"Jan succeeds in putting his teaching in a larger context through connections to the industry and current research, and he also makes his students feel heard." That's part of the motivation as Jan Grahn, Professor at the Terahertz and Millimeter Wave Laboratory at MC2, receives the students' pedagogical prize “Guldäpplet” (the Golden Apple) for teaching the course "Electrical Circuits and Systems", part of Engineering Physics programme at Chalmers.
The pedagogial prize “Guldäpplet” is awarded annually to a lecturer who has made a special contribution to education within the Engineering Physics and/or Engineering Mathematics programmes at Chalmers. The prize consists of a symbolic golden apple, a diploma from the programme managers for Engineering Physics, Engineering Mathematics and the Chairman of the Physics Board of Studies and a sum of SEK 12,000 to develop the recipient's teaching.
Jan Grahn receives this year's “Guldäpple” for his course Electrical Circuits and Systems (ESS117) in year 2 in the Engineering Physics programme at Chalmers - MC2's largest course in the undergraduate education with 100 technologists and 7.5 higher education credits.
Hi Jan, and congratulations! How does this feel?
“I feel incredibly honored to be nominated and to receive a pedagogical award from my students. After a twenty-year absence from teaching at undergraduate level, I got the chance to return to the lecture hall, and it’s very rewarding being able to share my knowledge and experience in basic analog electronics. And hopefully we will see some of these undergraduates appear as PhD students at MC2,” says Jan Grahn.
What do you think are the success factors that make the students appreciate your way of teaching?
“I think it's about showing the joy in sharing one's knowledge and insights in a technical field, in this case electronics, which is fundamentally based on physics and science. And it’s about listening to your students to see if and how they perceive the message you’re trying to get across. I very much enjoy being a teacher and I believe that those who attend my lectures do so because I can convey something that books or online courses can not.”
How will you celebrate this fine award?
“I have already celebrated by skiing my tenth Vasalopp!”
The motivation in its whole reads:
"Jan has been a highly respected lecturer in the Electrical Circuits and Systems course since he took it over four years ago. In the course you learn a lot about how diodes, operational amplifiers, and transistors work, but Jan also succeeds to put his teaching in a larger context through connections to industry and current research. He has also made his students feel heard. This by listening to their suggestions and actively improving his own course and also to make it better aligned with other courses."
- Full Professor, Terahertz and Millimetre Wave Laboratory, Microtechnology and Nanoscience