UWI recognises excellence in teaching with distinguished award ceremony

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Jamaica Observer

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The University of the West Indies (UWI) last Thursday recognised outstanding educators during an award ceremony hosted by the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) in association with the Office of the Deputy Principal.Among the 37 lecturers honoured was Ethnie Miller Simpson, who received the UWI Distinguished Teaching Award 2023–2025 for exceptional performance in teaching.Miller Simpson accepted the award with humility as she reflected on remarks delivered by keynote speaker Senior Instructional Designer at the University of Central Florida, Dr Rohan Jowallah.She said one of the concepts that resonated strongly with her was “the productive struggle of learning”, which she described as an accurate reflection of the journey students undertake in earning their degrees while lecturers continuously adapt their teaching methods and content to remain relevant and engaging.According to Miller Simpson, educators must constantly refine their approaches to ensure lessons are transferable to real-world challenges while also anticipating changes within Jamaica, the Caribbean and the wider global landscape.She also pointed to the growing importance of addressing “Assessment, Equity and AI: Governance in Caribbean Education”, noting that one of the key challenges facing education in 2026 and beyond will be the meaningful integration of artificial intelligence into classrooms.Miller Simpson stressed that learning must go beyond “an easy cut-and-paste experience” for both students and teachers, adding that lecturers are under increasing pressure to foster creativity and practical understanding that extend beyond examination performance into the workplace and wider society.She further raised the question of whether the Caribbean should move towards developing and owning its own artificial intelligence systems to help shape the region’s future.The recognition of educators such as Miller Simpson comes as the University of the West Indies continues to maintain its standing among the top 3.6 per cent of universities globally.