Jason Malone receives 2022 Teaching Scholar Award for Large Class Teaching
Jason Malone, associate professor of practice in the Pamplin College of Business’ Department of Finance, Insurance, and Business Law, has earned the 2022 Teaching Scholar Award for Large Class Teaching from Virginia Tech’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
The award is designed to recognize faculty members who have a longstanding record of teaching excellence in large-enrollment courses of 100 or more students per section.
“I am honored to be recognized as this year’s recipient and appreciative of the opportunity to work with so many talented students and colleagues,” said Malone. “I look forward to building upon this success in order to make an even more meaningful impact as an educator and mentor.”
Since arriving at Virginia Tech in 2009, Malone, who is a licensed attorney focused on law and business, has taught over 10,000 students and was awarded both the Pamplin College of Business and the Virginia Tech Certificate for Teaching Excellence in 2017. Over the past five years, he has taught 27 classes with 100 or more students, where he met or exceeded his department’s average for teaching effectiveness over 92 percent of the time and the college’s teaching effectiveness average over 96 percent of the time.
“I take a pragmatic approach to all of the courses I teach,” said Malone. “This does not mean I abandon theory, but instead, I introduce the law as it would be encountered in practice. This allows me to teach through real-world scenarios and utilize scaffolding to support students in utilizing ever higher ordered thinking.” Malone said this method encourages learners to not just memorize definitions, but also be able to apply, evaluate, and even come up with more effective ways to solve problems.
Malone said he strives to foster a relaxed and inclusive environment inside and outside the classroom in a variety of ways, such as offering evening and weekend office hours, starting each class with a joke, attending varsity and club sports in which students are participating, and not lecturing from a stage. “I encourage participation by incorporating students into the examples and scenarios that make up most of each class session,” said Malone. “I also encourage students to ask ‘what if’ and make time to accommodate where such questions lead.”
“Professor Malone is probably the best professor at Virginia Tech,” said one of Malone’s students through an end-of-course Student Perceptions of Teaching survey. “He cares about his students and takes the time to explain everything clearly and answer all questions so everyone in the class is on the same page. He also creates fun examples that engages the students and is overall a really fun professor.”
“Jason does a great job effectively engaging students in his large classes,” said Vijay Singal, department head for finance, insurance, and business law and the J. Gray Ferguson Professor of Finance. “His approach and demeanor in the classroom foster a collegial learning environment. He has proven adept at using technology to increase engagement and availability. He also consciously makes himself available to students outside the classroom at times most convenient for students.”
The Teaching Scholar Award for Large Class Teaching is given to one faculty member every three years. Recipients receive a $500 award, up to $2,000 to cover travel and/or registration at one conference to present their large class teaching work, a plaque, and recognition at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s annual recognition reception.
To be eligible for the award, nominees must be a full-time or part-time faculty member, have teaching as one of their primary responsibilities, and have a record of teaching at least one class section of 100 or more students each academic year for at least the past five years.
For more information on the Teaching Scholar Award for Large Class Teaching and the nomination process, visit the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning website.
