2017-18 portfolio update
Summary of recent work/practice
I have taken on a more senior role within eLanguages since 2014, progressing from Projects Officer to eLanguages Products and Projects Manager and Learning Technologist. This has enabled me to take a broader contextual view of my development work, and take on a more strategic role with existing projects, new projects and broadening the use of learning technology throughout the department. I feel that my experience in this time has helped me to network with colleagues both within and external to the University and has equipped me for higher-level positions in the future.
Overview of CPD activities over the past 3 years
ALT conference 2015 - Manchester
Description: Due to illness I was promoted from co-presenter to lead presenter in the week of the conference, taking over the session "The international student community as agent of change in online course design." The presentation was a subject matter I was confident with - Get Ready for Southampton - a project I have been involved with since its adaptation from Arrive UK in 2011. I was involved in both the running and social tutoring of Arrive UK for several years, which gave me a good background in the needs of international students coming to the UK to study.
Reflection: I felt that the presentation went well, and I received positive feedback from attendees. I really enjoyed leading the presentation and felt that I made a positive contribution to the conference. I felt that because I knew the content well, I was able to step up to lead and adapt the presentation confidently.
Evidence: Details of the presentation at ALT-C 2015.
Solent Learning and Teaching Community Conference 2016
Description: Secrets of the Masters: advancing and enhancing an online MA, presented at the Solent Learning and Teaching Community Conference in 2016.
Reflection: This presentation was an opportunity to both reflect on the course and disseminiate our reseach findings. I found it a useful collaborative task putting the presentation together and finding out what colleagues thought were the key points about the course. The presentation was a Pecha Kucha - something neither I nor my co-presenter had previously attempted, but it proved to be a good format, and one which I also used at the 2018 running of the conference.
Evidence: SLTCC 2016 programme
SLTCC 2016 abstracts
CPD3: ILTeR (Introduction to Learning and Teaching for Researchers)
Description: This course provided me with an opportunity to reflect on my own teaching and learning strategies.
Reflection: I was pleasantly surprised at how much of the course material I was already aware of, and used this to deepen my understanding of teaching and learning strategies. I discovered several things that have enhanced sessions that I run, including integrating a wider variety of learning styles.
Updated future plans
Now that I have settled in to project and product management, I am now looking to develop my role to progress and take on broader responsibilities managing learning and teaching products and staff across the Faculty or University. I am continuing to develop the online resources and projects that I manage and want to focus on the most successful approaches. I also want to broaden my enterprise management, working on more products which can be licensed to other institutions, effectively both paying for themselves and being cheaper for the other parties than having them develop their own.