Experiences Relating To The Teaching Award: Good Teaching Combines Scholarship, Creativity And Personal Development (#136 Diane Shooman)

In this episode of the podcast, host Bella Kitzwögerer speaks with Diane Shooman (Lecturer in the Social Skills and Communications Competence Center) about Shooman’s teaching philosophy, which links science, creativity, writing, perception, and personal development. She explains why original thinking starts with careful observation, how screens and AI can narrow expressive range, and why students benefit from spaces that value individuality, iteration, and reflective practice. The conversation also touches on the relationship between science and art, the role of rewriting, and concrete ways students can develop a clearer voice and more structured reasoning.

Shooman also talks about the Teaching Award at UAS Technikum Wien, an institutional recognition judged by an interdisciplinary jury and organized by the Teaching and Learning Center (TLC), with categories such as Best Lecturer that is based on student nominations. In the Best Lecturer category, lecturers are recognized for effectively supporting student learning through varied methods, clear and well-founded materials, constructive feedback, and a positive learning atmosphere.

In that context, she reflects on receiving the Best Lecturer distinction and discusses what she tries to implement in her classes—peer learning, personalized guidance, and iterative feedback—offering a grounded look at what worked, what she’s refining, and how student input continues to shape her teaching. An episode about curiosity, perception, and the practical craft of helping students think for themselves.

Produced by: The Voice Agency

Further Information:

Social Skills and Communications Competence Center

Teaching Award an der FH Technikum Wien

Teaching in the Spotlight: Teaching Award 2025 at UAS Technikum Wien

Teaching Award 2024 at UAS Technikum Wien: Excellent Teachers and Innovative Master’s Theses

Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) – UAS Technikum Wien

Department Entrepreneurship & Communications – UAS Technikum Wien