John Hilsdon - Chair

University of Plymouth
J.Hilsdon@plymouth.ac.uk

I have been a teacher since 1980 and have been working in universities since 1993. I coordinate the Learning Development team and its work at the University of Plymouth which provides me with plenty of inspiration and interest. In carrying out this work, one of the observations I have made is that learning seems to be largely about the growth of experience and communication. Learning leads us to communicate, verbally or non-verbally, with ourselves and others, about what we know and do not know. Because of this I have a particular interest in language and how it relates to learning – how language (in all its forms) is itself a learning tool. My interest in these issues encouraged me to seek out others involved in similar roles in other universities – and that is how, in late 2002, the LDHEN discussion list came into being.
My own study and research interests are in the areas of critical thinking and reflection; academic writing; and students’ experience of learning in HE.
I have a dog called Fletcher (he's the good-looking one in the photo), and I play in a rather loud and very amateur Samba band called Crooked Tempo (available for parties, events, festivals etc at a very reasonable rate!)

Julia Braham

University of Leeds
j.braham@adm.leeds.ac.uk

I work at the Skills Centre at the University of Leeds where my role is to develop services to students and work with academic staff promoting skills development and student collaborative learning. This involves co-ordinating a duty and drop in service and a study skills workshop programme. My teaching responsibilities include delivering workshops in the Centre and across the university e.g. working with international students to improve their transition to UK HE and developing the skills required to help students become active contributors in seminars and participate in groups.
I’m a member of the LearnHigher CETL and the learning area co-ordinator for listening and interpersonal skills.
Evidencing the diverse background of many in the learning development community I came to the Skill Centre after working as a Careers Adviser and have years of experience of teaching employability and personal skills development.

Caroline Cash - Secretary

University College Falmouth
caroline.cash@falmouth.ac.uk

Caroline Cash’s experience as a mature, part-time university student has given her an insight into the challenges of juggling study, work, social and home life which has led to a continuing interest in the field of teaching and learning development. Her twelve-year teaching career has spanned both adult education and higher education where she has delivered a range of English Literature and Creative Writing courses at HE level as well as providing a wide range of support to both staff and students on issues related to academic study and effective learning.

As Research Fellow for Learning and Teaching, Caroline Cash seeks to support colleagues in undertaking research into their own teaching practice and to disseminate findings through publication and conference presentation. Caroline also seeks to assist access to a range of funding opportunities, both internally through the LTRC teaching fellowship scheme, and externally through various learning and teaching development funds.

Caroline’s own research interests relate to the way that higher education institutions facilitate effective student learning, and at present particularly the ways in which assessment design enhances learning. Caroline still keeps in touch with her subject base of English Literature, with a special interest in English Surrealist writing. Leisure time involves being outdoors as much as possible, often in water.

Andy Hagyard

University of Lincoln
ahagyard@lincoln.ac.uk

I work in the Centre for Educational Research and Developement at the University of Lincoln, where my wide ranging role involves support for a number of curriculum development projects and promoting effective use of technology. I am also responsible for the design and implementation of the university's annual student satisfaction survey. My background is in Modern Languages, teaching EFL in France for several years before returning to UK Higher Education and a job developing independent language learning. I have a long-standing interest in learning development and am a member of the LearnHigher CETL, with learning area co-ordinator responsibility for ‘Doing Research’.
Leisure time revolves largely around my three teenage sons and their sporting activities, while struggling to find time for my own interests in running and mountaineering.

Christine Keenan

Bournemouth University
ckeenan@bournemouth.ac.uk

Michelle Reid

University of Reading
michelle.reid@reading.ac.uk

I am a Study Adviser at the University of Reading and I am fortunate to work in a small, but very creative and dynamic Study Advice team. As part of my varied role, I provide individual study sessions, generic workshops, consultation on embedded teaching in departments, and develop study guides and resources. I am also a research officer for the LearnHigher CETL, currently working on the learning area of report writing. The LearnHigher project has given me the opportunity to work more closely with subject academics and involve them in our learning development research. In our team, I provide the lead on developing study resources for postgraduate students and, having a background in English literature, I am interested in all forms of academic writing. I have run very successful workshops on writing dissertations for both undergraduates and postgraduates, and I use ideas of informative writing, genre, writing for an audience, and academic literacies to inform my research on report writing.

I gained my PhD in National Identity in Canadian and Australian Science Fiction from Reading in 2005 and continue to research and publish on postcolonialism and science fiction in my spare time. Outside of work, I am President of Oxford Speakers Club and I have been known to go into the countryside with Oxford Conservation Volunteers and learn dry stone walling, coppicing, hedge-laying and even cutting sheep’s toenails!

Pauline Ridley - Vice Chair

University of Brighton
p.ridley@bton.ac.uk

I work in the University of Brighton Centre for Learning & Teaching (CLT), mainly contributing to courses development of resources and other activities to support academic staff in their teaching. I also work directly with students, and am currently developing our online resources to support student learning development. I taught history of art and design for many years, and was a member of the national Subject Benchmarking panel for the History of Art, Architecture and Design. I also worked in the LTSN Subject Centre in Art, Design & Communication (now HE Academy Subject Centre for Art Design Media) based at Brighton.
I now coordinate the Visual Practices area for the LearnHigher CETL , and have a particular interest in the development of visual knowledge and skills in different disciplines, object-based learning, and the relationship between visual and verbal analysis and communication. I am also involved in the work of InQbate, the CETL in Creativity (a partnership of Sussex and Brighton Universities) and its Creativity Development Fund projects. Other areas of interest include writing development, and working with students with disabilities.

Jan Sellers

University of Kent
J.G.Sellers@kent.ac.uk

Over the last 30 years, I have worked in careers guidance, in the voluntary sector and in adult and continuing education, teaching creative writing, return to work and study skills groups. My PhD in Continuing Education (Kent, 2001) explored the working lives of women part-time lecturers. In 1993, I set up a student learning support project at the University of Kent, which led to the creation of the Student Learning Advisory Service, now part of the Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (UELT). I was awarded a University Learning Support Prize and a National Teaching Fellowship in 2005. I managed the Student Learning Advisory Service until January 2007 and am now in a new post – so new I don’t have a revised job title yet (suggestions welcome!) My brief is to contribute to the creative and strategic development of UELT’s work in teaching and learning, a role I am pursuing with relish through a mixture of approaches – research, networking, playing with ideas and learning from initiatives here and at other universities. I am particularly interested in student retention and in creative approaches to student learning support, the focus of my teaching fellowship project.

Sandra Sinfield

London Metropolitan University
s.sinfield@londonmet.ac.uk

In a previous life I have worked as a laboratory technician, a freelance copy writer, an Executive Editor (Medicine Digest) and in the voluntary sector including with the Islington Green School Community Play written by Alan ‘Whose Life is it Anyway?’ Clarke and produced at Sadler's Wells.

I first taught English Literature A’ levels in evening class and then ‘study skills’ on some of the first Access programmes in the country. I am now a Senior Lecturer in Learning Development, a University Teaching Fellow and a member of the LearnHigher Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: www.learnhigher.ac.uk

With my partner Tom Burns, I have taken a production of John Godber’s ‘Bouncers’ on a tour of Crete discos, produced a staggeringly unsuccessful feature film (‘Eight Days from Yesterday’) - and developed Learning Curve Productions: Everything you wanted to know about studying…but were too afraid to ask and The Work Smart series of staff and student teaching & learning materials. The video that accompanied these two packs won the 1998 IVCA gold award for education - and we still have some in the shed if you are interested!

More recently we have produced two textbooks (Essential study skills: the complete guide to success at university – for students –and Teaching, learning and study skills: a guide for tutors – for staff) for Sage publications.

I think that I have been fortunate to have such a varied working life – and that all these experiences have fed fruitfully into my work as a teacher and as a learning developer. It’s a shame that we are now locking our children into career paths from nursery school…