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Tamara O鈥橠oherty, a senior lecturer in the School of Criminology, is the recipient of the 2025 Excellence in Teaching Award in the Online and Blended environment category.

This award recognizes instructors who have taught courses in the online or blended format, and that inspire and facilitate student learning in ways that make a sustained, substantial and positive influence on how students think, engage and act in the world.

A passionate educator with over 20 years of teaching experience, O鈥橠oherty describes this award as 鈥渁 motivating and gratifying confidence booster鈥�. She reflects on how changes in post-secondary education and the world since COVID-19 have been occurring at a vertiginous speed, demanding instructors to adjust to students鈥� dynamic needs.

鈥淢any of us are continually adapting to changing technology, reflecting on our pedagogical choices, and constantly trying new tools in our teaching practices,鈥� she says. 鈥淩eceiving this award reminds me that the work I have done to create new tools and to continually refine my teaching practice to meet the evolving needs of students is valuable and necessary.鈥�

A pioneer in online teaching within the School of Criminology, O鈥橠oherty highlights that while online learning was a necessity during the pandemic, it has since become鈥攁longside blended courses鈥攁n important part of the academic landscape that enhances accessibility and enables students to choose course formats that best meet their changing needs. She has taught more than 20 online or blended courses, more than any other faculty member in the School.

Throughout her teaching career, O鈥橠oherty has completed numerous teaching-focused workshops and professional development programs. She鈥檚 been involved in projects to explore students鈥� learning experiences and innovative teaching practices, including harm reduction in teaching sensitive topics, decolonizing pedagogies, and advancing Indigenous student experiences in post-secondary education. This, along with her commitment to finding creative and engaging ways to share knowledge, has been noticed by students and colleagues alike.

鈥淭amara is an engaging teacher, even in an online course. She clearly cares about students' learning, their well-being, and is very accommodating, says criminology student Roxana Karim, a former student of O鈥橠oherty. 鈥淚've taken a handful of online courses, and Tamara's were far and away the best. She takes a lot of care in creating them and updating them with relevant changes semester over semester. Her dedication to teaching and making online courses engaging makes her worthy of this award.鈥�

Reflecting on how her teaching practice has evolved in the last two decades, O鈥橠oherty describes a shift toward more intentional course structure, carefully planned materials to ensure a diversity of authorship and perspective where possible. She feels that today, faculty have so much freedom to be creative in their assessments and course structures.

Whether delivering courses online, in-person or in a blended environment, O鈥橠oherty鈥檚 teaching approach is student-centred, fostering dignity and equity. She aims not only to deepen students鈥� knowledge but also to create a supportive learning environment where students feel encouraged, capable, and motivated to succeed.

鈥淚 hope my classes let them see things in a new light, or that they walk away feeling more confident about certain skills or increased understanding of law and the implications of policy choices, like criminalization, she says. 鈥淏ut I also really hope that they have a positive learning experience and feel that I truly want them to succeed.鈥�

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