Learning committee.  It was felt imperative that this committee engaged with CTL where possible.  As such we have an ex-offico member from CTL on the committee.  The EHS Tand;L committee engages with CTL initiatives and I support and market these to EHS academic staff.  The student engagement with the CTL module assessment and UL Exit Report has resultantly increased in AY 11-12.