"We hope that the award will help to further strengthen the pedagogy at the school by creating awareness around great pedagogical achievements, says Pär Åhlström, Vice President Degree Programs. The program directors are asked to nominate one person they feel have made a great impact in their program. The selection is then done by the Vice President Degree Programs, using course evaluation data and consulting with the head of pedagogical support." 

Pernilla Bolander

The motivation:

Pernilla Bolander led the strong turnaround of the research project course for the MSc International Business, to fully meet thesis level academic standards. The turnaround includes the integration of technology to facilitate final presentations and reflection webinars, adapting to the tight internship schedule faced by the diverse student body. The course also provides very individualized and personalized feedback sessions for students.

What does the award mean to you?

I am honored and happy to receive this award. I also feel inspired to continue to invest time and energy into teaching and the development of courses.

What lies in the heart of your methods? Do you have any tips for other teachers?
There are two ideas that are central to my teaching. The first is that experience is a great teacher. I try to incorporate in my courses different ways of allowing students to build on their previous experience and, also, to build new experience, when possible in situations that are close to the “real-world” conditions in which they later will work.

The second idea has to do with being learner-centered in what you as a teacher do. One example could be building the course so that it is intuitive to students and grabs their attention, rather than building it based on how the discipline is organized. Another could be incorporating interaction and group work with teachers as facilitators.

Riccardo Sabbatucci

The motivation:

Riccardo Sabbatucci completely redesigned the econometrics and tools courses taught to first year MSc Finance students. The courses cater for students with various background knowledge, adding very valuable flexibility to the program. The redesign was a great success and course evaluations were exceptionally strong for first-time courses.

What does the award mean to you?
It means that the effort put in setting up a new course and organizing the teaching in a coherent, structured way has been appreciated and recognized by the students. I am honored and happy to find out that the students had a great learning experience.

What significance has the award for the teaching practices at SSE?
It gives you an incentive to perform well. The students are the best judges of your teaching performance, and it is important we take their comments and suggestions into account to improve the course year after year.

What is your secret method?
Making sure the students “digest” the content of each class before moving on to the next topic – sometimes the pace of the course can be too fast and you better realize this immediately