Dr Richard Lobb has won the prestigious University of Canterbury Teaching Medal for 2020.
Dr Lobb is being recognised for his outstanding and sustained contribution to teaching at UC. His considerable influence has made a real difference to thousands of students and to computer science education worldwide. He has previously been awarded a UC teaching award and other international computer science accolades.
His student evaluations of his teaching are very strong. He inspires the best possible outcomes for students through his ability to clearly communicate and pass on his enthusiasm for his subject, for which he has over 1,000 enrolments each year. He is an innovative teacher who uses a range of technologies to support his teaching, from regularly updated YouTube support videos which students access as required, to his CodeRunner tool which is used in over 1,460 institutions worldwide.
He moved the final examinations for his degree students online post-earthquake back in 2014, the first member of staff at UC to do so, which has clearly stood him and UC in good stead as COVID-19 forced teaching and assessment to move online, and his good practice guidelines and work with the Exams Office were widely shared.
The UC Teaching Medal is the University’s highest award for teaching excellence and is only awarded from time to time. It will be formally presented to Dr Lobb at a Council celebration in November.
