I am currently head of the Learning Technologies Group, OUCS at University of Oxford. I have institutional responsibility for e-learning strategy, learning technologies research, podcasting, the institution-wide VLE, and IT skills training.
I am delighted to be a Fellow of Kellogg College and lucky to work closely with the E-learning Research Group in the Department of Education and colleagues in the Oxford Internet Institute. I am the senior manager responsible for Oxford’s current open educational resource (OER) initiatives and the development of open-source learning technologies.
The Learning Technologies Group was established by Oxford University Computing Services ten years ago in response to a growing demand for advice and support related to the use of C&IT in traditional teaching, learning and research in all disciplines. The Learning Technologies Group currently host several externally funded research projects around the development of digital community collections, green IT, computer modelling, learning design and open educational resources. A full list of the projects I have currently in the group can be seen on our LTG projects page. You can follow news and comment from LTG on Twitter @LTGOxford.
The LTG is committed to the following objectives:
* Providing and developing a central Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for the University, tailored to the needs of students and staff;
* Carrying out and disseminating influential research into the latest developments in the use of C&IT in traditional university teaching and learning which is valued by the academic community inside and outside Oxford University;
* Providing University staff and students with training in IT literacy skills and how to effectively use C&IT in teaching and research;
* Promoting the use of C&IT in teaching at Oxford via our user communities, websites, news publications, workshops and events;
* Providing well equipped teaching and training spaces for use by OUCS, members of the University and external guests;
* Promoting and supporting the use of online multimedia for learning and teaching via projects and services;
* Developing learning packages and project websites in line with best practice and in collaboration with Oxford staff and external bodies as appropriate;
* Recognizing and celebrating innovation and good practice in use of C&IT in teaching at Oxford;
* Ensuring that our practice is inclusive, up to date and in line with user needs.
Before coming to Oxford I worked at University of Leeds, Royal Holloway University of London and Edinburgh Napier University. I was module leader for the Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education at Leeds and I’ve been a Fellow of Institute of Learning and Teaching, now the Higher Education Academy, since 2002. I am also a certified member of the UK Association of Learning Technologists and I co-authored a book ‘Designing Learning’ for Routledge key guides. During 2010 -11 I have been a SCORE Fellow at Open University.
As an enthusiastic champion of technology in learning and teaching I contribute to the strategic development of e-learning across Oxford University. I am committed to values of access and inclusivity and I am often asked for advice in using technology for both of those.