I have enjoyed working in the University’s TEL team since December 2014. My role is ostensibly to work with staff to help them effectively and appropriately deploy technology to enhance teaching and learning. This can range from working one-to-one with an individual member of staff to try out a particular tool in their teaching, to helping write a School TEL strategy.
I have specific School liaison responsibilities, working particularly with HUMs, ISLI, SBE and SPPE. I liaise with senior T&L staff in these Schools, helping with strategy and sitting on steering and working groups.
I’ve enjoyed being a member of the Student Engagement Community of Practice and I contribute annually to the Academic Practice Programme to help new academics deploy technology effectively in their practice.
Having been a teacher and having worked in all sectors in the state education system, I have a wide-ranging interest in teaching and learning. I am particularly interested in pedagogy and how technology, when used appropriately, can enrich teaching and learning experiences, engage students and help deepen learning. I have a keen interest in staff development, student engagement, user experience, mentoring/coaching, and technology adoption. I’m more widely interested in history, politics, current affairs, international relations and education’s role in promoting social mobility.
Having studied International Politics at the University of Wales, it was teaching or the Foreign Office for me! Opting for the former, I qualified as a history teacher and taught for several years in secondary and primary schools around the UK before leaving to work in libraries, IT training, e-learning and staff development in Further Education colleges, moving to Higher Education in 2014.
I’m currently completing my application to become a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Outside work, I chair the Trustees of the charity that runs my local community outdoor swimming pool, where I also volunteer as a lifeguard and First Aider. I’m a Trustee too of my local community centre.
Qualifications:
- BSc (Econ) International Politics & International History (University of Wales, Aberystwyth)
- PGCE (Secondary, History) (University of Oxford)
Publications / Presentations:
‘One Step Ahead: TEL Staff Development at the University of Reading’ [Blackboard European User Group meeting, 8 Feb 2022]
‘Everyone’s invited to the party: Blackboard Ally at the University of Reading’ [Blackboard Users Conference, Durham University, January 2020]
Bailey, A., Holmes, V., McCann, L. and Papaefthimiou, M. [2018] ‘E-submission, feedback and grading: a collaborative approach to University-wide adoption’. Association for Learning Technology Conference, Manchester.
‘TEL – A journey from ‘brave new world’ to business as usual: How do we engage our academics at the University of Reading?’ [Blackboard T & L Conference, Bocconi University, Milan, 2016]