Teaching

Awards

• 2004 Keele University Rising Star Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
• 2015 Auckland University CLeaR Fellowship in Teaching and Learning
• on the theme Student engagement and achievement

Teaching strengths

Collaborative teaching:through interactive lectures, student discussion leaders in seminars and student-led graduate classes.

 

 

Applied to employability-relevant teaching: through applied assessment, workplace skills training, guest speakers, an employability course The Practice of Politics, and experiential learning such as attending election debates and campaign launches live.

 

Research led teaching:  utilising quotes from practitioners interviewed and cases studied, guest speakers, students get to conduct their own research/applied analysis, research-driven political marketing textbook and socials between research students in political marketing.

 

Further details

Political Management in Government

Political Marketing

The Practice of Politics

Teaching fellow Global Practice of Politics project

Research supervision

Feedback from students and class representatives

The photo here is a mock of the PM textbook a student did as a thank you card. Comments over the years include:

• ‘probably best course I have taken in three years’; ‘should be a core paper for ALL politics majors.’
• ‘Jennifer’s experience in the field and her wealth of knowledge was a great asset in her teaching.’ (Political Marketing, 2017)
• ‘I really like that she breaks up the lecture, so the 3 hours goes faster than many 2 hour lectures I have – that ultimately means I’m engaged the whole time’ (Practice of Politics, 2017)
• ‘Practical application of the skills we learnt in the course was more beneficial for my learning, than the traditional lecture format. The use of discussions helped me to develop understanding of the applications of the theories to real world practice’ (Political Marketing, 2017)
• ‘Jennifer is not only an outstanding professor in her field but she understands real life work environments which many academics fail to understand. Therefore any advice she gives is well rounded and not only intelligent but practical.’ (Political Marketing, 2017)
• ‘The course is a lot more valuable than other postgraduate politics classes as while it does assess theoretical perspectives (concerning lessons), it makes practical recommendations and carries an application to achieving success in the real world’ (Political Management, 2016)
• ‘The type of assessments used allowed me to develop non-academic writing skills and practise a job application, which is practical for my future’ (Practice of Politics, 2017)

Comments from former students now in work

• ‘Thank-you again for the skills you taught me in the Practice of Politics class, they helped me to get an internship with the Auckland Council last summer in their Licencing and Compliance department. In addition this led to a part time role over my last year of study as a project analyst for the Elections Team at the Auckland Council. I am now off to Wellington at the end of the year to work as a Policy Advisor for MBIE. I hope you continue to run this course, it is incredibly beneficial for any students wanting to one day work in a political position’
• ‘I am currently working as a Policy, Research & Communications Assistant to Hon Nikki Kaye, MP for Auckland Central. (in her electorate office, not Wellington)…I used some of the information specifically from your class in my interview for the position so I have to say that the course was actually valuable in the securing of my position.’
• ‘I was just talking about you to someone the other day. I was saying that of all the courses I took at uni, your postgrad paper was the only one that specifically prepared me for a job.  That whole semester working on projects through the eye of a communications specialist taught me key skills and analytical lenses that I apply in my work today.’

Practitioner comments (CCE/PD course on political marketing)

• ‘Overall was a super course, good tutor, and good materials. Just generally worth doing the course’
• ‘This learning will enable me to embark on a marketing project for the next election with better understanding.’
• ‘While I think the course was most relevant for people working in political roles, I was able in many cases to relate the principles to my own organisation.’

Recent peer review/assessor comments

• ‘The entire course is innovative, enhancing students’ employability in their future careers and workplaces; the course materials and website are outstanding; and the workshop pedagogy is excellent and engaging…A/P Jennifer Lees-Marshment has developed an innovative and important course on the practice of Politics. Her planning and preparation with the course structure, materials, and pedagogy, and her responsiveness to student feedback and participation make her an excellent and effective teacher.’ (The Practice of Politics, 2017).
• ‘This is an excellent paper that combines academic research with a vocational/practicum element. Courses like Pols704 will have an appeal to students who not only want a degree but want to get a job after leaving university!’  (Political Management in Government, 2014)
• ‘This course bridges the curriculum-graduate outcome-graduate employability continuum in a way that many academic courses struggle to achieve.’ (Practice of politics, 2013)
• ‘There was a palpable buzz of anticipation in the room…They jumped to their feet to move into different groups for the group breakouts, they were all carrying with them their preparation materials and their discussions were substantive, professional and highly collaborative. Their feedback was more of the style that I am used to observing at graduate, not undergraduate, level.’ (Practice of politics, 2013)
•  ‘The use of slides, video clips and course notes made the seminar rich, diverse, interesting, and easy to follow….Students were very attentive for the entire seminar… The peer tutors were very articulate and the quality of their answers was extremely high…Theoretical models were constantly applied to contemporary or past political parties and political events’ (Political marketing, 2012)
•  ‘The classroom session that I observed was lively and engaging…Jennifer’s approach to teaching is excellent. She is modelling good practices that could be emulated to good effect by others…To even call the meetings “lectures” is something of a misnomer. These are active learning sessions. They are grounded in solid preparation and appropriate pedagogical considerations… The flexible learning website associated with Politics 231 offers a rich array of material for students. It creates the possibility for students to work their own way through the course, by giving them supporting information and resources that effectively scaffold the learning process.’ (Media opinion and propaganda, 2010)
• ‘An outstanding example of a student-led class…the teaching effectiveness is spectacular’ (Marketing media and citizens, 2010)
• ‘Dr Lees-Marshment’s method of teaching, with her focus on discussion on media footage is particularly innovative. This is a course in which students are strongly encouraged to contribute actively to, and to take responsibility for their own learning in class. But they are also provided with the resources that they need in order to do so.’ (Political marketing, 2009)