ALDinHE Steering Group
Click on each of the names to view a brief introduction and contact details for the steering group members
Christine Keenan | Kerry Bellamy | David Bowers | Julia Braham | Terry Finnigan | Andy Hagyard | John Hilsdon | Michelle Reid | Pauline Ridley | Steve Rooney | Kim Shahabudin | Sandra Sinfield
Interested in joining the steering group? Click here for more information
Christine Keenan - Chair
Bournemouth University It is my great privilege to take on the role of Chair of the Association. All of our members are very much aware of the energy and enthusiasm that John Hilsdon brought to the role over many years and I am delighted that we will continue to benefit from his experience and wisdom as he is staying with us as a Steering Group member. The discussions on the LDHEN jiscmail list continue to demonstrate that as a movement learning developers have a voice to be heard and I am working with the other Steering Group members to ensure that our voice is heard and represented as widely as possible. My overarching goal as Chair is to encourage our members to become more involved in the work of the Association primarily through the working groups which including the conference, continuing professional development, research development and journal groups.
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Kerry Bellamy
University of Wales, Newport My working life has been filled with roles in customer service, advice and guidance, management marketing and mentoring. I have worked at the University of Wales, Newport for over seven years now, starting in the University Information Centre and now working with Student Services with the Study Advice Service and the Student Mentor Scheme. I enjoy working with the diverse range of people at the university and love that everyone has their own story as to why they are here and what they want to achieve. In my personal life I am a mother of two beautiful children and wife to a full time PhD student. I love the outdoors and can often be found up a mountain or in a forest somewhere, usually snapping pictures, with the family in tow.
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David Bowers - Secretary
University Campus Suffolk I am Head of Learning Development at University Campus Suffolk, one of England’s newest universities. I co-ordinate the work of a team of staff offering support and advice to all students in a range of generic underpinning academic skills, which include Study Skills, Academic Writing, English Language, Maths, Statistics, Research Methods and Use of Computers.
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Julia Braham
University of Leeds I have been part of the ALDinHE steering group since its formation and am a member of the conference working group and a journal reviewer. I became involved in learning development activities at national level through my membership of the LearnHigher steering group and am delighted that the activities of the LearnHigher CETL have been incorporated into ALDinHE. I have worked at the University of Leeds since 2003 as a Senior Academic Skills Adviser 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 drop in service and a study skills workshop programme. My teaching responsibilities include delivering generic and disciple specific curriculum based activities 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.
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Terry Finnigan
London College of Fashion I am Head of Widening Participation at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. and I have been involved in Learning Development for over 25 years in the FE and HE sectors.
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Andy Hagyard - Treasurer
University of Lincoln I work in the Centre for Educational Research and Development 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. 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 forum, with learning area co-ordinator responsibility for ‘Doing Research’. There is increasing recognition of the potential of research- and inquiry-based learning for developing student engagement, and I am currently co-ordinator for the Student as Producer project at Lincoln.
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John Hilsdon
University of Plymouth I am Head of Learning Development Plymouth University and have been involved in the growth of LD as a distinct field of practice in Higher Education since 2002. With Sandra Sinfield I set up the UK network of learning developers LDHEN, and was the founding Chair of ALDinHE from 2007 to 2011. I am also an editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education (JLDHE). I was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2005. As a Learning Area Coordinator for the ‘LearnHigher’ Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning from 2005-2010, I helped l develop a range of learning materials on the themes of critical thinking and reflection and for academic writing (including the Writing for Assignments E-library – ‘WrAssE’). I co-edited the recent book ‘Learning Development in Higher Education’ published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2010. Since 2011 I’ve been managing the Disability Assist services at Plymouth University and see this work as coming under the broader remit of Learning Development. I am currently studying for a professional doctorate in education. |
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Michelle Reid - ViceChair
University of Reading 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!
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Pauline Ridley
University of Brighton 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.
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Steve Rooney
University of Leicester As Learning Development Manager, in the University of Leicester's Careers Service, I manage a small team of (quite brilliant!) people, responsible for providing resources, workshops and individual consultations. In addition, I work closely with academic departments to provide curriculum-level materials, and am regularly engaged in teaching students from a variety of subjects and levels of study. Prior to my current role, I worked as a tutor in further education, and as a skills development trainer for the University of Leicester Students' Union. I have been a member of the Association for three years (since commencing my current post) during which time I have followed closely its work and attended - as both a delegate and presenter - its annual conferences. I am committed to supporting the work of the Association in particular, and promoting learning development more generally. Outside work, I help run a regular spoken word and performance poetry night in Leicester. I also enjoy walking, reading, going to the theatre, and listening to music. I used to be passionate about shouting at the television, but since the advent of twitter, I shout less and type more.
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Kim Shahabudin
University of Reading I am Chair of the LearnHigher Working Group and a co-opted member of the Steering Group. I was Research Officer at Reading for the LearnHigher CETL (2006-2010), investigating student practices and developing evidence-based resources to support students in the areas of time management and report writing. In my 'day job' I'm a Study Adviser at the University of Reading, working with students and staff to enhance student learning practices. In 2010, I was delighted to receive a second Student Nominated Award for Outstanding Contribution to Teaching & Learning Support, previously received in 2007. I studied for my first degree as a mature student and began my teaching career working with adults in further education, so have a particular interest in supporting mature students at university. I'm also interested in the discourse and uses of social media in education. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and gained my PhD from Reading in 2006, writing my thesis on Ancient Greece in Popular Cinema. I still lecture occasionally in the Department of Classics on classical reception in popular culture, and possess the dubious talent of being able to recite the script of the film Gladiator.
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Sandra Sinfield
London Metropolitan University 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! |
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Steering group members are elected at the Annual General Meeting, held during the annual conference.
A full description of the roles and responsibilities of steering group members can be found in the following document
