Maika Kumada
Highly Commended, Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Tutoring or Demonstrating
College of Science and Medicine
Synopsis
Maika has tutored across a range of psychology courses since 2022. Her teaching is guided by curiosity, inclusion, and the belief that students learn best when they connect ideas to real life. She uses discussion, reflective questioning, hands-on activities, and case examples to help students engage with psychological concepts and develop independent critical-thinking skills.
She contributes to the design and improvement of teaching materials through independent research and regular updates to tutorial and lecture content. For example, inspired by charades, she designed a group activity where students interpreted concepts and actions through body movements. Rather than simply explaining the benefits of play, she asked students to reflect on the skills they used and connect their experience of playing it to how play supports childhood development. Activities like this break down psychological concepts into experiences students can actively explore, discuss, and apply. This emphasis on application also shapes her assessment and feedback. She is future-focused, drawing on students’ own work to develop writing and research skills they can use in future assignments and courses.
Maika also continually evaluates and refines her teaching through student feedback, professional learning, collaboration with course convenors, and mentoring fellow tutors. Student feedback directly informs changes to teaching materials. Colleagues have recognised her leadership, empathy, and contribution to supportive learning environments, while strong student evaluations reflect this commitment. As one student remarked, “Engaging, exciting, approachable, and incredibly helpful… One of the best parts of the course was going to practicals with Maika!”
(Photo by Tangyao Zhang/Teaching Communities and Recognition team).