Suzanne Lazaroo
26 August 2020: University of Canberra Assistant Professor Dr Sarah Yu has been recognised as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), receiving the globally recognised accolade for leadership, impact and expertise in teaching and learning across the higher education sector.
Dr Yu is with the Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society at the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Business, Government and Law. She says that she is both honoured and happy to be named an HEA Fellow.
“It’s a wonderful recognition of my work, and provides great access to mentorship opportunities and networks with vast depth and breadth of experiences and knowledge, for professional learning and development,” she said. “It just enhances my passion and enthusiasm for teaching excellence.”
After over a decade of teaching, Dr Yu finds this passion is burning brighter than ever.
“I love teaching, and find that it is as much about learning from my students as it is about sharing knowledge with them,” she said.
“The process of applying for the Fellowship provided a valuable opportunity to reflect on my own practice – to think about what I do, and why I do it, to really consider my own teaching philosophy and how I can improve it further.”
Dr Yu’s philosophy places her as an educational facilitator in a student-centred learning scaffolding, helping her students play active roles in their own learning processes.
She also believes in flexibility, versatility and agility in education.
“Students are individuals, each with their own style of learning – some are more visual, others more verbal or auditory in their learning approaches – and so my teaching methods also reflect multiple channels of communication and hands-on activities.
“I believe in a strong work-integrated learning component and assignments that demonstrate clear relevance to my students’ lives.”
Dr Yu says that she is grateful for the University’s support in her application for the HEA Fellowship.
“The HEA advocates for evidence-based teaching methods and recognises commitment to teaching, support for colleagues and enrichment of students’ learning experiences and outcomes,” she said.
“The introduction of the HEA Fellowship demonstrates the university’s ongoing commitment to seek and support global recognition for its academics in practice, impact and leadership.”
