A lecturer who won an international award for her innovative and creative approaches to teaching at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has been presented with her prize at a special ceremony.
Dr Natasha Mwila was named as the winner of the 2023 Outstanding Case Teacher competition in February this year.
Vicky Lester, CEO of The Case Centre, joined with Heather McLaughlin, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at DMU, to publicly congratulate Dr Mwila for her honour.
Natasha with Heather (left) and Vicky (right)
But Dr Mwila’s reputation for being dedicated to her students was on full show when the ceremony was also turned into a presentation and prize giving for three of her students who had excelled using the Case method.
Case method teaching involves lecturers from around the globe tapping into a central database of different scenarios, or case studies, that require students to apply their new-found knowledge to solve business problems.
Dr Mwila had tasked her students with analysing and recommending innovative ways of increasing business for Access Rating, a Leicester-based social enterprise created by people with disabilities for people with disabilities.
Founder Mark Esho, a DMU alumni, was at the ceremony to see the students’ presentations.
Second runner-up Tom Drury, who is studying Business Entrepreneurship and Innovation, said: “I feel proud and I’m really inspired. It is great to involve yourself with a real-life business. I have worked with four business now over the last three years.
“There’s not many universities where you get opportunities like that. It’s really valuable.”
Heather, Nina, Tom, Angel, Natasha and (front) Mark Esho
Runner-up Angel Nkwanzi, who is in her final year studying International Business, added: “Throughout my academic years I have never really had belief in myself, so to be recognised in this way is a major thing.
“It’s amazing to have my work valued and to have this support network of all my friends and my programme leader. I feel honoured and proud.”
Winner Nina Campden, who is also in her final year studying International Business following a year’s placement with global tech company SAP, said: “I really was not expecting this. It’s great for my CV but most of all, I love strategy and it has solidified my thinking that this is what I want to do.
“Being able to present my findings to an actual CEO was amazing and great practice for the future.
“Natasha is great. Her lectures are so engaging, she explains everything in detail and if you do not understand something she takes the time to explain it again. She is so dedicated to the students.”
Judges who named Dr Mwila as 2023 Outstanding Case Teacher, said her nomination had stood out because of the way she used film, multimedia and games in her teaching to further motivate and inspire students, while sticking to her principles of decolonising the curriculum and being as inclusive as possible.
Case CEO Vicky said: “The judges’ words are a resounding endorsement of the impact that Natasha is having through her case work and in the classroom, bringing real-world situations into class so students have lessons they will remember for life."
Pro Vice-Chancellor Heather added: "I'm really pleased that The Case Centre has recognised Natasha's amazing work. Natasha has not only adopted the case method herself, but has also been a champion for the case method across the faculty. Her award is also for writing diverse and inclusive cases that feature female protagonists, small businesses and developing world context. This really chimes with the values of DMU."
Dr Mwila said: “This award is very special to me because it represents a journey I have had, firstly as a student through the instruction of very keen case teachers, and then later on in my academic career as someone who has profoundly followed experts in the case method.
“Now I am at a stage where I feel that I'm a competent case teacher and I am having a positive impact on my peers and my students."
Posted on Friday 12 May 2023