Andrew Peters accepts his award from chairman of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Board By Helena Adeloju
HEALESVILLE academic Andrew Peters recently received a prestigious Australian Learning and Teaching Council individual citation for excellence in teaching.
The Lecturer in Indigenous Studies and Tourism at Swinburne’s Lilydale Campus, Mr Peters was one of more than 200 academics across Australia recognised for their outstanding contribution to student learning.
Mr Peters received his citation for his outstanding contribution to indigenous education through his emphasis on the value of indigenous culture to Australia in general, and to education in particular.
More than 50 of Victoria and Tasmania’s best and brightest academics received their citations at a ceremony held at Federation Square early this month.
Mr Peters said it was good to be recognised for what he did.
“It gives me a lot of pride to be able to teach in my local area … the local community has played a big part in what I do,” Mr Peters said.
“The most satisfying thing is that a prestigious national organisation has recognised that the contribution that a small campus in the outer regions of Melbourne is making to indigenous studies is an important one.”
Mr Peters said that while indigenous studies were quite limited when he attended university, he had developed the undergraduate indigenous studies curricula with strong support from Swinburne University.
Mr Peters said he used Wurundjeri as the model for students learning about local indigenous cultures at Swinburne.
“Teaching indigenous studies in Australia is quite broad, so I try to help the students to understand that there are in fact many unique local tribal communities that contribute to what is collectively known as Aboriginal culture,” Mr Peters said.
More than $2 million was awarded to citation recipients, with each awardee receiving $10,000 to be spent within their faculty.
Eight staff members at Swinburne University received citations for teaching excellence.
