Visual optics textbook receives excellence award

An optics textbook written by Dr Samantha Strong, a senior lecturer at Aston University, has received an award recognising excellence.

Strong’s book – Introduction to Visual Optics: A Light Approach, 1^st edition – has received a Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association.

The senior lecturer and year one lead for MOptom told OT that the textbook, which was released in 2022, is aimed at optometry and dispensing students “who might find the visual optics side of their programme a little daunting.”

Strong explained that she was certain it was a necessary resource: “When I pitched it to the publisher, I was confident that they should let me write it,” she said.

“But then I remember finding out it was published and experiencing some intense imposter phenomena which made me question why I thought I could do something like that – but I’m really pleased to say that the response has been very positive,” Strong told OT.

Students and educators have spoken positively of the way the textbook is written, the colourful illustrations – drawn by Strong herself – and the real-world applications of the topics. Strong shared that these comments make her feel “very proud.”

The Textbook Excellence Award judges consider a book’s content and scholarship, including accuracy, depth and contribution to the field, writing clarity and style, and effectiveness in teaching and learning.

A judge commented on the textbook: “Introduction to Visual Optics, a beautifully designed and engaging textbook that brings optics to life through clarity, interactivity, and real-world relevance, deserves to win the Textbook Excellence Award. This text makes the study of optics both approachable and inspiring.”

Describing what the recognition means for her, Strong shared: “I wrote this book to try to inspire students to discover an appreciation of how fun and interesting visual optics can be, and this award – which judged my book on its ability to teach my topic in an accessible way – serves as a nice confidence-check that I seem to have achieved what I set out to do.”

“Hopefully my book will inspire readers to explore their inner visual optics 'geek' and build their confidence in further learning,” she added.