Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington

“I love learning and teaching, so I want to facilitate the best learning context that I can, and to develop the knowledge and skills that help me”.

Marc has captured the “magic of learning” to inspire students to achieve. Over his 14 years of teaching, Marc’s approach has evolved from trial and error, to the development of a personal teaching style and philosophy, to teaching based on the scholarship of pedagogy.

Most of Marc’s undergraduate teaching occurs in the largest paper in the School (over 800 students), which also is one of the foundation courses required for continuing study in psychology. Despite the size, nature and (for many) the complexity of the subject, Marc has developed a framework for course design and delivery that overcomes these potential barriers.

Displaying strong leadership both within and beyond the university, Marc has had an integral involvement with Victoria University’s Te Ropu Awhina support programme for Māori and Pacific Nations students in the Faculty of Science. He is regularly involved in school visits, on-campus visits presents/teaches at the invitation of outside organisations. Marc’s summary is that learning should be “challenging but enjoyable, not taken-for-granted but intriguing and fresh, sometimes unexpected but always intellectually satisfying”.